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Born October 7, 1901
Luang Prabang, Laos
Died January 1984
Laos

Prime Minister of Laos, 1951–1975

Prime Minister Souvanna Phouma led the nation of Laos for a total of twenty years, including the period from 1962 to 1975. During that time, the war in neighboring Vietnam repeatedly threatened to spill over into Laos. Souvanna tried to maintain a neutral position on the war, even as Communist rebels threatened his own nation. But Souvanna's efforts to remain neutral faltered in the early 1970s, when he approved massive U.S. bombing and reconnaissance missions against Communist forces in eastern Laos. In 1975 Communist forces seized control of Laos, and Souvanna's rule came to an end.

Member of the Laotian royal family

Souvanna Phouma was born October 7, 1901, into a family whose ancestors had ruled Laos...