Kaysone Louangrath

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Kaysone Louangrath
Savang Vatthana 1959.jpg
1st Premier of Lavana
In office
October 3rd, 1940 – December 15th, 1944
Preceded byOffice established
Succeeded byPekelo Takgatoa
2nd Leader of the Opposition
In office
December 15th, 1944 – December 15th, 1948
Preceded byPekelo Takgatoa
Succeeded by[[Suhk Khammanivong]]
5th [[President of the National Democratic Party]]
In office
January 12th 1935 – December 15th 1948
Preceded byKham Bekhavong
Succeeded bySuhk Khammanivong
5th [[President Confederacy for a Free Lavana]]
In office
January 12th 1935 – October 15th 1941
Preceded byKham Bekhavong
Succeeded byDisbanded
3rd [[President of the National Democratic Party]]
In office
November 12th 1922 – January 4th 1927
Preceded byLouis Keoman
Succeeded byKham Bekhavong
Personal details
Born(1880-11-22)November 22, 1880
Pers, Desebau
DiedJune 22, 1965(1965-06-22) (aged 84)
St Richards, Florian, Estmere
Cause of deathHeart Attack
CitizenshipLavanan
Political partyNational Democratic Party (since 1902)
SpouseLayla Vongphakdy (married in 1900; died in 1933). Marie Richards (married in 1938)
Children6
Parent
  • Bane Louangrath (father)
RelativesMichael Louangrath (son), Suhk Khammanivong (son in-law), Emmanuel Louangrath (grandson), Layla Khammanivong (daughter), Bane Gobobudi (son)
EducationUniversity of Verlois

Kaysone Louangrath (ໄກສອນ ຫຼວງລາດ, 22 November 1880 - 22 June 1965) was a Lavanan anti-colonial nationalist, secular humanist, social democrat and author who was a central figure in Lavana during the middle of the 20th century. Louangrath was a principal leader of the Lavanan nationalist movement in the 1920s to 1940s. Upon Lavanas independence in 1940, he served as the country's president for 4 years. Louangrath promoted parliamentary democracy, secularism, and science and technology during the 1940s. He led Lavana through the turbulent start of its history until losing the 1944 election. He is generally regarded positively by the Lavanan socialists, despite Louangrath supporting the republican government during the Lavanan Civil War. He earned the honorific Pho Kongpathd (Father of the nation) upon his death.

The son of Bane Louangrath, a prominent lawyer and Kachai nationalist, Kaysone Louangrath was educated in the Pers École Métropolitaine pour garçons, and attended the University of Verlois, training in law. He became a full time lawyer, returning to Lavana and joining the National Democratic Party in 1902 at the suggestion of his father. Louangrath was a part time member of the party and took limited interest in the activities of the party, until his father's death in 1908, when he became more involved in the party which eventually became his full-time occupation. He became the head of the cooperative faction during the 1910's, the growing tensions with the Functionalist colonial authorities and the threat of war on the horizon, led the NDP to rally around Louangrath in 1922. Although by 1927 party membership favored conflict with Gaullica, becoming disillusioned with obtaining independence through legal and cooperative means, Louangrath respected the desires of the party and resigned in 1927, he travelled to Estmere when the Great War started. Being forced into exile into Estmere, and latter Werania