Introduction
Laos between Indochina and Siam • Colonialism and nationalism in Laos

1. The Colonial Encounter
Siam and the Mekong region: Interstate relations in the premodern period • The French and the Mekong • The colonial encounter: Two conflicting spatial layouts • The French colonial discourse on the Lao: Notions of race and history

2. Thai Discourses on History and Race
Making Laos ‘our’ space: Belonging in history • Making Laos ‘our’ space: Rethinking national maps • Suwannaphum or Laem Thong: The racial link • Demanding the return of the lost territories

3. Roads, History, Religion and Language, 1893–1940
Laos between Siam and Indochina: Linking space • Laos in Indochina: The Vietnamese link • Towards a national history of Laos • Towards a nationalisation of religion: The Buddhist Institute • Towards a standardisation of the written Lao language

4. The Campaign for a National ‘Re-awakening’, 1941–1945
Outline of the campaign for a national renovation in Laos • Towards a new national space: The problem of unification • A national reawakening: The importance of history and Franco–Lao cooperation • Les Annamites et nous: An ambivalent relationship • Cultural revival: Literature and songs • ‘Siam-ification’ or ‘Laoification’: The issue of language standardisation

5. Setting Laos Free from the French
Turning the idea of Laos against the French • Concluding remarks: Bringing Laos into existence

Bibliography
Index