Battle of Ðiện Biên Phủ

The **Battle of Ðiện Biên Phủ** was a 1954 battle between Vietnamese and French forces. Vietnam won, which made the French give up in the First Indochina War. The independence of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam was secured, and Vietnam was divided into North Vietnam and South Vietnam.

With the launch of Operation Castor, French soldiers were dropped from the Red River Delta by air, deep into the northwestern hills of Vietnam, into Việt Minh territory. They established a well-fortified garrison at Ðiện Biên Phủ, alongside an airstrip to supply their troops. That was an attempt to lure the Vietnamese guerrilla fighters, commanded by General Võ Nguyên Giáp, into an all-out firefight to inflict devastating losses in which the French would use their heavy artillery and superior firepower.

However, the Việt Minh did not take the bait but brought Chinese-funded heavy artillery into this difficult area, much to French surprise. The Việt Minh also used its superior numbers in human wave tactics to overwhelm the French. Next, the Việt Minh dug deep trenches and used its artillery to shoot down any French airplanes, destroy the French airstrip, and bombard the French troops into submission. The French surrendered in May 1954 after two months of fighting. The number of French soldiers at the garrison had increased from 12,000 to over 15,000. After years of fighting and this defeat, the French no longer wanted to continue fighting.

It was the first time an Asian colonial army defeated the army of a European power by military might. That was considered to be a surprise disaster for the French and a blow to the Western world. The French no longer wanted to maintain French Indochina, so they negotiated and later withdrew from Indochina. The Second Indochinese War later was fought between both Vietnams

French colonies in Africa also revolted, most famously during the Algerian War. By 1967, most of the French colonial empire was gone.

## Infobox (military conflict)

- **conflict**: Battle of Điện Biên Phủ
- **partof**: the First Indochina War
- **image**: Victory in Battle of Dien Bien Phu.jpg
- **image size**: 300px
- **caption**: Viet Minh troops planting their flag over the captured French headquarters at Dien Bien Phu
- **date**: 13 March– 7 May 1954
()
- **place**: Vicinity of Điện Biên Phủ, French Indochina (present day Vietnam)
- **map type**: Vietnam
- **result**: Việt Minh-led Democratic Republic of Vietnam victory
- **combatant1**: **French Union**
*
*  State of Vietnam
- **combatant2**: **Democratic Republic of Vietnam**
*  Viet Minh
 China
- **commander1**:
 André Trancart
 Jules Gaucher
 Pierre Langlais
 André Lalande
 Charles Piroth
- **commander2**: Ho Chi Minh
 Võ Nguyên Giáp
 Hoàng Văn Thái
 Lê Liêm
 Đặng Kim Giang
 Lê Trọng Tấn
  Vương Thừa Vũ
 Hoàng Minh Thảo
 Lê Quảng Ba
- **strength1**: **13 March**:
 ~10,800;
~9,000 combat personnel
~1,800 logistics and support personnel
10 tanks
**7 May**:
 ~14,000;
~12,000 combat personnel
~2,000 logistics and support personnel
 37 transport aircraft
~600 aircraft
- **strength2**: **13 March**:
  ~49,500 combat personnel
 ~15,000 logistics and support personnel
**7 May**:
  ~80,000 men including logistics and support personnel
- **casualties1**: **12,416**
* 2,242 killed
* 6,463 wounded
* 3,711 missing
(Most missing and wounded were eventually reported as captured)
62 aircraft and 10 tanks lost
167 aircraft damaged
 2 dead
- **casualties2**: _Western historians estimate:_
8,000 dead
15,000 wounded<hr>_Asian historians estimate:_
23,000–25,000 casualties <hr>_Vietnamese figures:_
13,930 casualties