Abstract
This paper aims to analyze the process of establishing the liberated zone in Laos, focusing on changes in the strategy of the Pathet Lao (PL) toward the Kingdom of Laos (KL) and the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV).
The PL, established in Vietnam in 1950, kept changing its strategy for the first decade. The main strategies tried by the PL were as follows. First, for the initial four years the PL tried to gain bases with the military assistance of the DRV but could not return to Laos. Second, in the assembly area provided by the Geneva Agreements of 1954, the PL expelled the KLʼs forces and established the one-party system of the Lao Peopleʼs Party. However, despite the economic and political assistance of the DRV, the PL could not afford to sustain the system. Third, the PL handed over the assembly area to the KL when it established the coalition government in 1957. It followed that the PL was forced to move to Vietnam when the coalition collapsed. Thereafter, while the PL engaged in a large military action with the DRV, it could not gain firm bases for more than a year.
The PL conquered Samnuea Province in 1960 and named it the liberated zone. The strategy advocated at that time reflected the above experiences. Its points were as follows. One, the PL rethought its strategy of depending heavily on the DRV and put much value on self-reliance. Two, the PL recognized its own military weakness and started a dialogue with the KL. Three, the PL agreed to reestablish the coalition government but did not agree to renounce the liberated zone.
