General de Castries and his officers under arrest (File Photo. Source: VNA) Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - In 1953, eight years after reinvading Indochina, despitehaving mobilised huge economic and military resources, the French colonialistsfailed to achieve their purpose of destroying the revolutionary government andresistance forces to reestablish their rule throughoutIndochina. On the contrary, they suffered heavy losses: 390,000 troops.
Financial difficulties and protests in France were increasing, putting theFrench government in a new political crisis. Taking advantage of thissituation, the US imperialists stepped up their intervention in Indochina,helping France to extend and expand the war in order to serve their globalanti-revolutionary strategy.
In May 1953, the French government appointed General Navarre commander of theexpeditionary army in Indochina in the hope of winning a decisive militaryvictory and an end to the war. In July 1953, General Navarre proposed a newplan in Indochina (also called the Navarre Plan).
Both the French colonialists and the American imperialists said the NavarrePlan was "perfect" and would bring victory within 18 months.
The Navarre Plan was a large-scale strategy aimed at wiping out thegreater part of forces within eighteen months and occupying Vietnam permanentlyto provide a colony and military base for the American and Frenchimperialists.
The High Command of the French Expeditionary Corps concentrated its effortson the Hong (Red) River Delta with 44 mobile battalions, and launcheda fierce mopping-up operation in its rear. At the same time, they armed locallocals to sow confusion in the northwest. In early 1954, Navarre droppedparatroopers into Dien Bien Phu.
On the Vietnamese side, at the end of September 1953, the Politburo of the PartyCentral Committee met to discuss a strategic policy for military activities inthe winter-spring period of 1953 – 1954. The plan was to attackareas 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 enemy's main force was split into fivesmaller forces that struggled to support each other.
In coordination with the main troops, the Vietnamese forces protected resistancebases, cut off traffic, and attacked and destroyed more of the enemy’s bases.Navarre was bankrupt.
On the northwest front, from November 1953, the French command in Indochinadecided to send troops to build Dien Bien Phu into a strong military base.In General Navarre's mind, Dien Bien Phu held an important strategic position.
By early March 1954, enemy troops numbering more than 16,000 had gathered in DienBien Phu, including the most elite military units in Indochina. They had49 bases divided into three zones. Both France and the United Statesregarded 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 27,400tons of rice were put on standby. Tens of thousands of young people volunteeredto work with the army to open a road to the battlefield despite enemyshelling.
In just a short time,thousands of kilometres of roads were built or 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.
The1954 Dien Bien Phu Victory crushed the French colonialists and the UnitedStates, forcing the French government to sign the Geneva Agreement in July1954, recognising independence, sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity ofthe three Indochinese countries, ending Vietnam’s long-lasting resistance war.At the same time, it ended the domination of French colonialism that lasted forcenturies, and opened a new development step for the revolution of Vietnam,Laos and Cambodia.
The 1954 Dien Bien Phu Victorysmashed colonialism and opened a new era for the human race - the era of endingthe rule of colonialism around the world.
French historian Jules Roy later said that “The Dien Bien Phu defeat was one ofthe greatest failures of the West, heralding the collapse of colonial empires.”
This victory also had a pervasive effect, encouraging other oppressed countriesto fight against imperial regimes. At the same time, it contributed tolightening the truth of Marxism-Leninism today: A weak and small nation and apeople's army, once resolved to stand up, to unite together and to fight forindependence and peace, will have the full power to defeat all aggressiveforces."
The victory at Dien Bien Phu was the result of many factors: creative politicalguidelines and military policies; patriotism and Vietnamese militarystrength; solidarity among the three peoples on the Indochinesepeninsula; the important help of China and the Soviet Union as well as thesupport from international friends, including the French people. But the mostimportant factor was a love for the homeland, the burning desire forindependence, and freedom for all Vietnamese people./.
VNA
