Winning victory in Dien Bien Phu is the most decisive full speed race,the severest mind game between the Vietnamese people and the Frenchaggressive colonialists, said a war veteran.
The ForeignInformation Service quoted historian-researcher Tran Thai Binh who didjoin the Dien Bien Phu Campaign as saying that it is the first victoryof the East over the West, thus making a contribution to together withmankind turning the 20th century into the “de-colonisation century.”
Binhsaid that more than 16,200 enemy troops were killed and captured inDien Bien Phu with the entire headquarters of the stronghold, includingGeneral De Castries and 16 colonels, 1,749 army officers andnon-commissioned officers. 17 well-trained enemy battalions were wipedout, including 7 parachute battalions, 3 artillery battalions and oneengineer battalion.
With this heavy defeat, France was forced tosit down at the Geneva Conference to negotiate for an end to the war andfor restoration of peace in Indochina. As he viewed it, France’s DienBien Phu defeat is the defeat of colonialism and the victory of peace,independence and freedom.
A prisoner who was released earliestat that time was the nurse Genevière who came to Dien Bien Phu formedical evacuation operation. As ordered by President Ho Chi Minh, shewas handed over to the French side on May 24, 1954 right after thecomplete victory of the People’s Army of Vietnam.
Another prisonerwho was handed over to the French side on September 3, 1954 wasLieutenant Colonel Marcel Bigeard who had fought fiercely till the lastday of the campaign. He later ended his military life with the generalmilitary rank. In 1993, he returned to the old battle field and repliedthe question of a foreign cameraman with a meaningful answer: “If I werea Vietnamese, I would become a member of Viet Minh.”
France’sDien Bien Phu debacle had dealt a death blow at the will and spirit ofthe French colonialists and reactionaries, making the war mongers thinkseriously about the war and withdraw profound lessons.
General De Castries later admitted that they can defeat an army, but not a nation.
Thisis the spirit of the Vietnamese people, the creative mind of themajority of people to overcome any difficulty. This is the people’sstrength which was mobilised and led in a marvelously skilful manner.
Binhquoted the French author Jules Roy: “France was defeated, not becauseof its facilities, but because of the great mind and the determinationto win of the adversary.”
It is true. It is not enough to winwith courage. It is the victory of the great mind and intelligence.Without the clear-sighted and courageous decision in the last minute topostpone the opening of the campaign on January 25, 1954 so as to changethe tactics from the lightning fight to the firm fight and firmadvance, we could not have had the complete victory on May 7, 1954 ofthe People’s Army of Vietnam.
The man who had made a greatcontribution to this great victory was General Vo Nguyen Giap, thecommander of the campaign. This has been affirmed by both sides, ourside and the French side. Over 10,000 prisoners in Dien Bien Phu werehanded over to the French side.
Among these over ten thousandprisoners in Dien Bien Phu, there were the prisoners of differentnationalities. They were termed as French foreign legionaries who werefrom North and Central Africa and Central Europe (Germany, Austria).
AsBinh remembered, there was an Algerian prisoner named Slimane Hoffmanwho had asked the permission to join the rank of Viet Minh. Then he wasadvised to return to Algeria to serve his country. A few years later, hejoined the Algerian National Liberation Front to fight against theFrench for the independence of his country. He had become a colonel ofthe Algerian liberation army.
Dien Bien Phu Victory is like thethunder reverberating throughout the word and it was to nobody’ssurprise that a few years after that, a range of African colonialcountry had risen up and fought against colonialists for theircountries’ independence with their chanting: Ho! Ho! Ho Chi Minh! Giap!Dien Bien Phu!.-VNA
The ForeignInformation Service quoted historian-researcher Tran Thai Binh who didjoin the Dien Bien Phu Campaign as saying that it is the first victoryof the East over the West, thus making a contribution to together withmankind turning the 20th century into the “de-colonisation century.”
Binhsaid that more than 16,200 enemy troops were killed and captured inDien Bien Phu with the entire headquarters of the stronghold, includingGeneral De Castries and 16 colonels, 1,749 army officers andnon-commissioned officers. 17 well-trained enemy battalions were wipedout, including 7 parachute battalions, 3 artillery battalions and oneengineer battalion.
With this heavy defeat, France was forced tosit down at the Geneva Conference to negotiate for an end to the war andfor restoration of peace in Indochina. As he viewed it, France’s DienBien Phu defeat is the defeat of colonialism and the victory of peace,independence and freedom.
A prisoner who was released earliestat that time was the nurse Genevière who came to Dien Bien Phu formedical evacuation operation. As ordered by President Ho Chi Minh, shewas handed over to the French side on May 24, 1954 right after thecomplete victory of the People’s Army of Vietnam.
Another prisonerwho was handed over to the French side on September 3, 1954 wasLieutenant Colonel Marcel Bigeard who had fought fiercely till the lastday of the campaign. He later ended his military life with the generalmilitary rank. In 1993, he returned to the old battle field and repliedthe question of a foreign cameraman with a meaningful answer: “If I werea Vietnamese, I would become a member of Viet Minh.”
France’sDien Bien Phu debacle had dealt a death blow at the will and spirit ofthe French colonialists and reactionaries, making the war mongers thinkseriously about the war and withdraw profound lessons.
General De Castries later admitted that they can defeat an army, but not a nation.
Thisis the spirit of the Vietnamese people, the creative mind of themajority of people to overcome any difficulty. This is the people’sstrength which was mobilised and led in a marvelously skilful manner.
Binhquoted the French author Jules Roy: “France was defeated, not becauseof its facilities, but because of the great mind and the determinationto win of the adversary.”
It is true. It is not enough to winwith courage. It is the victory of the great mind and intelligence.Without the clear-sighted and courageous decision in the last minute topostpone the opening of the campaign on January 25, 1954 so as to changethe tactics from the lightning fight to the firm fight and firmadvance, we could not have had the complete victory on May 7, 1954 ofthe People’s Army of Vietnam.
The man who had made a greatcontribution to this great victory was General Vo Nguyen Giap, thecommander of the campaign. This has been affirmed by both sides, ourside and the French side. Over 10,000 prisoners in Dien Bien Phu werehanded over to the French side.
Among these over ten thousandprisoners in Dien Bien Phu, there were the prisoners of differentnationalities. They were termed as French foreign legionaries who werefrom North and Central Africa and Central Europe (Germany, Austria).
AsBinh remembered, there was an Algerian prisoner named Slimane Hoffmanwho had asked the permission to join the rank of Viet Minh. Then he wasadvised to return to Algeria to serve his country. A few years later, hejoined the Algerian National Liberation Front to fight against theFrench for the independence of his country. He had become a colonel ofthe Algerian liberation army.
Dien Bien Phu Victory is like thethunder reverberating throughout the word and it was to nobody’ssurprise that a few years after that, a range of African colonialcountry had risen up and fought against colonialists for theircountries’ independence with their chanting: Ho! Ho! Ho Chi Minh! Giap!Dien Bien Phu!.-VNA
