Battle of Dien Bien Phu
Vicinity of Điện Biên Phủ, French Indochina (present day Vietnam)
What happened
General Võ Nguyên Giáp led the Viet Minh army against the French garrison commanded by Colonel Christian de Castries, under French commander-in-chief Henri Navarre. During the First Indochina War, France built a fortified base in a valley at Điện Biên Phủ in northwest Vietnam, supplied by air, hoping to lure the Viet Minh into a big battle. Instead, the Viet Minh moved heavy artillery up the surrounding hills and hid it in tunnels and bunkers. Their guns shut down the airstrip, the French strongpoints fell one by one, and on 7 May 1954 the garrison surrendered.
Why it matters
Result: Viet Minh victory. Leaders: Henri Eugène Navarre / Christian de Castries against Ho Chi Minh / Võ Nguyên Giáp. Why it matters: The defeat shocked France and weakened its position in Indochina. It led directly to the end of French involvement in the region.
What came next
In July 1954 the Geneva Accords ended the war and temporarily divided Vietnam at the 17th parallel, with elections planned for 1956. Laos and Cambodia kept their own governments.
Did you know?
The Viet Minh dragged heavy guns up the surrounding hills and hid them in tunnels dug into the slopes, so the French could not find them.
Timeline
- 13 March 1954The Viet Minh attack on Điện Biên Phủ begins.
- 26 April 1954The Geneva Conference opens.
- 7 May 1954The French garrison surrenders.
- 21 July 1954The Geneva Accords divide Vietnam at the 17th parallel.