ABSTRACT
The History of Laos is officially traced to the establishment of the kingdom of Lan Xang by Fa Ngum in 1353. Entering a period of decline in the seventeenth century, Lan Xang was controlled by Siam (now Thailand). During this period, the country was divided into three dependent states: Luang Prabang in the north, Vientiane in the centre, and Champassak in the south. Following its occupation of Vietnam, France also absorbed Laos into French Indochina via treaties with Siam in 1893 and 1904. During World War II, the Japanese occupied French Indochina. When Japan surrendered, Laos declared Laos independent, but by early 1946, French troops had reoccupied the country and conferred limited autonomy on Laos. During the First Indochina War, the Indochinese Communist Party formed the Pathet Lao (Lao Nation) resistance organization committed to Lao independence. Laos gained full independence on 22 October 1953. Growing American and North Vietnamese military presence in the country increasingly drew Laos into the Second Indochina War (1954–1975) (Stuart-Fox, 1997).
