We read all the lead to present a different history.
Looking at the world, the situation in the world can be described as "long-term unity, long-term integration must be divided". Whether it is a large country or a small country, the rise and fall of honor and disgrace and even the survival of life and death are constantly changing with time. In the long years, not to mention that those small countries, even the once powerful big countries, were mostly annihilated in the yellow sands of history and were not known to future generations. Some people may still have an impression of the Republic of Vietnam (south Vietnam), which confronted North Vietnam in the 1960s and 1970s, but another country that has existed longer and is stronger than South Vietnam is no longer known.
▲ Royal Palace of Luang Prabang, Laos
This country is the Kingdom of Laos, which was established in 1945. After world war II, the last king of Luang Prabang, Sisawang Von, unified the whole territory of Laos and established the Kingdom of Laos with the support of Western countries such as France and the United States. The size of the Kingdom of Laos is roughly the same as that of modern Laos, at 236,800 square kilometers and a population of about 3.1 million. As a country supported by the West to compete with the socialist camp, the Kingdom of Laos was established a full decade earlier than South Vietnam and existed for a full decade than South Vietnam. Both countries were declared extinct in 1975.
Map of the Republic of Vietnam
Few people know that these two countries are not only "difficult brothers and sisters", but also were really brother countries. Why? First of all, in modern times, the two countries have resisted Japanese aggression together, established a fighting friendship, both accepted Western support and assistance, and both aimed at the annihilation of the North Vietnamese and Lao People's Parties as their main goals of struggle, which again had class friendship, and they were on the same front both internally and externally.
▲Vietnam War American Troops
After the Vietnam War, the United States supported South Vietnam against North Vietnam on the one hand, and also helped the Kingdom of Laos deal with the People's Party organizations in Laos on the other hand. At this time, the Kingdom of Laos, whose territory was connected to South Vietnam, almost became a bridgehead for the United States in Southeast Asia. Based on this factor, the Kingdom of Laos has been mired in civil war for 22 years since its establishment, and the economic situation is very bad.
▲Old photos of the South Vietnamese army
However, it should be pointed out that although the Lao Kingdom has a small population and a poor country, its military strength cannot be underestimated, and the combat effectiveness of the army is even stronger than that of the South Vietnamese army. At that time, the South Vietnamese army was basically defeated in the face of the North Vietnamese army, to the point of being vulnerable, and quickly lost power after losing the assistance of the United States. In contrast, the Lao Kingdom has been suppressing the Lao People's Party in the 22-year civil war, and without the help of the North Vietnamese army, the Lao People's Party may not have been able to overthrow the Lao Kingdom at all, and the establishment of the People's Republic would not have been possible.
Lao people on the ruins of war
The U.S. government at the time also saw this and gave great support to the Kingdom of Laos, and even in the later stages of the war, in order to preserve the Kingdom of Laos, it bombed the areas where the People's Party was active for a decade, dropping millions of tons of ammunition. Although the U.S. military was ultimately unable to salvage the mess, it also confirmed the strength of the Kingdom of Laos, which was much stronger than the South Vietnamese regime.
▲ The last king of Laos, Savang Wadana
After the overthrow of the Kingdom of Laos, the second King, Sisawang Wadana, was forcibly taken to labor camps, and died three years later in Sang Nu, and all his family members were arrested, and none of them were spared - the disappearance of the royal family also marked the complete collapse of the Lao Kingdom. The Kingdom of Laos existed for 30 years from its founding in 1945 to its demise in 1975, but today people only remember South Vietnam, but forget the Kingdom of Laos. Speaking of which, the economy of the Kingdom of Laos was still good, but under the destruction of the BOMBING army, it is still one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia and the world.
Resources:
Chronicles of Nations: Laos