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O
ver half of a century ago
there was a victory in Dien
Bien that changed world
opinion. It ended the domi-
nation of the French over Indochina
and led to French troops’ withdrawal
from Vietnam after nearly a century
of occupation, marking the first time
when an Asian colony militarily defeat-
ed a modern Western occupier.
Dien Bien Phu district lies in Dien
Bien province, 500km northwest of Ha-
noi. Despite being remote it was consid-
ered the key to upper Laos. Its role was
extremely important, especially when
the French were losing the initiative in
Vietnam.
Henri Navarre took command of
the French Union Forces in Indochina
and decided to turn Dien Bien Phu
into a military base to lure Viet Minh
troops led by General Vo Nguyen
Giap. He intended to deliver a crush-
ing defeat there before taking a seat
at the negotiating table in Geneva in
May 1954.
To achieve this, Navarre sent more
than 16,000 soldiers. They set up three
main divisions in which there were for-
tified headquarters. Each had firm un-
derground forts with the most powerful
weapons that reinforced Navarre’s be-
lief in his strength and ability to cripple
Viet Minh troops.
As well as being overwhelmed by a
ratio of 3 to 1, the Viet Minh troops had
many other disadvantages, including
limited firepower and poor experience
in attacking enemies in military forts on
a large scale. The French artillery was
six times the Viet Minh’s and they were
backed up by an air force and tanks, nei-
ther of which the Viet Minh could call on.
To approach the French encamp-
ment the Viet Minh had to overcome a
terrain of 300 metres filled with barbed
wire. Tunnels were dug, but this was
no easy task.
“I joined the military in 1946 and I
had never before seen a battlefield with
more trenches and forts than Dien Bien
FROM BATTLEFIELD TO
HOLIDAY DESTINATION
Many may think of Dien Bien as the
site of a fierce battle, but today this is
a peaceful place of stunning scenery.
It is the area’s combination of moun-
tainous beauty and history that has
led to the rise of Dien Bien as a tourist
destination. Writes
Hong Nhung
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