A Brief History of Laos
A Timeline From the Kingdom of Lan Xang to the Lao PDR
Conventionally, the History of Laos as a nation is introduced with the founding of the Kingdom of Lan Xang in the 14th century. However, relatively advanced societies have lived on the territory of Laos for centuries before. Also, the earliest evidence of the existence of the Lao people dates back to the 9th century with the "laws of Khun Borum" (or "Khun Bolum") which describes an agrarian proto-Lao society prior to their adoption of Theravada Buddhism and their southward migration to the territory of modern Laos.
The Kingdom of Lan Xang and its fall
11th and 12th centuries: The first ethnic Lao establish themselves in the Middle Mekong region.
1354: Founding of the Kingdom of Lan Xang (Million elephants) by Khmer-backed Prince Fa Ngum.
1560: King Setthathirat moves the capital from Luang Prabang to Vientiane.
1694: Surinyavongsa, last king of Lan Xang, dies without a heir.
1707: Lan Xang breaks into three weak kingdoms: Luang Prabang in the north, Vientiane in the center and Champassak in the south.
1778: Vientiane is conquered by Siam, beginning more than a century of Siamese domination on the Lao kingdoms.
1823-28: King Anuvong of Vientiane leads a rebellion against Siamese rule and attempts to conquer the Lao-speaking Khorat plateau. He is finally defeated, the Kingdom of Vientiane abolished, its capital razed and its population deported on the western side of the Mekong.
1893-1904: The borders of modern Laos are defined as Siam is forced to cede all territory east of the Mekong to French Indochina.
French colonial rule and the creation of Laos
1930s-40s: In order to counter Thai (Siamese) influence, the Lao Movement for National Renovation is established. It contributes to Lao identity and nationalism by standardizing its language, recovering ancient historical texts and stimulating its cultural and religious traditions.
1940: Thailand (newly renamed from Siam) invades French Laos, reclaiming Lao territory west of the Mekong annexed in 1904.
1941: Thai military ruler Marshall Phibun Songkhram enters into a secret agreement with Japan giving Thailand the right to annexe the whole of Laos after a Japanese victory on the Allies.
1945: The Lao Issara movement is created to prevent a come back to French rule and takes over after Japanese departure but is forced to flee to Thailand after the return of the French a year later.
1946: Laos becomes an autonomous state within the French Union and then an independent state within the French Union in 1950 and finally, fully independent in 1953.
The Kingdom of Laos and the civil war
1955: Establishment of the Programs Evaluation Office, a covert US military mission tasked with supporting right-wing elements in the Royal Lao Government.
1956: The first coalition government is created between the communist Pathet Lao of Prince Souphanouvong, the neutralists of Prince Souvannaphouma (the Prime Minister) and the royalist rightists of Prince Boun Oum.
1959-1960: A right-wing coup by Phoumi Nasavan in 1959 followed by a neutralist counter-coup by Kong Le in 1960 leads to the the Battle of Vientiane but also paves the way to the formation of the second coalition government.
1962: Creation of the second coalition government between the three political forces.
1964: After a failed coup attempt, Pathet Lao ministers leave the government, ending the second coalition government. Generalized civil war hits Laos, with the US-backed Royal Lao Government assisted by Thai forces and CIA-funded Hmong guerrillas fighting the Communist Pathet Lao militias and the North Vietnamese Army.
1973: With US disengagement from Indochina, the civil war ends and a third coalition government is formed. The Pathet Lao soon becomes the dominant force and takes over the government.
1975: The King abdicates and the Lao People's Democratic Republic is proclaimed, with Souphanouvong as President and Kaysone Pomvihane as Prime Minister.
The Lao People's Democratic Republic and modern Laos
1977: Signature of a 25-year Lao-Vietnamese Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation, which allows Vietnamese troops to stay in Laos.
1979: Socialist policies like land collectivization are abandoned and some restrictions are lifted.
1985: The “New Economic Mechanism” is introduced, reducing state control over the economy.
1987: Serious border clashes between Lao and Thai forces are soon followed by improved relations and the construction of a first Friendship Bridge over the Mekong river, completed in 1994.
1991: A new constitution transforms the Lao PDR into a presidential republic with Kaysone as new President.
1992: Kaysone, the Lao People's Revolutionary Party's leader since its founding, dies at age 72.
1997-98: The Asian financial crisis severely hits Laos because of its growing dependency on Thailand.
References
Martin Stuart-Fox, A History of Laos, Cambridge University Press 1997
