Dien Bien Phu, 1954

What was Dien Bien Phu?

Dien Bien Phu was a decisive battle between French and North Vietnamese troops in 1954.

When did Dien Bien Phu take place?

The Battle of Dien Bien Phu was fought for 57 days between 13th March and 7th May, 1954.

Who was involved at Dien Bien Phu?

France fought the Battle of Dien Bien Phu against North Vietnam and the Vietminh.

What was the result of Dien Bien Phu?

There were 5 significant results of Dien Bien Phu.

• ❖ France lost the battle.
• ❖ Over 3,000 French soldiers were killed and 8,000 were wounded.
• ❖ The Vietminh lost 8,000 troops and a further 12,000 were wounded.
• ❖ It was a massive humiliation for the French.
• ❖ The remaining French soldiers were made to march to prisons located far away, with many dying during the journey.

Why did Dien Bien Phu happen?

The French felt one last large battle would defeat the communists.

How were the French defeated at Dien Bien Phu?

The French were defeated for 6 main reasons:

• ❖ The 10,000 French soldiers defended an airfield known as Dien Bien Phu, which was in a valley.
• ❖ The French were surrounded and had their supplies cut off by 50,000 Vietminh soldiers.
• ❖ The Vietnamese were willing to use suicide bombers.
• ❖ The Vietnamese managed to get artillery to the top of the surrounding hills and bombarded Dien Bien Phu.
• ❖ They launched attacks with vast numbers of men and were willing to take heavy casualties.
• ❖ The French ran out of essential supplies like water and medicines. Although they asked for help, neither the USA nor Britain would come to their aid. The French surrendered on 7th May, 1954.

Why did the French surrender at Dien Bien Phu?

The French surrendered at Dien Bien Phu for 3 key reasons:

• ❖ They had been defeated in the battle.
• ❖ They could not secure support from outside parties such as Britain and the USA.
• ❖ The French parliament voted 471 to 14 in support of ending the war and withdrawing from French Indochina.

What were the consequences of Dien Bien Phu?

The defeat at Dien Bien Phu had 2 important consequences.

• ❖ It ended France's 8-year war with the Vietminh.
• ❖ Over 400,000 soldiers and civilians lost their lives in the First Indochina War.