Key Facts
- Duration
- 13–16 December 1960 (4 days)
- Civilian dead
- ~600
- Homes destroyed
- ~600
- Displaced civilians
- ~7,000 left homeless
- Outcome
- Royal Lao Government forces recaptured Vientiane
Strategic Narrative Overview
Fighting erupted in Vientiane from 13 to 16 December 1960, as Phoumi Nosavan's Royal Lao Army forces, supported by Thai military aid and CIA assistance, pressed into the capital against Kong Le's Neutralist Armed Forces. Artillery exchanges and street fighting caused extensive civilian casualties and widespread destruction throughout the city before the neutralist defenders were overwhelmed and forced to withdraw.
01 / The Origins
The Battle of Vientiane arose from the unstable political situation in Laos during the early Cold War. In August 1960, neutralist paratrooper Captain Kong Le staged a coup in Vientiane, installing a neutralist government. Right-wing General Phoumi Nosavan, backed by the United States CIA and the Royal Thai Government, launched a counter-offensive to retake the capital and restore a pro-Western administration in the Kingdom of Laos.
03 / The Outcome
By 16 December 1960, General Phoumi Nosavan had secured Vientiane, ending the immediate coup crisis. Kong Le's neutralist forces retreated north to the Plain of Jars, where they entered an uneasy alliance with the Pathet Lao and North Vietnamese Army. The battle accelerated U.S. and Thai military commitment to Laos as communist forces consolidated control over the country's northeastern quarter.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
3 belligerents
Phoumi Nosavan.
Side B
1 belligerent
Kong Le.
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.