Suphanouvong, Prince

(1902–1995)

   President of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and founder of the communist Pathet Lao army, Suphanouvong was a major figure in the history of Laos. He trained as an engineer in Paris before joining the Laos nationalist movement on his return in 1938. In 1950 he founded the Pathet Lao to fight the French colonists and continued to serve as a leader of the army in the struggle against the right-wing regime of Lao Issara after the French departed. In 1974 he was made chairman of the National Political Consultative Council, and the following year he became president of the newly formed People’s Democratic Republic of Laos, a post he retained until his retirement due to ill health in 1986.