World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbasePrince Petsarath Ratanavongsa was the second son of Vice-King Bounkhong and Princess Thongsy of the Kingdom of Luang Phrabang in present-day Laos in 1890. He studied at the Lycée Chasseloup Laubat in Saigon, French Indochina, then moved on to the Lycée Montaigne and École coloniale in Paris, France. In 1912, he returned to Laos, French Indochina. In 1913, he married Princess Nhin Kham Venne and began working as an interpreter for his father. In 1914, he became a clerk at the Office of the French governor in Vientiane, Laos. In 1916, he was made assistant secretary to the French governor. In 1919, he was granted the title Somdeth Chao Ratsaphakhinay. Later in the same year, he was made Director of Indigenous Affairs of Lao by the French governor. Upon his father's death in 1920, he was made the Vice-King (Oupahat) of the Kingdom of Luang Phrabang by King Sisavang Vong. Petsarath played a direct role in the establishment and modernization of various government services in the French colony. Slowly becoming nationalistic and anti-French, he grew closer to the Japanese, who promised independence. In 1941, after the Japanese occupation had begun, he was made the Prime Minister of the Laos by the Japanese. Between 1941 and 1945, he placed many anti-French leaders in positions of power in Laos and attempted to assert similar influence in various parts of present-day Vietnam, but he was generally only successful in Laos. The French colonial leaders returned in in Aug 1945 after the end of WW2. In 1946, Phetsarath went into exile to Thailand and became the leader of the Lao Issara ("Free Laos") movement. In Mar 1957, he returned to Laos and again entered service under King Sisavang Vong, who had since proclaimed the Kingdom of Laos after having nominally united all Lao kingdoms and factions. In the following month, he was made the first Vice-King of the Kingdom of Laos. In Dec 1957, he visited Xam Neua and Phongsali in northern Laos, where Prince Souphanouvong, formerly of the Kingdom of Champasak and now the leader of the communist Lao People's Party, symbolically submitted to the king. He passed away in Oct 1959 from a severe brain hemorrhage. No one was appointed Vice-King after his death, thus making him the last man to hold that title in Laos.

Ratanavongsa Phetsarath Timeline