The Laotian Civil War (9 November 1953-2 December 1975) was fought between the communist Pathet Lao and the pro-West Kingdom of Laos during the Cold War. The civil war broke out a mere eighteen days after Laos gained its independence from France, with the right-wing prince Boun Oum and the centrist prince Souvanna Phouma fighting against the left-wing Pathet Lao, led by prince Souphanouvong. The Soviet Union and North Vietnam would give support to the Pathet Lao as the civil war effectively became a theater of the Vietnam War, and the United States' CIA would train 23,000 Hmong militiamen by 1964, using them to fight against the communists (21,000 mercenaries from Thailand would fight alongside the anti-communists). The war lasted for 22 years, with the US Air Force's bombing campaign against Phong Saly and Sam Neua failing to stop the Pathet Lao from repeatedly defeating government forces. On 2 December 1975, communist forces entered Vientiane and ended the monarchy, creating a communist state.
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