French Protectorate of Laos
Laos, 1893–1953. Draft, not yet reviewed
The French protectorate of Laos was a French protectorate in Southeast Asia of what is today Laos between 1893 and 1953, which constituted part of French Indochina. The protectorate of Luang Prabang was nominally under the rule of its King, but actual power lay with a local French Governor-General, who in turn reported to the Governor-General of French Indochina. During World War II, the protectorate briefly proclaimed independence under Japanese occupation in 1945. It formally became an associated state in 1949 and achieved full independence after the Franco-Lao Treaty in 1953, during the final stages of the First Indochina War.
Seat of power: Vientiane
Rulers
Zakarine
king of Luang Prabang, 1888–1904
During his reign, he accepted French protectorate over the kingdom on 3 October 1893 after his father agreed to having French protection.
Portrait of Zakarine: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, file
Sisavang Vong
King of Laos, 1904–1959
He ascended the throne at the age of 18 following the death of his father. He briefly ruled as king of the Japanese puppet state of Luang Prabang in late 1945, but was dethroned by the Lao Issara for his pro-French stance.
Portrait of Sisavang Vong: Unidentified author of the publication (photographers, designers, etc. not credited). Booklet on the leaders, flags a..., CC BY-SA 4.0, file
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Culture
- Luang Prabang remained the seat of the royal family, whose power was reduced to figureheads while the actual power was transferred over to French officials including the vice consulate and Resident-General.
- The later annexed regions of Laos were, however, purely under French rule.
- The protectorate was reestablished, but soon afterward the Kingdom of Laos was expanded to include all Laotian regions and granted self-government within the French Union.
Picture
Luang Prabang is the capital of Luang Prabang Province and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995.
Image: 松岡明芳, CC BY-SA 3.0, file
Sources
- French protectorate of Laos (Wikipedia)
- French Protectorate of Laos (Wikidata)
- About the picture (Wikipedia)
Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.