Dien Bien Phu is the largest basin in the northwest region of Vietnam, with a length of 20 kilometers from north to south and 6 kilometers from east to west, with a total area of about 40 kilometers, and only 13 kilometers from Laos. The basin is rich in rainfall, rich in rice, and has been inhabited by the Tai people for generations, and the Mangs people live on the surrounding mountainsides.
In the second half of the 19th century, the opium of Britain and France to China developed rapidly, and Dien Bien Phu was suitable for the cultivation of opium poppy and became the main source of opium. In 1897, French colonists took control of Dien Bien Phu and built a small airfield that was used by the French army in World War II to cover American pilots and evacuate Indochina.
On March 9, 1945, the Japanese army launched a full-scale attack on the French army, and the U.S. 14th Air Group landed in Dien Bien Phu to support the French army. In May, the Japanese occupied Dien Bien Phu and planned to expand the airport, but before the plan could be implemented, Japan surrendered. In the summer, the Chinese Nationalist army took control of Dien Bien Phu until it withdrew the following year, and the French army made a comeback. On November 30, 1952, the Vietnamese army occupied Dien Bien Phu, leaving a part of the 148th Independent Regiment to garrison it.
Nawal believes that taking control of Dien Bien Phu is the key to getting into the throat of Laos. Dien Bien Phu could implement a cluster stronghold defense, which the French called the "Najan method", which killed and wounded a large number of Vietnamese troops in positional warfare, and could retake the northwest after retreating. This strategy was endorsed by Sharloin and Kony, and was called "a wonderful fighter".
On October 22, 1953, France signed a new treaty with Laos, declaring its obligation to guarantee the territorial integrity of Laos, providing the basis for Nawal to reoccupy Dien Bien Phu. On November 2, U.S. Deputy Richard Nixon arrived in Indochina, and Navar requested U.S. support for military transport planes for airdropping paratroopers.
On 11 November, Navarre issued an order to Kony and the French commander in Laos, Kréfek, to capture Dien Bien Phu. On November 13, the French army began to parachute and launched Operation Beaver. The 148th Independent Regiment of the Vietnamese Army stationed in Dien Bien Phu was attacked by the airborne French army, and in the fierce battle, although the French army did not completely annihilate the defenders, it successfully reoccupied Dien Bien Phu and basically achieved the combat goal.
When the news was transmitted back to the ** base area in northern Vietnam, the General Military Commission of the Vietnamese Army urgently convened a meeting to discuss the situation in Dien Bien Phu. Wei Guoqing believed that the erroneous airborne landing of the French army provided a rare opportunity for the Vietnamese army to quickly march into Dien Bien Phu and launch a major campaign to turn the tide of the war in the northwest.
On December 6, Ho Chi Minh presided over a meeting of the Political Bureau of the Workers' Party, listened to Vo Nguyen Giap's battle plan, and decided to use 350,000 troops were put into the northwest battlefield, first to fight Lai Chau, and then to Dien Bien Phu, and the battle was planned to last 45 days. The General Military Commission of the Vietnamese Army changed its agenda and gave full support to the Northwest Campaign.
In the early morning of November 20, 1953, the French army launched Operation Beaver and successfully landed in Dien Bien Phu. The 316th Division of the Vietnamese Army responded quickly and launched a blockade. The French army fought fiercely with the Vietnamese army, and the Vietnamese army took advantage of its geographical advantages to force the French army to the south to break through. Despite the fact that 1,827 French troops were parachuted, 11 killed and 25 wounded, and 115 Vietnamese were killed and 4 wounded were captured, the French managed to recapture Dien Bien Phu.
The battle alerted the French in northern Vietnam, and Kony ordered the airport facilities to be improved, intelligence was gathered, and the defenders of Lai Chau were prepared. The French detachment was ambushed by the Vietnamese army, and the battle situation was tense. The Lai Chau defenders began to retreat, and the French Dien Bien Phu rescue cluster was established and marched towards Lai Chau.
The commander-in-chief of the Vietnamese army, Hoang Van Tai, ordered the annihilation of the enemy fleeing south, blocking the French army, and ensuring the safety of Dien Bien Phu. Taking advantage of the geographical advantage, the Vietnamese army successfully stopped the French army from fleeing south, and only 175 Thai soldiers and 10 French entered Dien Bien Phu.
On the way to the northwest, the war situation of the Vietnamese army developed rapidly, and with the help of the Chinese affairs advisers, the plan for the battle of Dien Bien Phu was gradually improved. At the end of 1953, the Vietnamese army was preparing for a larger-scale campaign.
The Battle of Dien Bien Phu was a historic battle in the Indochina War, which left a lasting impact on the geographical, political, and strategic levels. The article details the geographical characteristics, historical evolution and development of Dien Bien Phu, highlighting the importance of the land and the urgency of the events that took place.
First of all, the peculiarities of Dien Bien Phu's geographical location make it a focal point for political and military rivalry. It is located in the northwest region of Vietnam, 20 kilometers long from north to south, 6 kilometers wide from east to west, close to Laos, and has extremely advantageous geographical conditions. Historically, Dien Bien Phu has been a militarily and economically important region due to abundant rainfall and abundant rice production. The British and French opium** to China made the land ideal for opium poppy cultivation, and the subsequent war made it a focal point of contention.
Secondly, the article mentions the beginning of the Battle of Dien Bien Phu and the influence of the French colonial period. In the second half of the 19th century, the French took control of Dien Bien Phu and cultivated opium poppy on a large scale, making the locals almost dependent on opium**. This historical background makes Dien Bien Phu of special economic and strategic value for France, and for Vietnam, it is a key route to the throat of Laos.
During the development of the campaign, the importance of Vietnam in Dien Bien Phu was highlighted. The Vietnamese army successfully occupied Dien Bien Phu on October 22, 1953, and despite the airborne operation carried out by the French army, the Vietnamese army finally won the victory through reasonable tactical deployment and resolute counterattack. The victory in this battle was symbolic for the Vietnamese, marking a significant victory in their struggle against the French in the Indochina War.
The article also touches on international political interventions, such as the support of U.S. Vice President Richard Nixon, and the signing of a new treaty between France and Laos, which provided the basis for the French army's reoccupation of Dien Bien Phu. This reflects the impact of international politics on regional wars at that time, as well as the tactics adopted by all parties in the game.
Finally, the article mentions Ho Chi Minh's intention to respond to peace talks through the Swedish newspaper Express, demonstrating Vietnam's desire for peace. However, due to the tense situation of the battle, it eventually led to a larger battle plan. This reflected the trade-off between peace and war and the determination of the Vietnamese leadership at the time to defend the territory.
Overall, the Battle of Dien Bien Phu was a key node in the Indochina War, involving multiple dimensions such as geopolitics, history, culture, and international politics. The article vividly presents the ins and outs of this battle through a detailed narrative, providing readers with an in-depth perspective of the current situation.
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