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. Stanley karnow, pulitzerprizewinning author of vietnam. Dien bien phu may 6, 1954, by dominique chaoarlaux and. On 7 may 1954, after a 56day siege, the french army surrendered. John foster dulles on the fall of dien bien phu a few hours ago, dien bien phu has fallen. 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. The battle of dien bien phu was one of the most influential battles in military history. 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. Giap mobilised about 50000 combat troops to fight the french. Four times wounded during the battle, he was deprived of his military medal due to his active participation in the generals putsch in algeria in 1961. A guerrilla force of viet minh destroyed a technologically superior french army, convincing the viet minh that. Bernard fall on the battle of dien bien phu parallel narratives. May 05, 2020 in november 1953, the french, weary of jungle warfare, occupied dien bien phu, a small mountain outpost on the vietnamese border near laos.
One 2018 book refers to aerial supply that the french needed to fly in 36000. Us, central intelligence agency, nie 6354, consequences. In february 1954, following the french occupation of di. On may 7, 1954, where did a french force fall to the vietminh.
The siege of dien bien phu is a source frequently quoted the book is more than just a slightly expanded version of this in fact the author goes to some lengths to point out where aspects of falls work are are not supported by factual evidence or other sources as quite some materials have. Fall published his in 1966, as the us involvement in south vietnam was. The battle of dien bien phu the last pitched battle fought. This is probabaly the best book you can find of the battle of dien bien phu if you want to have a complete picture of that important struggle of 195354, without spending many days studying the massive and more authoritative volumes of fall and windrow. News of dien bien phus fall was announced in france several hours after the. Mar 08, 2011 french m24 at dien bien phu 1954 eliane itself is well preserved as befitting of its importance but you cant help but feel that conditions must have been truly awful during the battle. In early 1954, france, a key western ally, faced a major crisis in what was then called french indochina. Navarre apparently did not consider that the viet minh might also. The siege occurred while the 1954 geneva conference was ironing out agreements between the major powers, including the future of indochina. Hell in a very small place, subtitled the siege of dien bien phu is the classic. At the end of 1953, the french settled in dien bien phu, a city in northwestern vietnam.
Form six or seven mobile divisions by the fall of 1954. It was in the surrounding countryside here, on 7 may 1954, that the french colonial forces were defeated by the viet minh in a decisive battle, and the days of their indochina empire became numbered. The french objective had been to support the soldiers at dien bien phu, deep in the hills of northwestern vietnam to cut off viet minh supply lines into. Predicting that australia would push for joint intervention in southeast asia. Dien bien phu dbp plays a star role in vietnams modern history. A guerrilla force of viet minh destroyed a technologically superior french army, convincing the viet minh that similar tactics might prevail in battle with the u. May 21, 2004 the radio switched to sombre classical music, and theatres, cinemas, and restaurants closed when the news of the fall of dien bien phu reached france on may 7 1954. The french defeat at dien bien phu in 1954 signalled the end of french influence in indochina. July 16, 2009 on may 6, 1954, legendary pilot james b. Causes and consequences of the battle of dien bien phu. A german legionnaire participating in the battle of dien bien phu in 1954, as a commando leader with 10th company, 3e rei at isabelle. 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. In the end, the financial and psychological strain proved too great for france to bear, and, after the capture of the french stronghold of dien bien phu in 1954 by. We were there in the dry season but a touch of rain combined with military activity would have transferred conditions quickly into a sea of mud.
The base was wellfortified and defended by crack troops, but it could only be reached by air. May 07, 2014 the last weeks of the battle of dien bien phu were atrociously gruelling. They carried artillery pieces to the battle on their backs or by push. Dien bien phu was a valley, and the french would not likely hold the high ground, so the hills ringing the valley would put them at a serious disadvantage. According to the mutual defense assistance act, the united states provided the french with material aid during the battle aircraft supplied by the uss saipan, weapons. Hoping to fight the viet minh, the french built up their garrison. The battle fought around dien bien phu was the last major campaign by a european state in the region. The battle of dien bien phu 1953 1954, stresses the author, was one of the modern eras most decisive confrontations. The french strategy of seeking to establish a fortified base across the. The battle of dien bien phu was the decisive engagement in the first indochina war 194654. The gunners literally would push their howitzers into prepared positions hidden by the jungle. Build up story commemorating the fall of dien bien phu, made up from french library material. The previous, a push by elements of three divisions into laos inter alia.
Dien bien phu and the bitter taste the weary traveller. Mcgovern and his flight officer, wallace wally buford, were flying supplies to french forces at dien bien phu in northern indochina. Falls hell in a very small place is undeniably a classic of military history. The battle of dien bien phu was a climactic confrontation of the first indochina war that took. In 1954, french forces in french indochina sought to cut the viet minhs supply lines to laos. An aircraft belonging to civil air transport, a cia proprietary airline, flown by mcgovern was shot down by communist antiaircraft fire. With this loss, the french ended their colonial involvement in indochina, paving the way for americans entry. John foster dulles on the fall of dien bien phu 1954 guerre. 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.
Another cause of of the battle of dien bien phu was the viet minh mobilisation. Apr 19, 2004 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 unexpectedly swift fall of france changed roosevelts mind. May 07, 2015 on this day in 1954, the french garrison at dein bien phu was overrun. New perspectives on dien bien phu france, the final deterrent was its eightyear long dirty war sale guerre that ended with the unequivocal victory of vietnamese nationalist forces at dien bien phu in 1954. How dien bien phu led to americas war in vietnam in the trenches in 1953, a hard fought battle between french and vietnamese forces finished off france as a colonial power and eerily presaged. Involvement in vietnam dien bien phu was a major battle of the first indochina war in which the french fought against the viet minh communists. In fact, the battle of dien bien phu is one of the most significant, not just of the 1950s where supposedly nothing much happened, but of the entire 20th century. Apr 22, 2010 john foster dulles on the fall of dien bien phu a few hours ago, dien bien phu has fallen. Vietnamese communists to push through revolutionary social, cultural, agricultural. Battle of dien bien phu, the decisive engagement in the first indochina war 194654.
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. The last valley by martin windrow books the guardian. The fall of dien bien phu was a disaster not just for france but also for the united states who, by 1954, were underwriting 80% of french expenditures in indochina. Writing in 1954 and widely considered to be the greatest civilian expert on the war in vietnam, bernard b fall said that historically, dien bien. This major confrontation occurred at dien bien phu, a large heartshaped valley located in northwestern part of vietnam, near the border with laos. Americans working for cat played a crucial role in the last days of this battle. Despite financial assistance from the united states, nationalist uprisings against french colonial rule began to take their toll. The siege caused a major strain in angloamerican relations, prompting australia and new zealand to seriously reconsider how closely, if at all, their respective external affairs. The battle occurred between march and may 1954 and culminated in a. On august 16, fdr told morgenthau that we mustnt push japan too much or. See more ideas about first indochina war, vietnam war and vietnam. The battle of dien bien phuended may 7,1954, after a 56day siege that. The french troops were inexperienced in operating in the terrain of dien bien phu. A poignant, angry, articulate book newsweek mr falls book is a dramatic treatment of a.
John foster dulles on the fall of dien bien phu 1954. The french war to defeat the vietminh was going badly early in 1954. He was there on the ground for the brutal and historic fall of dien bien phu that marked the end of the french involvement in the region. Fifty years after the historical landmark of may the 7th, 1954, a lone survivor, colonel jean arlaux, gives his personal testimony during an interview organized by an american tv producers working on a documentary about the siege at dien bien phu. The town sits in the heartshaped muong thanh valley, surrounded by heavily. On march 12, 1954, the day before vietnamese nationalist forces attacked the french military base at dien bien phu, viet minh commander vo nguyen giap proclaimed, it. Dien bien phu travel northwest vietnam, vietnam lonely. Fall ebook product description the 1954 battle of dien bien phu ranks with stalingrad and tet for what it ended imperial ambitions, what it foretold american involvement, and what it symbolized. In his book war, army edited in hanoi, 1961 he wrote. Bernard fall wrote that in comparison with other world battles, dien bien phu could hardly qualify as a major battle, let alone a decisive one. Nie 6354 approved 28 april 1954 published 30 april 1954. In the spring of 1954, eight long and arduous years into the first indochina war, the french suffered a defeat that was so shameful and shambolic, it remains barely spoken of. War, the savage eightyear conflict, ending in 1954 after the fall of dien bien phu, in which. Bien phu was a symbol throughout the world that small guerrilla forces like the viet minh could turn away even the largest of imperial powers.
Navarre nonetheless persisted with his plan, and french troops started parachuting into the valley to prepare fortified positions from the end of november 1953. Multidivisional operations around the frenchfortified red river delta were similarly separate in space although not in time. The attack at dien bien phu began on march, 1954, with a strong viet minh attack, and continued through may. Before the outbreak of fighting in march 1954, communist revolutionaries and. Its defense of fiftyseven days and nights will go down in history as one of the most heroic of all time. Dien bien phu sealed the fate of the french in indochina and forced paris to abandon the pursuit of colonial interests. The battle of dien bien phu was the climatic battle of the first indochina war 1946 1954 between french military forces and those of the communist viet minh. Dien bien phu north vietnam received military weapons and other support from the soviet union and.
On march 12, 1954, the day before vietnamese nationalist forces attacked the. After french forces occupied the dien bien phu valley in late 1953, viet minh commander vo nguyen. Fall had an unusual career as an academic who conducted field research by accompanying first french forces and later americans into combat in. The previous, a push by elements of three divisions into laos inter alia through dien bien phu in separate columns, narrowly avoided disaster when at least one came close to starving when logistics collapsed. Covering the operation from beginning until the defeat. The 1954 battle of dien bien phu ranks with stalingrad and tet for what it ended imperial ambitions, what it foretold american involvement, and what it symbolized. In the late 1940s, the french struggled to control its colonies in indochina vietnam, cambodia, and laos. 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. The ground turned to mud once the monsoon began, and men clung to craters and ditches in conditions reminiscent of the battle of verdun in 1916. It marked the end of the first indochina war, the partition of vietnam into communist and noncommunist zones, and the beginning of american involvement that led to our own vietnam war. I had known for some time that an epic stand had taken place in the hills of north vietnam in 1954 by the french, who at the time occupied the country known as french indochina. In november 1953, the french, weary of jungle warfare, occupied dien bien phu, a small mountain outpost on the vietnamese border near laos. French m24 at dien bien phu 1954 eliane itself is well preserved as befitting of its importance but you cant help but feel that conditions must have been truly awful during the battle.
Information agency correspondent visited the isolated fre. Several thousand french soldiers were trapped in the fortress at dien bien phu, an isolated town in northern vietnam, near the border with laos. The garrison at dien bien phu was under persistent and heavy. The viet minh victory in this battle effectively ended the eightyearold war. No american is better qualified to tell the tale of dien bien phu and its significance than howard simpson. 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. Bernard fall on the battle of dien bien phu parallel. Battle of dien bien phu french foreign legion information. As australian and new zealand diplomats contemplated the repercussions of new us national security strategies during the early stages of the eisenhower administration, a communist offensive in north indochina threatened the french garrison at dien bien phu and raised questions about us involvement in southeast asia. The siege of dien bien phu by bernard fall, bernard b. 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. Historical dictionary of the indochina war 19451954 diva portal. 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. Bao dai leaves nice for vietnam aboard the french presidential. Although the vietnamese rapidly cut off all roads to the. Street without joy indochina at war 19461954 bernard b. Battle of dien bien phu 1954 military engagement in french colonial vietnam in which french forces were defeated by viet minh nationalists loyal to ho chi minh. If indochina were to fall to the communists the whole of southeast asia.
Today marks the 60 th anniversary of the surrender of the french fortress outpost at dien bien phu in vietnam. The fall of dien bien phu marks the end of one war and the beginning of another. Apr 01, 2005 had heard about the battle of dien bien phu when i was in the marine corps. Ted morgan has written an excellent book about the 1954 battle of dien bien phu. 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. The battle of dien bien phu lasted months, but the fallout lasted decades.
The siege occurred while the 1954 geneva conference was ironing out agreements between the. Hell in a very small place is the definitive account of the battle at dien bien phu a debacle that it has at one time or another been an assigned text at the u. The battle of dien bien phu ranks with agincourt, waterloo, and gettysburg as one of the great military engagements of history. The battle of dien bien phu was fought from march to may 7, 1954, and was the decisive engagement of the first indochina war 19461954, the precursor to the vietnam war.
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