Laotian Civil War

The **Laotian Civil War** was a civil war in Laos from 1959 to December 1975 between the communist Pathet Lao and anti-communist Kingdom of Laos. Pathet Lao had the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong supported (who were also fighting the same one in the Vietnam War) while the United States and South Vietnam supported the Kingdom of Laos. The war ended in a Pathet Lao victory, therefore ending the war.

The purpose behind the involvement of troops from North Vietnam in this conflict was to help their war efforts in their own conflict (see Ho Chi Minh trail) while the U.S. and South Vietnam's involvement in the civil war was to stop the North Vietnamese. Laos became the latest country in Indochina to become communist after the Vietnam War and Cambodian Civil War ended which ultimately resulted in three countries became communists the same year. That stayed the same until the Cambodian–Vietnamese War.

## Names

The Laotian Civil War had many names. In Vietnam, it is called the **resistance war against American involvement** as they consider this was another war in the region since the First Indochina War.

In the United States and other Western nations, the war was named the **Secret War** because of the CIA's secret operations in the conflict. The US continued to recognize its role in the war until 1997.

Because of the scale of war being only in Laos primarily, and it was just two sides fighting each others, the general name Laotian Civil War is still historically correct.

## Background

Laos got its independence in 1945 after Japan left (surrended in 1945 therefore World War II ended) with Lao Issara in charge of the country but France came back to take the country again and Lao Issara dissolved. However, fights for indepedence from France continued which they succeeded.

The Geneva Conference in 1954 established a neutral country of Laos. However, the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) supported the communist Pathet Lao and created the Ho Chi Minh trail in Laos in order to continue their fights in the Vietnam War. The United States tried to prevent this and the CIA spent years training around 3.000 Hmong people primarily with Vang Pao being their leader. Thailand, the United States and South Vietnam supported the Kingdom of Laos against the communists Pathet Lao, PAVN and the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam (also known as the Viet Cong).

## Other sources

- Supporting the "Secret War": CIA Air Operations in Laos, 1955-1974
- 'Secret War' Still Killing Thousands, Andre Vltchek, Worldpress.org correspondent, 14 November 2006
- The secret war from the **www.plainofjars.net** website

## Infobox (military conflict)

- **conflict**: Laotian Civil War
- **partof**: the Vietnam War and the Cold War
- **image**: Areas bombed by the US military in Laos from 1964 to 1973.svg
- **caption**: Map of Pathet Lao's controlled areas being bombarded by the United States Air Force to help the Kingdom of Laos.
- **date**: –
()
- **place**: Kingdom of Laos
- **result**: Pathet Lao and North Vietnamese victory

* Establishment of the Lao People's Democratic Republic
* Collapse of the Kingdom of Laos
* Uprisings against the communist government continued for years.
- **commander1**:
 Thanom Kittikachorn
- **casualties1**: ~15,000 deaths (Royal Lao Army)
- **casualties2**: 3,000+ from the People's Army of Vietnam
 Pathet Lao: Unknown
- **casualties3**: 20,000-70,000 casualties