Dien Bien Phu Victory: The feat that started the cause of defending the Vietnamese Fatherland

Leaders and former leaders of the Party and State visit the heroic martyrs at the A1 Martyrs Cemetery. Photo : T. Tuan

The French force stationed at the Dien Bien Phu stronghold had about 11,000 troops, later reinforced to 16,200 troops, not counting the troops in other places providing logistical support for the stronghold and the number of pilots and air force soldiers participating in the battle, about 30,000 troops. When they had to surrender to our army and were taken prisoner, the French force had more than 11,700 people left.

To achieve the Dien Bien Phu victory that "resounded throughout the five continents and shook the world", the Party Committee and the Dien Bien Phu Campaign Command applied unique campaign art with correct decisions in changing the combat strategy, contributing to the victory of the campaign, so that the "Determined to fight - Determined to win" flag of our army flew on the roof of General De Castries' bunker on that historic day of May 7, 1954.

One day later, on May 8, 1954, President Ho Chi Minh , the supreme commander of the campaign, sent a letter of congratulations to our forces participating in the campaign, with the following content: "Our army has liberated Dien Bien Phu. Uncle Ho and the Government cordially send our compliments to the cadres, soldiers, laborers, youth volunteers and local people who have fulfilled their duties gloriously. Although the victory is great, it is only the beginning. We should not be arrogant because of victory, should not be subjective and underestimate the enemy...

Uncle Ho and the Government will reward cadres, soldiers, laborers, youth volunteers and local people with special achievements. On this occasion, Uncle Ho awarded the "Dien Bien Phu Soldier" badge to cadres and soldiers with outstanding achievements.

In particular, when visiting and congratulating the General Staff of our army and General Vo Nguyen Giap after the Dien Bien Phu battle, with his unparalleled political experience, Uncle Ho said a congratulatory sentence with an accurate prediction: "Congratulations to you (Vo Nguyen Giap) on winning the battle. But don't be subjective, we still have to fight the Americans. Sooner or later they will jump into Indochina to replace France." Indeed, as President Ho Chi Minh said, it took less than a year for the Americans to actually jump in to replace France.

Units ready for the parade to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Dien Bien Phu victory. Photo: T. Tuan

The past 70 years of history have shown that Uncle Ho's judgment was completely correct. Before "ousting" France, the US poured into the Dien Bien Phu battle a large amount of weapons and military equipment, accounting for more than 70% of the war budget, to "breathe life" into France to try to maintain the stronghold group considered the strongest of France during the war to re-invade Vietnam.

However, the painful and humiliating defeat of the French army did not make the US "open its eyes" but instead made it even more "blind", continuing to rush into our country and then having to suffer defeat in many other Dien Bien Phu battles.

One day after the defeat of the French army at Dien Bien Phu, on May 8, 1954, the Geneva Conference on Indochina began its meeting. At the end of the Geneva Conference on July 20, 1954, the head of the US Government delegation declared his commitment to respect the decisions of the nine member countries participating in the Geneva Conference. But immediately after that, the US President himself declared: "The United States does not participate in the decisions of the Geneva Conference and is not bound by those decisions."

According to the Geneva Agreement, Vietnam was temporarily divided into two regions, with the 17th parallel as the demarcation line for France to withdraw to the South and the resistance forces against France to gather in the North. After two years, a general election would be held nationwide to elect a government to unify the country.

Head of the Central Propaganda Department Nguyen Trong Nghia and delegates visit artifacts displayed at the Press Center commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu victory. Photo by T. Tuan

At that time, in the South, France had set up a puppet government called the State of Vietnam with former Emperor Bao Dai as Head of State. The US forced France to bring Ngo Dinh Diem from the US to be Prime Minister just over a month before the signing of the Geneva Accords.

Immediately after the Geneva Agreement was signed, in response to the Vietnam News Agency, President Ho Chi Minh predicted that Ngo Dinh Diem and the US would seek to destroy the Agreement to divide Vietnam into two countries: "In accordance with our previous stance, the Democratic Republic of Vietnam will continue to strive to fight for peace, independence, unity, and democracy for the Fatherland."

Meanwhile, after Ngo Dinh Diem staged a "referendum" to overthrow Chief of State Bao Dai so that Diem could become President, the US forced France to withdraw all its forces from Vietnam in 1955 and establish the "Republic of Vietnam".

Two years of temporary division passed, the Geneva Agreement was blatantly abolished by the US - Diem, there was absolutely no General Election. The people of the South of our country constantly fought to demand the US - Diem to implement the agreement, not only was the General Election never held but countless patriotic people who fought for national reunification were arrested, imprisoned, and massacred by the US - Diem.

When they could no longer endure the brutal oppression of the US and Diem, the people of the South rose up under the revolutionary banner of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam led by our Party, not afraid of sacrifice and hardship to carry out the resistance war against the US to save the country.

To cope with the revolutionary wave of our army and people, the US imperialists directly sent troops to the South and conducted a destructive war by air force in the North of our country. However, the special war, local war and Vietnamization strategies of the US imperialists and the Saigon puppet government and army were successively defeated by our army and people under the leadership of our Party until the final victory, completely liberating the South and reunifying the country on April 30, 1975.

70 years have passed, the revolutionary reality of our country shows that the Dien Bien Phu Victory was the victory that opened a series of feats of arms to protect the Fatherland of our army and people since the mid-20th century. From the meaning of the origin of that feat, the Dien Bien Phu Victory will forever be a brilliant milestone, the pride of the Vietnamese people.

The Dien Bien Phu victory has great historical significance, profound epochal significance, is a victory of patriotism, indomitable will, resilience, the strength of the great solidarity of the Vietnamese people, demonstrating the growth of the Vietnam People's Army under the talented and wise leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam.

Nguyen Tan Hung

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