The Laotian Civil War was fought from 1959 to 1975 between the Royal Lao Government, backed by the United States, and the communist Pathet Lao movement, supported by North Vietnam, as a direct extension of the wider Vietnam War fought largely through a covert American air and paramilitary campaign that came to be known as the Secret War. Heavy and sustained American bombing devastated large parts of the Laotian countryside over the course of the conflict. The war ended in 1975 as communist forces triumphed across all of Indochina, with the Pathet Lao completing its takeover of the country and establishing the Lao People's Democratic Republic later that year.
Facts
CombatantsPathet Lao and North Vietnam; Royal Lao Government, United States, and Thailand 1 OutcomePathet Lao and North Vietnamese victory 1 Classification
Death Toll Min Conflict Type Laotian Civil War
Filter Results1 entry
Connections
Commanders and Forces
The Vietnam People's Army intervened extensively on the Pathet Lao side of the 1959-1975 Laotian Civil War
Uses
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Sources
1. Laotian Civil War - Wikipedia
Lead section
The Laotian Civil War was waged between the Communist Pathet Lao and the Royal Lao Government from 23 May 1959 to 2 December 1975.
Infobox, combatant1/combatant2
Pathet Lao
Infobox: result
Pathet Lao and North Vietnamese victory Establishment of the Lao People's Democratic Republic End of the Kingdom of Laos Insurgency by anti-communists
Infobox: casualties3
20,000-62,000 total killed
Lead text
The Laotian Civil War was waged between the Communist Pathet Lao and the Royal Lao Government from 23 May 1959 to 2 December 1975.
Infobox: date
23 May 1959 - 2 December 1975 ()
View the SourceWikipedia: M1911 pistol
WikipediaUses: M1911 Pistol, infobox wars field: 'Laotian Civil War'View the Source Wikipedia: Sten Gun
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WikipediaUses: Luger P08 Pistol, infobox wars field: 'Laotian Civil War'View the Source Wikipedia: Browning Automatic Rifle
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World War II Chinese Civil War 1948 Arab-Israeli War Greek Civil War Korean War First Indochina War Costa Rican Civil War Vietnam War Laotian Civil War Algerian War Cambodian Civil War Suez Crisis 1958 Lebanon crisis Six-Day War 1973 Arab-Israeli War Lebanese Civil War Salvadoran Civil War Nicaraguan Revolution
Wikipedia: M2 Browning
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World War II 1947-1949 Palestine war Indonesian National Revolution Korean War First Indochina War Suez Crisis 1958 Lebanon crisis Cuban Revolution Portuguese Colonial War Rhodesian Bush War Vietnam War Laotian Civil War Cambodian Civil War Colombian conflict Dominican Civil War Ethiopian Civil War Lebanese Civil War Cambodian-Vietnamese War Sino-Vietnamese War Nicaraguan Revolution Falklands War Operation Urgent Fury Kurdish-Turkish conflict (1978-2025) Iran-Iraq War Operation Just Cause Persian Gulf War Rwandan Civil War Somali Civil War Yugoslav Wars Operation Uphold Democracy War in Afghanistan (2001-2021) Iraq War Mexican drug war Syrian Civil War (2011-present) War in Iraq (2013-2017) Yemeni Civil War (2014-present) Russo-Ukrainian War
Makarov pistol, Wikipedia
Uses: Makarov PM Pistol, Infobox: warsQuote, Uses: Makarov PM Pistol, Infobox: wars
First Indochina War Vietnam War Laotian Civil War Cambodian Civil War Communist insurgency in Thailand Nicaraguan Revolution Salvadoran Civil War Lebanese Civil War Soviet-Afghan War South African Border War Angolan Civil War Tuareg rebellion (1990-1995) Burundian Civil War First Chechen War Second Chechen War War in Afghanistan (2001-2021) Russo-Georgian War Libyan Civil War Syrian civil war War in Donbas Colombian Conflict Russo-Ukrainian war
Wikipedia: Type 56 assault rifle
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Vietnam War Rhodesian Bush War Cambodian Civil War Laotian Civil War Sino-Vietnamese War Soviet-Afghan War Iran-Iraq War Sri Lankan Civil War Insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir Somali Civil War Tuareg rebellion (1990-1995) Persian Gulf War Kosovo War War in Afghanistan (2001-2021) Iraq War Kivu conflict Iraqi insurgency (2011-2013) War in Iraq (2013-2017) OLA insurgency Russo-Ukrainian war 2025 Cambodia-Thailand conflict
Wikipedia: PPS submachine gun
Uses: PPS-43, Infobox: wars
World War II Chinese Civil War Korean War First Indochina War Bay of Pigs Invasion Vietnam War Cambodian Civil War Laotian Civil War Portuguese Colonial War Liberian Civil Wars Rhodesian Bush War Namibian War of Independence Russo-Ukrainian War
Uses: PPS Submachine Gun, Infobox: wars
World War II Chinese Civil War Korean War First Indochina War Bay of Pigs Invasion Vietnam War Cambodian Civil War Laotian Civil War Portuguese Colonial War Liberian Civil Wars Rhodesian Bush War Namibian War of Independence Russo-Ukrainian War
View the SourceWikipedia: M79 grenade launcher
Uses: M79 Grenade Launcher, Infobox: warsQuote, Uses: M79 Grenade Launcher, Infobox: wars
Vietnam War Cambodian Civil War Laotian Civil War Communist insurgency in Thailand Dominican Civil War Communist Insurgency War The Troubles Operation Marajoara Lebanese Civil War South African Border War Sino-Vietnamese War Salvadoran Civil War Falklands War Bougainville conflict War in Afghanistan (2001-2021) Iraq War Gulf War Desert Storm Sistan and Baluchestan insurgency 2008-2011 Cambodia-Thailand border crisis 2010 Burma border clashes Syrian Civil War Battle of Marawi Myanmar Civil War
Wikipedia: M203 grenade launcher
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Vietnam War Laotian Civil War Cambodian Civil War Civil conflict in the Philippines Sino-Vietnamese War Cambodian-Vietnamese War Sino-Vietnamese conflicts (1979-1991) Third Indochina War Soviet-Afghan War Falklands War Gulf War War in Afghanistan (2001-2021) Iraq War War in Iraq (2013-2017) Syrian Civil War Gaza war Russian invasion of Ukraine 2025 Cambodia-Thailand conflict
Wikipedia: M1917 revolver
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World War I World War II Chinese Civil War Korean War Vietnam War (saw combat with the "tunnel rat" units) Laotian Civil War Cambodian Civil War
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World War I Banana Wars Spanish Civil War World War II First Indochina War Chinese Civil War Korean War Hukbalahap Rebellion 1958 Lebanon crisis Annexation of Goa Portuguese Colonial War Vietnam War (limited) Laotian Civil War (limited) Lebanese Civil War (limited) Soviet-Afghan War
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World War II First Indochina War Algerian War Laotian Civil War Vietnam War
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World War II First Indochina War Vietnam War Algerian War Suez Crisis Ifni War 1958 Lebanon Crisis Laotian Civil War Chadian Civil War Nigerian Civil War Portuguese Colonial War Cambodian Civil War Western Sahara War Lebanese Civil War Chadian-Libyan conflict Tuareg rebellion (1990-1995) Syrian Civil War Central African Republic Civil War (2012-present)
Wikipedia: KPV heavy machine gun
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Wikipedia: Type 54 pistol
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Sino-Indian War Vietnam War Indo-Pakistan war of 1971 Laotian Civil War Cambodian Civil War Cambodian-Vietnamese War Rhodesian Bush War Sino-Vietnamese War Sri Lankan Civil War Somali Civil War Kargil war 2025 Cambodia-Thailand conflict
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Vietnam War Cambodian Civil War Laotian Civil War Sino-Vietnamese War Cambodian-Vietnamese War Third Indochina War Soviet-Afghan War Salvadoran Civil War Gulf War First Nagorno-Karabakh War Tajikistani Civil War First Chechen War Congo Civil War Second Chechen War War in Afghanistan Iraq War Russo-Georgian War Kivu conflict Syrian civil war Russo-Ukrainian War
Wikipedia: Arisaka
Uses: Arisaka, Article textQuote, Uses: Arisaka, Article text
Pathet Lao: Captured rifles used during the First Indochina War and the Laotian Civil War.
Wikipedia: B-10 recoilless rifle
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Vietnam War Cambodian Civil War Laotian Civil War Yom Kippur War Portuguese Colonial War Lebanese Civil War Western Sahara War Angolan Civil War Lord's Resistance Army insurgency Iran-Iraq War Somali Civil War Gulf War Third Sudanese Civil War Libyan Civil War Syrian Civil War War in Iraq (2013-2017) Yemeni Civil War (2014-present) Houthi-Saudi Arabian conflict Sudanese civil war (2023-present) 2025 Afghanistan-Pakistan conflict
Wikipedia: M3 scout car
Uses: M3 scout car, Article textQuote, Uses: M3 scout car, Article text
Chile Colombia Costa Rica Czechoslovakia Dominican Republic Dutch East Indies El Salvador France Greece Israel Katanga Kingdom of Laos - 19 M3A1s used by the Royal Lao Army during the Laotian Civil War (1954-1975).
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Spanish Civil War Winter War World War II Second Sino-Japanese War Korean War Chinese Civil War First Indochina War Vietnam War Hungarian Revolution of 1956 Laotian Civil War North Yemen Civil War Cambodian Civil War Cambodian-Vietnamese War Rhodesian Bush War Portuguese Colonial War Communist insurgency in Thailand Afghan Wars Sino-Vietnamese War Sri Lankan Civil War First Nagorno-Karabakh War Georgian Civil War Yugoslav Wars Somali Civil War Iraq War First Libyan Civil War Northern Mali conflict Syrian Civil War Russo-Ukrainian War
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