Kaysone Phomvihane and the Lao Revolution from 1955 to 1975 C.E.

Abstract

This study was aimed at reflecting the life of Kaysone Phomvihane, the leader of the Lao Revolution between 1955 and 1975. The research employed a historical approach to examine and analyze documents related to his biography, including official documents from the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party, Lao People’s Revolutionary Front organizations, and the Lao government. Along with this was a comparison of research reports, new analyses, and published accounts related to the topic. To cross check the data for accuracy, oral historical accounts or oral interviews were used to evaluate the credibility of the sources. The three main findings are the following. First, Kaysone Phomvihane was a Vietnamese-Lao individual who was supported by the Indochinese Communist Party. Second, he helped recruit the masses to join the Lao Revolution. Third, he was one of the core leaders who established the Marxist-Leninist-style party for Lao society.