Unbelievable facts about the Dien Bien Phu battle that shook the world

1. "Dien Bien Phu is an impregnable fortress". General Navarre and the French Command believed that Dien Bien Phu was an "iron trap" where the Viet Minh would be destroyed. But this place became the graveyard of French colonialism in Indochina.

2. The French set themselves up in a trap. The French chose the Dien Bien Phu basin to establish their stronghold because they thought the terrain was difficult to access and easy to defend. But this caused them to be surrounded from above, when the Viet Minh controlled the surrounding high points and fired artillery into the basin like "pounding crabs".

3. The miracle of pulling artillery by hand over the mountain. Thousands of frontline laborers and Viet Minh soldiers pulled artillery weighing tons, carrying each shell by hand through the rugged mountain terrain, something the French could not have imagined.

4. Pulling the artillery in and then pulling it out. At first, the Viet Minh forces pulled the artillery into the battlefield to prepare for a quick attack. But then General Giap changed his strategy to a steady attack and steady advance, and the soldiers had to pull the artillery out to reorganize the battle. This "brain-wrenching" decision brought victory.

5. The first time Viet Minh shot down a French military plane. On the morning of March 14, 1954, in the first battle, Viet Minh anti-aircraft artillery shot down a French plane on the spot. After that, our army shot down many more French planes, completely destroying the air supply bridge - a vital factor for the base.

6. 200 km of trenches were dug by hand. The Vietnamese army and people dug more than 200 km of trenches across the basin, using only hoes, shovels and bare hands, despite bombs and harsh weather.

7. The number of French prisoners of war reached a record. Nearly 12,000 French soldiers were captured, including more than 100 officers and generals - an unprecedented number in previous battles in Indochina.

8. General Giap never received formal military training. General Vo Nguyen Giap was a man without formal military training but successfully commanded this famous battle.

9. "The Battle of Stalingrad of the East". The world press called the Battle of Dien Bien Phu "the Battle of Stalingrad of the East", "the earthquake that shattered the foundations of old colonialism". These titles show the world stature of the event.

10. The US government was preparing to intervene after Dien Bien Phu. Immediately after the French defeat at Dien Bien Phu, the White House stepped up its intervention policy in South Vietnam - opening the way for the US role in the Vietnam War later on.

Dear readers, please watch the video: Uncle Ho's soldiers in peacetime. Source: Nhan Dan Television.

Source: https://khoahocdoisong.vn/nhung-su-that-kho-tin-ve-tran-dien-bien-phu-chan-dong-dia-cau-post270198.html