spartans_in_darkness

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(U) Prince
Souphanouvong
(center, with
young son)
Co 1946 with Viet Minh
advisors. (Note Viet
Minh representatives
giving the raised fist
salute ofthe
Internationale.)
EO
1.4. (c)
of a general civil war. However, the only way to
avoid bloodshed was to establish and maintain a
finely balanced coalition among the several factions,
notably the nationalists and communists,
but also conservative nationalists and so-called
"neutralist" factions, the latter of which were
mostly private armies who would join whatever
side promised the best benefits. The Laotian
political arena also had a certain fairy tale-like
atmosphere, due, in no small part, to the fact that
most of the major factions were led up by various
princes of the Royal Family. Notable among these
were Prince Souvanna Phouma, who was the
nationalist leader (although he favored a neutralist
stance), and his half-brother, Prince
Souphanouvong (the "Red Prince"), who led the
Pathet Lao, the communist insurgency.
the Royal Laotian Army, regional coalition governments
for the two northern, communist- dominated
provinces of Houphan andLouangphrabang,
and the inclusion of Souphanouvongin the
national government in Vientiane. \The agreement
appeared to have the possibility for sue-
mg and had did eve ope a sort ro f po1'1'11 ica
ceed'
"momentum" of its o\\'TI.1
\
(TS//Sf) In the years following the Geneva
Accords, slow progress was made towards
arranging for a coalition government in
Vientiane. By late 1957 an agreement was concluded
which reestablished the Royal Laotian
Government with the participation of the Pathet
Lao. The provisions of the agreement called for
the integration of the Pathet Lao battalions into
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