The french chose a battlefield that was too remote to be supplied effectively and had terrain that favored the vietminh instead of their forces. Martin windrows account of dien bien phu is the best battle history that i have read in ages. The battle of dien bien phu is seen as the decisive battle of the first indochina war between french troops and the viet minh league for the independence of vietnam, a nationalist, prosoviet union movement of ho chi minh. Only a handful of french or englishlanguage books offer a comprehensive general overview of the battle in dien bien phu. Dien bien phu is a wargame covering the decisive battle of the first indochina war in which elite french expeditionary force units defended an airland base against the communist viet minh. In the spring of 1954, eight long and arduous years into the first indochina war, the french suffered a defeat that was so shameful and shambolic, it remains barely spoken of. Though too short it is the best explanation of the battle i have seen in a long time. The tragedy at dien bien phu that led america into the vietnam war by the pulitzer prizewinning author ted morgan. The epic battle america forgot history of war simpson, howard r. Dien bien phu travel northwest vietnam, vietnam lonely planet. Explore dien bien phu holidays and discover the best time and places to visit. The final gamble, designed by kim kanger and published by legion wargames is a two player board game that simulates the final climactic two months of the viet minh assault on dien bien phu, with one player controlling the french expeditionary force and the other player controlling the viet minh. Marcel bruno bigeard 14 february 1916 18 june 2010 was a french military officer who fought in world war ii, indochina and algeria.
Battle of dien bien phu resource learn about, share and. History and images of the wellknown battle with the viet minh in then french indochina. No american is better qualified to tell the tale of dien bien phu and its significance than howard simpson. The battle of dien bien phu was a climactic confrontation of the first indochina war that took place between march and 7 may 1954.
An excellent, well written book on a battle that not many people seem to know about. The battle of dien bien phu ranks with agincourt, waterloo, and gettysburg as one of the great military engagements of history. My recommendation would be hell in a very small place by bernard fall which i believe is much more readable and has more detail on the battle itself. The 10 best dien bien phu hotel deals apr 2020 tripadvisor. In it, he recounts in detail the planning and execution of the battle at all levels. Instead, general vo nguyen giap, one of the great guerrilla generals, had his viet minh forces besieged the valley base, trapping the french defenders in a brutal 50day siege. Lasting 55 days, the battle had french troops attempt to hold an armed camp against the viet minh, who greatly out.
This major confrontation occurred at dien bien phu, a large heartshaped valley located in northwestern part of vietnam, near the border with laos. Dien bien phu is arguably the most important battle since the end of world war ii. This movie largely relies on historical footage and photographs, interspersed with interviews of survivors and experts. The battle of dien bien phu was the decisive engagement in the first indochina war 194654. Forty years ago, france s war with the anticolonial communistled vietminh insurgency climaxed in the bloody battle for the valley of dienbienphu. 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.
However, dien bien phu is a gripping tale, and anyone who seeks to understand the base of the vietnam morass should read this book. It was in the surrounding countryside here, on 7 may 1954, that the french colonial forces were defeated by the viet minh in a decisive battle, and the days of their indochina empire became numbered. The mechanics could not repair the plane in the field, so the plane was stranded. We recommend booking dien bien phu museum tours ahead of time to secure your spot. He was one of the commanders in the battle of dien bien phu and is thought by many to have been a dominating influence on french unconventional warfare thinking from that time onwards.
View videos or join the battle of dien bien phu discussion. It also relates the events leading up to that climactic confrontation relating a short history of the region and the people involved. 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. Stanley karnow, pulitzerprizewinning author of vietnam.
Best war movies of all times dien bien phu war best. The answer is an unqualified yes in the case of valley of death. Leading up to this battle, the french had grown increasingly war weary due to the constant fight the viet minh were putting up. A major turning point in the history of vietnam, the battle of dien bien phu 195354 marked the end of french control in southeast asia. If a general reader wanted a recommendation for one book on the battle of dien bien phu, i would not recommend that this to be the one. Dien bien phu has attracted a great deal of interest and a number of fine books have been written about the battle. However, vietminh forces invaded and the french fell.
Online shopping from a great selection at books store. Dien bien phu is recognized as one of historys great battles. May 07, 2010 remembering vietnams battle of dien bien phu on this day in 1954, an epic battle ended in vietnam. Battle of dien bien phu on the sea vietnamese language. Jan 14, 2017 the french lost the battle of dien bien phu because the vietminh had the advantages in topography and terrain, logistics, artillery and antiaircraft capabilities, and political will.
John keegan does a masterful job of explaining the battle of dien bien phu. He also contributed several titles to the series, one of which was dien bien phu published in 1974 by random house. Wellordered data, maps, photos, french and foreign legion units. Storm over dien bien phu in the spring of 1954, general giap shocked the world by doing what had previously been considered impossibledefeating a western occupying force. Battle for dien bien phu is quite an accurate documentary film. In this book, the authors have been able to use materials that shed new light on what was going on in the communist camp. Thriftbooks sells millions of used books at the lowest everyday prices. Sep 29, 2017 the history guy remembers how decolonization led to proxy war and the battle of dien bien phu in what is now known as vietnam. War in vietnam documentary on the battle of dien bien phu. The only weakness in the book is that it leans heavily to the french side of the struggle, which is the result of the book being written during the cold war. Galard found herself stuck in dien bien phu on march 28, 1954 when the c47 on which she was the convoyeuse landed in fog and damaged an oil tank which prevented its taking off again. It was fought between the french unions french far east expeditionary corps and viet minh communist revolutionaries. He combines a thorough understanding of the strategic situation in indochina, the political background in france and the tactical problem that the french faced in the valley of dien bien phu with an extraordinary ability to put the reader at the scene of the battle itself. Average weather in dien bien phu vietnam in dien bien phu, the wet season is hot, oppressive, and overcast and the dry season is warm and mostly clear.
The struggle for what was then called french indochina in southeast asia started. Dien bien phu and the french defeat in vietnam is an outstanding example of the nonfiction writers art. So ended an epic struggle begon 170 days earlier with the landing of the first french paratroopers on the site of dien bien phu. If you want a heartfelt paean to both the french and vietminh soldier, on the stupidity and wastefulness of the whole french effort in indochina, this book is a mustread. Amazon and the battle of dien bien phu bonus feature omni talk june 29, 2017 at 1. Using the area move system redefined in storm over stalingrad, the game features the use of cards to augment game play, adding to the tension experienced by both sides. Dien bien phu, battle ofstatue honouring the 50th anniversary of the battle of dien bien phu. Dien bien phu is the definitive account of the great, climactic battle in french indochina that led to the american commitment to vietnam.
The battle concluded the first indochina war, which had begun in 1946 when france attempted to regain control of its former colony of french indochina which consisted of vietnam, laos, and cambodia. The property will contact you after you book to provide instructions. The battle of dien bien phu 19531954, stresses the author, was one of the modern eras most decisive confrontations. 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. He fought during world war i, world war ii and was the seventh and final commander of french far east expeditionary corps during the first indochina war. Dien bien phu resulted in severe political consequences. The battle of dien bien phu was a climactic confrontation of the first indochina war that took. However, until recently, the communist materials have been inacessible. The vietnamese viewpoint of dien bien phu supplies some much needed balance to the accounts of the battle written by western soldiers and historians. Causes and consequences of the battle of dien bien phu. If you book with tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund.
French military tried to occupy dien bien phu to interfere with vietminh supply lines. Basically this is a tale of pridefrench going before a fall the fall being dien bien phu. The battle of dien bien phu began in midmarch and ended in early may 1954. My collection of dien bien phu related books and dvds. Average weather in dien bien phu, vietnam, year round. If you want a dry factual account of the battle of dienbienphu, this is not the book to read. 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. Dien bien phu museum 2020 all you need to know before you. After french forces occupied the dien bien phu valley in.
Simpson and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Schoendorffer was prisoner after the battle and sent to vietminh concentration camps where he. We personally assess every books quality and offer rare, outofprint treasures. The vietminh s victory put the 17 million people of north vietnam under communist rule and would, in two years, induce america s attempt to save south vietnamwithout heeding the french army s. Dien bien phutranslated at no cost by al gaudet a qog membermeans at hand were set up progressively during december and january. Even if one wrongly assumes there were important spanish and eastern european elements among the legionnaires at dien bien phu that 50% of the legionnaires were german, then only 1,900 men out of more than 15,000 who participated in the battle could have been of german origin. See all 1 dien bien phu museum tours on tripadvisor. Hungry for a textbook victory, the french military command occupied the valley in a plan to lure the vietminh down from the hills to destroy them with supposedly. The episode discusses and presents historical photographs and film. A french newspaper from 1954, with the headline dien bien phu is a tomb. It ended with victory to the viet minh, the surrender of french colonial forces and eventually, the withdrawal of the french from vietnam. One 2018 book refers to aerial supply that the french needed to fly in 36000 tonnes of equipment they managed 4000 tonnes. The vietnamese viewpoint of dien bien phu supplies some much needed balance to the accounts of the battle. It is not often that the story of a struggle as dramatic as dien bien phu is told with a flair that matches the courage of the.
A brief history of the battle of dien bien phu section 117. Dien bien phu and the crisis of francoamerican relations, 19541955 america in the modern world by lawrence s. Simpson, was an us correspondent in indochina and wrote an interesting book. The epic battle america forgot history of war new ed by howard r.
It began in november 1953, when french paratroopers seized a small airstrip in northwestern vietnam. Dien bien phu, battle of, ien bien phu, vietnam, 1954. In fact, it was rather slowgoing at times, but not because it was dull or poorlywritten. Best war movies of all times dien bien phu war best full movie vsense top vietnamese movies. Dien bien phu was a bizarre battle the french had an idea that they would establish a forward base on the laotian border, to use to attack viet minh guerrillas in the hinterlands. As the subtitle suggests, morgan not only recounts the generally wellknown military facts of the battle but also explains what led to dien bien phu and what followed from the battle. Information agency correspondent visited the isolated fre. The director, schoendorffer, was an army cameraman sent to dien bien phu, and one of the characters, howard r. Waffen ss veterans fighting vietnam axis history forum. The stubborn obstinacy of the french high command who were determined to preserve.
The battle of dien bien phu took place in french indochina vietnam on march may 7. A fine introduction to the battle of dien bien phu published by user, 12 years ago this is probabaly the best book you can find of the battle of dien bien phu if you want to have a complete picture of that important struggle of 195354, without spending many days studying the massive and more authoritative volumes of fall and windrow. Dien bien phu was the decisive battle of the first indochina war. Dien bien phu, 1954, was the final battle of the first indochina war. In the end, of the 16,000 french troops, fewer than 100 broke through the siege at dien bien phu, with the rest killed, wounded, or captured. Jul 01, 2014 dien bien phu was a disaster for france but today little is left of the key sites that were so bitterly contested. He was one of the most decorated soldiers in france, and is. The viet minh were led by vo nguyen giap and supported by communist. It is often referred to as the decisive battle of the frenchvietnam conflict. Causes and consequences of the battle of dien bien phu examine the causes and consequences and consequences of the battle of dien bien phu, 1954, which affected the lives of the vietnamese until the 1960s. Navarre was in overall command during the decisive french defeat at the battle of di.
His book provides a detailed analysis of this key battle, but also reveals much about the mind of one of the great military commanders of the twentieth century. The game covers the critical period of viet minh assaults and french counterattacks of march to may, 1954. The battle of dien bien phu, 1954 a picture from the past the first indochina war between french colonial forces and the communist viet minh culminated with the ferocious 55day siege of the. Battle of dien bien phu french foreign legion information. The french defeat at dien bien phu was a game changer, ending french colonial rule in southeast. John keegan was a consulting editor to the multiple volume series ballantines illustrated history of the violent century in the 1970s. Henri navarre assumed command in vietnam in may 1953, french forces in indochina were on the defensive. All the paras with the exception of the 2 battalions of my group were relieved by airborne infantry units from the.
Castries was born into a distinguished military family and enlisted in the army at the age of 19. In 1954, french forces in french indochina sought to cut the viet minhs supply lines to laos. Dien bien phu dbp plays a star role in vietnams modern history. The battle of dien bien phu is the detailed setting particularly the air transport units for book iv quiang in the series of novels in the shadow of the fallen tocyp. Add battle of dien bien phu to your topic list for future reference or share this resource on social media.
It ended in may 1954 with tens of thousands of vietminh troops overrunning the beseiged garrison. The battle of dien bien phu, 1954 a picture from the past. Tells not only of this important conflict that happened between march and may 1954 during the first indochina war. Henri navarre assumed command in vietnam in may 1953. This defeat resulted in the french withdrawing from indochina. Korea, munich, dien bien phu, and the vietnam decisions of 1965. In fact, the battle of dien bien phu is one of the most significant, not just of the 1950s where supposedly nothing much happened, but of the entire 20th century. Two of them, fall 1967 and rocolle 1968, were strangely published at the same time on both sides of the atlantic ocean. The battle of dien bien phu lasted from november 1953 until may 7, 1954. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 52f to 92f and is rarely below 44f or above 100f.
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