The victory of the vietnamese army ended french indochina and led to the division of vietnam into two entities. The redux edition of apocalypse now 1979 features a scene in which french plantation owners mention the battle of dien bien phu as a devastating event for the prospects of continued french occupation and blame communist revolutionaries in paris for sabotaging the french war effort. After breakfast at the hotel we will continue to tour of the historical relics of dien bien phu including the campaign headquarter of vietnamese soldiers, tunnel of chief hoang van thai, working tunnel and shack of general vo nguyen giap, and areas in muong phang where vietnamese army stationed and also the dien bien museum. 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. On may 7th 1954, the garnison of the fortified camp of dien bien phu ceased the fight against general giap vietminh army after an heroic resistance.
Battle of dien bien phu 1954 general vo nguyen giap saw french aircraft wreckage shot down beside muong thanh bridge. In 1954, french forces in french indochina sought to cut the viet minhs supply lines to laos. However, dien bien phu is a gripping tale, and anyone who seeks to understand the base of the vietnam morass should read this book. Til that the battle of dien bien phu fought by the french. General vo nguyen giap obituary world news the guardian. 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. Photo courtesy of hanois museum of dien bien phu victory. Reflections on general giap and the end of an era in. Dien bien phu town is of special interest for fans of military history. But for many veterans who are still alive, memories of dien bien phu. Dien bien phu remains the victory for which gen giap is best known.
However the reader would like to have fuller information. Peoples war, peoples army vo nguyen giap original title. Content foreword 7 notice 9 president ho chi minks letters 11 dien bien phu i. General vo nguyen giap dien bien phu revised and enlarged edition foreign languages publishing house hanoi 1964. The unpretentious communist general vo nguyen giap masterminded the defeat of french and american forces and became known as one of the 20th centurys military geniuses. Complete with detailed accounts, maps, and photos, giap s memoirs depicts concretely how a small and weak nation can overcome a stronger force. Apr 10, 2010 the following year, the important battle of dien bien phu was fought between the vi. Dien bien phu is recognized as one of historys great battles. Vo nguyen giap masterminded battle of dien bien phu, which led to france leaving indochina, and commanded norths forces in vietnam war.
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. And we learn that as commander of the assault on dien bien phu, giap faced a difficult decision. Dien bien phu, rendezvous with history by vo nguyen giap. Vietnam war a memoir bio of general vo nguyen giap. The battle was the culmination of operation castor, a larger plan by the french commander, general navarre, to lure general giap and his peoples army of vietnam into a conventional battle to finally destroy their combat power and break the military. After french forces occupied the dien bien phu valley in late 1953, viet minh commander vo nguyen. Add tags for dien bien phu, the most difficult decision and other writings. When the results justified the sacrifice, as at dien bien phu, giap pressed for a victory. Published on apr 10, 2010 the following year, the important battle of dien bien phu was fought between the vi.
So ended an epic struggle begon 170 days earlier with the landing of the first french paratroopers on the site of dien bien phu. Aug 28, 2017 17 kilometres east of dien bien phu are the remains of general giap s viet minh headquarters from which led the successful battle against the french. General vo nguyen giap 2nd, r and other commanding officers discuss dien bien phu plans in 1954. Both the journey out and the historical sight are highlights of a visit to the area. So back across the other side of the river to explore eliane or a1 the last stand. The tragedy at dien bien phu that led america into the vietnam war. It is located in the muong thanh valley in a heart shape, a 20 km long and 6 km wide valley.
It is remarkable that this is the place where vietnamese people defeated the french colonist with the great victory of dien bien phu. Vietnamese general behind victories over french and us. This bowlshaped valley region is dominated by mountains to the north, east and west and is surrounded by thick jungle. General marcel bigeard, who died on june 17 aged was frances most decorated and popular soldier, a hero of dien bien phu and the battle of algiers. Hardly, the viet minh won just as anyone who fought the french has, they let the french fuckup. At the same time, he also was able to objectively cover general giap s viewpoint of the vietminh. General vo nguyen giap, chief architect and strategist of the peoples army of vietnam pavn, had succeeded brilliantly in dispersing. How could the french have prevailed at the battle of dien. Nhan dan online sixty years have passed, and former french soldiers who fought on the dien bien phu battlefield are now approximately 90 years old. Hell in a very small place, subtitled the siege of dien bien phu is the classic account of a french defeat in a rainsoaked valley in the northeast vietnam. Account of the battle of dien bien phu history essay. Dien bien phu, battle ofstatue honouring the 50th anniversary of the battle of dien bien phu. It ended in may 1954 with tens of thousands of vietminh troops overrunning the beseiged garrison.
His victory over the french at dien bien phu is wellknown, as is his prosecution of the war against the americans to a successful conclusion in 1975. Giap s decision, most of us wouldnt have been able to fight in the resistance war against the us years later, said general le. Oct 04, 20 general vo nguyen giap in 1994, the 40th anniversary of the defeat of the french at dien bien phu. Giap was the deputy prime minister of vietnam from 1955 to 1991. General vo nguyen giap, the viet minhs military chief, understood the strategic importance of dien bien phu but he was aware that the french garrison was vulnerable, hundreds of kilometres from hanoi and surrounded by elevated positions. Dien bien phu lies in the remote nam yum river valley 450 kilometers northwest of hanoi and 50 kilometers from the laotian border. As general fay had foreseen, dien bien phu has turned in a deadly trap. Senior general vo nguyen giap was, and is, the only pavn figure known at all well outside of vietnam, the only pavn general mentioned in most counts of the vietnam war, and the only vietnamese communist military leader about whom a full length biography has been written. May 7 is marked in viet nam as the anniversary of the victory of dien bien phu, and this year commemorates the 52nd anniversary of the end of the famous battle. The viet minh destroyed the 2,100man column and only 185 reached the new base on december 22. He later commanded the vietnam peoples army during the vietnam war. General henri navarre chose dien bien phu as the insertion point for their french expeditionary corps. French, particularly at dien bien phu, his authority in military matters is limited by few of the restrictions with which his opponents have had to contend. This autumnwinter, you are assigned the taslc of marching to dien bien phu to wipe out more enemy effectives, extend our resistance bases, and liberate more compatriots still under the enemys oppression.
In his memoirs dien bien phu, the historic rendezvous published later, general giap shared that this decision was the toughest in all his commanding career. General giap, 71 years old, visited dien bien phu this week to oversee arrangements for the 30th anniversary of the battle, judged by some historians. The battle able to return honour to the french army, the battle to show proudly to a warweary public opinion, the battle which had to be won at any cost to allow france to negotiate peace from a strength position, has come into a. Reflections on the passing of general giap and the end of. It is neatly complimented, but in no way surpassed by martin windrows the last valley, subtitled dien bien phu and the french defeat in vietnam. Instead, giap takes the opportunity simply to reinforce the stated political positions of the vietnamese communist movement in book form in a way thats not particular original or wellwritten.
Straight out of the gate the idea of dien bien phu was flawed. So ended an epic struggle begon 170 days earlier with the landing of the first french paratroopers on the site of. John keegan was a consulting editor to the multiple volume series ballantines illustrated history of the violent century in the 1970s. Dien bien phutranslated at no cost by al gaudet a qog membermeans at hand were set up progressively during december and january. After french forces occupied the dien bien phu valley in late 1953, viet minh commander vo nguyen giap amassed troops and placed heavy artillery in caves of the mountains overlooking the french camp. If an attack could be launched from the mountains around the base, the french could be besieged and. The battle of dien bien phu was fought from march th to may 8th 1954 near the laotian border. Peoples war peoples army marxists internet archive. The french employed ten m24s at dien bien phu and every one of them were disassembled into 160 component parts each and flown in. Pilipix the battle was joined in late 1953 when french forces, who had been rapidly losing ground to the popularly supported viet minh, occupied the town of dien bien phu in an attempt to cut the. French general staff only planned to parachute in sufficient troops to stop us advancing on the northwest and laos. It began in november 1953, when french paratroopers seized a small airstrip in northwestern vietnam. 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. He also contributed several titles to the series, one of which was dien bien phu published in 1974 by random house.
Dec 25, 2016 hardly, the viet minh won just as anyone who fought the french has, they let the french fuckup. Dien bien phu is the definitive account of the great, climactic battle in french indochina that led to the american commitment to vietnam. Til that the battle of dien bien phu fought by the french against the vietnamese was the only pitched battle to be lost by a european army in the history of decolonisation and it cost the french their empire. The battle of dien bien phu is the detailed setting particularly the air transport units for book iv quiang in the series of novels. It was, from the french view before the event, a set piece battle to draw out the vietnamese and destroy them with superior firepower. They brought a bunch of bulldozers and a few bags of cement to a valley in the middle of nowhere, constructed. On the last evening in dien bien phu, nev and i decided to buy about fresh big bread rolls from a local bakery run by a old matriarch who keeps here sons under tight control mind you.
The disparity between general giap and the othersthe lone figure standing in the forefront of a legion of shadowy. Dien bien phu, the most difficult decision and other writings. French veterans share dien bien phu memories nhan dan online. Dien bien phu by vo nguyen giap goodreads share book. Information agency correspondent visited the isolated french fortress and knew many of its defenders, relates the story in heroic terms. In 1930, at the age of 19, vo nguyen giap was arrested and detained at the thua phu prison in hue city. He also sent heavy artillery and antiaircraft weaponry. To the fighters on the dien bien phu battlefront dear officers and men on the dien bien phu battlefront.
We learn details like the fact that giap traveled on horseback or in a captured army jeep and that he had great affection for the natural beauty of his country. All the paras with the exception of the 2 battalions of my group were relieved by airborne infantry units from the. In hindsight, it is perfectly clear that the french at dien bien phu betrayed a fatal flaw, probably the most fatal flaw of all. 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 viet minh, however, under general vo nguyen giap, surrounded and besieged the french. Standing on a hill this week overlooking the historic battle site here, gen. Vo nguyen giap talked about his greatest military victory, against the. Dien bien phu and the bitter taste the weary traveller. General giap cites lessonsof dien bien phu the new.
The battle of dien bien phu was a climactic confrontation of the first indochina war that took place between march and 7 may 1954. In contrast, the viet minh issued clear, short orders aimed at wiping out the french garrison at dien bien phu. General giap was a patriot who loved his country and, like good patriots, wanted it to be better than it was, knowing full well that his wish was within the realm of possibility. Oct 04, 20 vo nguyen giap masterminded battle of dien bien phu, which led to france leaving indochina, and commanded norths forces in vietnam war. We got enough for each kid and their carer mother or aunty as a treat. The battle of dien bien phu lasted months, but the fallout lasted. As these actions took place giap sent troops to lai chau. 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. Their casualties totaled over 2,200 killed, 5,600 wounded, and 11,721 taken prisoner. This led to a troop increase by 10,800 including artillery and tanks. The battle of dien bien phu 19531954, stresses the author, was one of the modern eras most decisive confrontations. The first articles written by vo nguyen giap, with pen name hai thanh, on tieng dan peoples voice newspaper in 1929.
History, written by wacsomous general vo nguyen giap, may be the best book for wmderstanding the famous battle in 1954, which became the death knell for colonialism. It was fought between the french unions french far east expeditionary corps and viet minh communist revolutionaries. Vo nguyen giap is considered one of the greatest military strategists of the 20th century. Vo nguyen giap, born 1912, an xa, vietnamdied october 4, 20, hanoi, vietnamese military and political leader whose perfection of guerrilla as well as conventional strategy and tactics led to the viet minh victory over the french and to the end of french colonialism in southeast asia and later to the north vietnamese victory over south vietnam and the united states. Dien bien phu the great victory viva general giap youtube. Was the victory of dien bien phu totally due to the genius. Giaps decision, most of us wouldnt have been able to fight in the resistance war against the us years later, said general le trong tan.
For more information about this and related ideas, see my books. Battle of dien bien phu1954 general vo nguyen giap saw. If youre interested in really finding out how general giap masterminded the military victory in vietnam, this book isnt going to answer the question. Geographically it was a bowlshaped zone where the french could fly in troops, artillery and everything needed to set up a base of operations and. General vo nguyen giaps life in pictures news vietnamnet. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that delivers new books every 1, 2, or 3 months new customers receive 15% off your. The battle of dien bien phu was a climactic confrontation of the first indochina war that took. General vo nguyen giaps immortal sayings tuoi tre news. In a rare interview with the author of a book about the trail, he recalls his. French counterinsurgency in algeria, algerias war for independence, fought from is one of the most important conflicts fought in the postwar era, arguably the premie.
Dien bien phu, the most difficult decision and other. Get premium, high resolution news photos at getty images. The power that the vietminh held shocked the french. Vo nguyen giap august 25, 1911october 4, 20 was a vietnamese general who led the viet minh during the first indochina war. Was the victory of dien bien phu totally due to the genius of. Buku yang menarik dari sudut pandang seorang vo nguyen giap.
General vo nguyen giap at dien bien phu stories and history. Phuc, vo dien bien, vo hong nam and vo hoa binh 1963. The epic battle america forgot history of war simpson, howard r. General giap s memoirs comprise the most interesting portion of the book.
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