French historian Alain Ruscio introduces his books about Dien Bien Phu, namely "French War in Indochina", "Vo Nguyen Giap, a life", "Dien Bien Phu - Myth and reality" (Photo: VNA) Paris (VNA) –French historian Alain Ruscio, who has conducted many studies on Indochina andVietnam, has hailed the significance of Dien Bien Phu Victory, saying it had agreat influence on the struggle against colonialism of peoples around the world, and the historical meaning of the event remains valid today.
In an interviewgranted to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) on the occasion of the 70th anniversaryof the victory, the historian said at that time, the Indochina war was followed by people around the world, stressing that it was not merely a war between France and Vietnam but an international one.
French colonies such as Madagascar, Algeria, Tunisia, Moroccoand Africa closely watched the war in Vietnam with the hope that the French army would be defeated, he said. Therefore,according to him, the defeat of the French army at Dien Bien Phu was considered a victory for not only Vietnam but also all colonial peoples,opening the path to liberation for oppressed nations.
Lessons learned fromthe Dien Bien Phu campaign are still valid today in the current context of many conflictsin the world, Ruscio said, underlining that a united nation thatrefuses to be oppressed will always find a way, even though it may encountermany difficulties and obstacles.
He noted that during the colonial period, there were many French people who stood up against thecolonial regime and oppressive acts against the Vietnamese people aswell as Cambodian and Lao people. Ruscio cited many examples such as Gabriel Péri, a French Communistpolitician, who came to Vietnam in 1934 to express his opposition to the war inthe Southeast Asian nation, or journalists Andrée Viollis, Romain Rolland and Henri Barbusse.
During Vietnam'sresistance war against the US, many French people also expressed their opposition tothe US invasion of Vietnam. In a speech in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in 1966, general Charles de Gaulle of France denounced US intervention in the region, saying that they wouldnever succeed in making the people of Indochina bend.
The French historian believesthat all of this has created a very special relationship between France andVietnam./.
