The battle fought around dien bien phu was the last major campaign by a european state in the region. The viet minh assault began in earnest on march 1954 with an attack on the. Thus, the coming battle qf dien bien phu came to have a crucial significance in. Simpson put it in his book, dien bien phu, the epic battle america forgot. After french forces occupied the dien bien phu valley in late. The french strategy of seeking to establish a fortified base across the viet minhs route to and from laos provoked an awesome struggle that lasted from november 1953 to may 1954. The battle of dien bien phu ranks with agincourt, waterloo, and gettysburg as one of the great military engagements of history. From the acclaimed scholar and reporter, a thorough and revealing account of the historic turning point in vietnams long strugglethe 1954 battle for dien bien phu like gettysburg, stalingrad, midway, and tet, the battle at dien bien phua strategic attack launched by france against the vietnamese in 1954 after eight long years of warmarked a historic turning point. Dien bien phu has transformed since 1954 when there were just 100 houses. Armstrong it is january 24, 1954, as you assume the role of general vo nguyen giap, commander of the military forces of the viet minh, the vietnamese communist independence movement led by ho chi minh that seeks to overthrow french colonial rule.
After japanese defeat, many of the countries of southeast asia occupied by japan. This was a decisive blow to france as a colonial power. During world war two, japan also sought the resources the area had to offer. Causes and consequences of the battle of dien bien phu examine the causes and consequences and consequences of the battle of dien bien phu, 1954, which affected the lives of the vietnamese until the 1960s. John keegan does a masterful job of explaining the battle of dien bien phu. The battle of dien bien phu, 1954 a picture from the.
The battle of dien bien phu began in 1953, when general navarre fortified the valley of dien bien phu, which lay in an isolated corner of northwestern vietnam. Hell in a very small place the battle of dien bien phu. Battle of dien bien phu, the decisive engagement in the first indochina war 194654. The pentagon papers, gravel edition, chapter 2, us involvement in. Of the 420 aircraft available in all of indochina then, 62 were lost in connection with dien bien phu and 167 sustained hits. The viet minh victory in this battle effectively ended the eightyearold war. Nie 6354 approved 28 april 1954 published 30 april 1954. The battle of dien bien phu was the decisive engagement in the first indochina war 194654. Viet minh soldiers recreate their assault on the french airfield during the battle of dien bien phu in northern indochina now. Plenty of books have been written on dien bien phu, but i think martin windrows account of the battle is the best account of it yet. No american is better qualified to tell the tale of dien bien phu and its significance than howard simpson. Stanley karnow, pulitzerprizewinning author of vietnam. Following the fall of dien bien phu during the geneva conference, the.
Dien bien phu, 1954, was the final battle of the first indochina war. The battle prodded negotiators at the geneva conference to produce the final geneva accords in july 1954. On march 12, 1954, the day before vietnamese nationalist forces. Now it is a bustling market town of at least 100,000 inhabitants, reflecting the threefold increase in. This picture of the french being defeated at dien bien phu is a primary source because this is a picture that was proided by an eyewitness that was at the actual event. This major confrontation occurred at dien bien phu, a large heartshaped valley located in northwestern part of vietnam, near the border with laos.
Eisenhowers remarks at a conference on national defense in 1957 reflected the philosophy behind his national security system. To estimate the probable consequences within indochina during the next two or three months of the fall of dien bien phu within the near future. The battle of dien bien phu in 1954 resulted in a the end. He sent french forces to seize and fortify the town of dien bien phu. But there never was any sufficient commitment to convincingly support this objective. Dien bien phu by john keegan meet your next favorite book. An aircraft belonging to civil air transport, a cia proprietary airline, flown by mcgovern was shot down by communist antiaircraft fire. The fall of an empire and the making of americas vietnam. Only 70 french soldiers escaped dien bien phu to laos, leaving 2,293 killed, 5,195 wounded, and 10,998 captured of whom only 3,290 were ever repatriated. After french forces occupied the dien bien phu valley in late 1953, viet minh commander vo nguyen.
The decisive battle of the west was supplanted by the insurgency model of mao. Battle of dien bien phu french foreign legion information. Go to volume 2, chapter 1 of the pentagon papers, the kennedy. In may 1954, the first indochina war ended with the surrender of the french military garrison at dien bien phu. The battle of dien bien phu in 1954 was the last major battle between the french expeditionary corps and the vietnamese guerrilla army, the viet minh. John foster dulles on the fall of dien bien phu 1954.
Complete with detailed accounts, maps, and photos, giaps memoirs depicts concretely how a small and weak nation can overcome a stronger force. Some of the american civilian pilots who flew the run said that viet minh flak was as dense as anything encountered during world war ii over the ruhr. During this time dien bien phu, surrounded by 2000ft hills and thus difficult to resupply by air as the french had intended, became the scene of fearful contests between the locally savvy men of general giap and the hapless french forces who, losing one strongpoint after another, were finally trapped in the dien. Chased out by occupying japanese forces in world war ii, france had returned after. Us, central intelligence agency, nie 6354, consequences. Not soviet, chinese and no rpg, vietnam only has rpg 2 in late 50s and widely spread in the 60s, main armaments were still ww1 and ww2 stuff,no sks or ak 47, vietnam had artillery before dien bien phu, captured from french but had no use for them, limited shells and no training crew, dien bien phu was the first battle where vietnam had their first artillery trained.
It consisted of a struggle between french and viet minh vietnamese communist and nationalist forces for control of a small mountain outpost on the vietnamese border near laos. Build up story commemorating the fall of dien bien phu, made up from french library material. The neighboring countries of thailand and burma could be expected to fall under. This large book reminds this reader of great american novels of sweep and scope by the likes of john dos passos and james jones. The base was wellfortified and defended by crack troops, but it could only be reached by air. Covering the operation from beginning until the defeat. The viet minh briefly captured huguette 7, only to be pushed back by a. The unexpectedly swift fall of france changed roosevelts mind.
On this day in 1954, the french garrison at dein bien phu was overrun. French defeated at dien bien phu, 1954 lessons tes teach. Eisenhower, the national security council, and dien bien phu abstract plans are worthless, but planning is everything. Mcgovern and his flight officer, wallace wally buford, were flying supplies to french forces at dien bien phu in northern indochina. The battle of dien bien phu was a climactic confrontation of the first indochina war that took. Siege at dien bien phu last stand of dien bien phu 1954 ad. Causes and consequences of the battle of dien bien phu. Then it was on to dien bien phu in north west vietnam close to the laos border i took the flight option which was relatively cheap and a 1 hour flight beats 14 hours in a bus over terrible roads any day. The first indochina war broke out shortly after world war ii, when. July 16, 2009 on may 6, 1954, legendary pilot james b. In may, after the united states refused to intervene, dien bien phu fell to the communists.
The vietnamese viewpoint of dien bien phu supplies some much needed balance to the accounts of the battle written by western soldiers and historians. From here and onwards, there was a continuous retreat from the french colonies even though the algerian french thought they could turn history around. It increased substantially the volume and tempo of american military. The battle of dien bien phuended may 7,1954, after a 56day siege that. The french defeat in vietnam is a classic example on how not to conduct a war. Dien bien phu is located in the nw corner of vietnam, near the laotian border, which geographically perfect for such a baiting attack.
The viet minh and the french had been fighting for control over vietnam since 1946 when the french violated the terms of an agreement between the newly formed ho chi minh government to drive the chinese out of vietnam. Despite financial assistance from the united states, nationalist uprisings against french colonial rule began to take their toll. Martin woollacott is moved by martin windrows judicious account of. The battle of dien bien phu lasted months, but the fallout lasted. This place is great, much quieter and the people are incredibly friendly. Less well known, however, is that the vietnam fuse had been lit back in 1954. A brief history of the battle of dien bien phu section 117. On 11 march 1954, schoendoerffer was injured at dien bien phu, in a minor skirmish cote 781 attack before the main battle, and he was sent to the southern base located in saigon aboard a c47 transport plane. Today marks the 60 th anniversary of the surrender of the french fortress outpost at dien bien phu in vietnam. Its defense of fiftyseven days and nights will go down in history as one of the most heroic of all time.
It was closer to the allied laos and the post, an old airstrip, was surrounded by multiple range of mountain. Filename filetype size date compatibility developer other contributors 1. Huey long of louisiana was immortalized in this mans 1946 book all the kings men ernest hemingway the 1954 novel laureate who wrote the old man and the sea in 1952. The origins of dien bien phu go back to the mid to late 19th century when france invaded, colonized and ultimately annexed vietnam, cambodia and laos into what would become. The vietminh won the battle of dien bien phu due to their advantages in topography and terrain, logistics, artillery and antiaircraft capabilities and political will. The vietnamese victory at dien bien phu in may 1954, with the killing or capturing of over 16,000 enemy forces, sealed the defeat of french colonialism in indochina. The battle of dien bien phu, 1954 a picture from the past. The battle of dien bien phu 19531954, stresses the author, was one of the modern eras most decisive confrontations. Fifty years ago the fall of dien bien phu put paid to the french presence in vietnam. John foster dulles on the fall of dien bien phu a few hours ago, dien bien phu has fallen. The siege of that french fortress was an epic of colonial warfare and one of the most significant battles of the 20 th century through the early 1950s, the french had been battling to hold their indochina colonies against a powerful, communistled insurgency.
It marked the end of the first indochina war, the partition of vietnam into communist and. We still live in an early work by the dean of military historians. The battle occurred between march and may 1954 and culminated in a. The french defeat at dien bien phu in 1954 signalled the end of french influence in indochina. A few figures tell how murderous the air war around dien bien phu was. Dien bien phu in 1954, vietminh rebels besieged a french garrison at dien bien phu, deep in the interior of northern vietnam. Get an answer for what was the significance of dien bien phu, 1954. In 1954, the viet minh army, under general vo nguyen giap, moved against dien bien phu and in march encircled it with 40,000 communist troops and heavy artillery. Battle of dien bien phu battle of dien bien phu part of the first indochina war french union paratroops dropping from an united states air forcelent flying boxcar. The time and date were carefully chosenthe hour allowed the artillery to fire in daylight, and the date was chosen because it was a new moon, allowing a nighttime infantry attack. Talks about the battle of dien bien phu in vietnam that started on march 3, 1954, which marked the end of french and european hegemony in asia. Ted morgan has written an excellent book about the 1954 battle of dien bien phu. Since there were no other cameramen remaining on the battlefield, schoendoerffer insisted on returning to document the event.
The battle of dien bien phu is seen as the decisive battle of the first indochina war between french troops and the viet minh league for the independence of vietnam, a nationalist, prosoviet union movement of ho chi minh. Lasting 55 days, the battle had french troops attempt to hold an armed camp against the. It was fought between the french unions french far east expeditionary corps and viet minh communist. First a torch by richard baker vietnam veterans of america. The pentagon papers, chapter 2, us involvement in the franco. The battle of dien bien phu in 1954 resulted in a the end of the vietnam war. The entrenched camp of dien bien phu had 30 firebases which had each the manpower of from a company to a battalion.
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