Transporting goods and weapons serving the Dien Bien Phu Campaign File photo (Source: VNA) In the military aspect, throughout the resistance war against Frenchcolonialists, the Party paid great attention to developing the armed forces withthe combination of local militia and military forces, which enabledVietnam to oranise large-scale campaigns.
At the end of September 1953, thePolitburo of the Party Central Committee met to discuss a strategic policy formilitary activities in the winter-spring period of 1953 – 1954. The plan was toattack areas where the enemy was weak, while at the sametime promoting guerrilla warfare.
The Vietnamese army and people cooperated closely with the militia and Laos andCambodia to launch attacks on the Indochina battlefield, forcing France todisperse its forces. The French main force was split into fivesmaller forces that struggled to support each other.
In coordination with the main troops, the Vietnamese forcesprotected resistance bases, cut off traffic, and attacked and destroyedmore of the enemy’s bases. Navarre's strategy went bankrupt.
The Vietnamese flag flew on the top of the De Castries Bunker on May 7, 1954, marking the victory of the Dien Bien Phu Campaign. File photo (Source: VNA) By early March 1954, more than 16,000 French troops had gathered inDien Bien Phu, including the most elite military units in Indochina. They were stationed in 49 bases divided into three zones. France regarded Dien Bien Phu as an "unbreakable fort".
On the Vietnamese side, the Party Central Committee and the SupremeCommand were determined to launch a campaign to attack Dien Bien Phu - adecisive strategy to successfully end the resistance war against the Frenchcolonialists. General Vo Nguyen Giap was assigned to command the campaign.
Over 55,000 soldiers were sent into battle, and 260,000 labourers and 27,400tonnes of rice were mobilised to serve the operation. Tens of thousands of young peoplevolunteered to work with the army to open a road to the battlefielddespite enemy shelling.
In just a short time, thousands of kilometres of roads were builtor repaired.
On March 13, Vietnamese troops launched their offensive on Dien BienPhu, which lasted for 55 days until the complete destruction of theentrenched camp on May 7, 1954. It was an historic victory.
Through 56 days and nights of the Dien Bien Phu campaign, the air defence-air force, artillery and infantry forces shot down and destroyed 62 aircraft of all kinds of the enemy. File photo (Source: VNA) In the political aspect, the Party and President Ho Chi Minhmade great efforts to popularise the resistance andnational construction policy and orientations among the people, promoting the strength fromjustice and politically isolating and weakening the enemy, creating favourableconditions for the struggle in other fields.
Meanwhile, the support from people was optimised during the resistance.With the spirit of “all for the battlefield” and “all for victory,” localresidents in the northwestern region provided more than 7,310 tonnes of rice,800 tonnes of fresh vegetable to the campaign, along with tens of thousands ofworking days, which greatly contributed to thevictory.
During the Dien Bien Phu Campaign, the Party and PresidentHo Chi Minh successfully optimised the strength from the national great unityand consensus, as well as solidarity with neighbouring countries.
Over the past 68 years, the comprehensive resistance policygiven by the Party, which led the country to the Dien Bien Phu victory, hasstill maintained its value. Lessons from the success are applicable to the causeof national construction and defence in the new situation, helping build a strong nation with wealthy people, democracy, equity and civilisation, that stands side by side with powerful countries in the world./.
VNA
