French protectorate of Laos

The French protectorate of Laos is a French protectorate in Southeast Asia of what is today Laos between 1893 and 1953–with a brief interregnum as a Japanese puppet state in 1945–that constitutes part of French Indochina.

It is established over the Siamese vassal, the Kingdom of Luang Phrabang, following the Franco-Siamese War in 1893.

It is integrated into French Indochina and in the following years further Siamese vassals, the Principality of Phuan and Kingdom of Champasak, are annexed into it in 1899 and 1904, respectively.

The protectorate of Luang Phrabang is nominally under the rule of its King, but actual power lies with a local French Governor-General, who in turn is under the orders of the Governor-General of French Indochina.

The later annexed regions of Laos are however under pure French rule.

During the Second World War, the protectorate briefly proclaim nominal independence under Japanese occupation in 1945.

After the surrender of Japan shortly thereafter, the restoration of French control over the country is opposed by the newly established Lao Issara government, who ultimately fail by April 1946.

The protectorate is reestablished, but not too long after the kingdom is united over all Laotian regions regions and given self-rule within the French Union as the Kingdom of Laos, achieving full independence after the Franco-Lao Treaty in 1953, during the final stages of the First Indochina War.

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