28 November,
Dien Bien Phu
Binh Minh Guest House 300,000VND
The
Battle of Dien Bien Phu was the death knell for French colonial rule in
Vietnam. Encyclopædia Britannica: “ ... the decisive engagement in the first
Indochina War (1946–54). It consisted of a struggle between French and Viet
Minh (Vietnamese Communist and nationalist) forces for control of a small
mountain outpost on the Vietnamese border near Laos. The Viet Minh victory in
this battle effectively ended the eight-year-old war. The battle was joined in
late 1953 when French forces, who had been rapidly losing ground to the
popularly supported Viet Minh, occupied the town of Dien Bien Phu in an attempt
to cut the nationalist supply lines into Laos and to maintain a base for forays
against enemy forces. Although the Vietnamese quickly cut all the roads into
Dien Bien Phu, making it suppliable only by air, the French were confident of
their position. They were thus taken by surprise when the Viet Minh Gen. Vo
Nguyen Giap surrounded the base with 40,000 men and used heavy artillery to
break the French lines. Despite heavy U.S. aid, the base was overrun on May 7,
1954. With French forces in disarray after the battle, the French government
sought an end to the fighting; an official settlement was negotiated at an
international conference in Geneva.” Around 15,000 Viet Minh soldiers died at Dien
Bien Phu, 650 of whom are buried at the cemetery we visited today. Along the
walls, bas-reliefs tell the story of the battle, emphasising Viet Minh acts of
bravery.
We also
visited the local museum, which, among other things, showcases the use of the
bicycle to supply the Viet Minh. Historynet.com: “ ... the key to the Viet Minh’s
supply effort in this epic battle was a combination of transport modes—built
around the largest military bicycle-transport feat in history. Although the
Vietnamese used 600 Russian-made Molotova 2.5-ton trucks as well as sampans,
ponies and some 200,000 porters carrying spine-breaking loads, the mainstay of
their logistical network was composed of 60,000 tough bicycle-pushing men and
women.”
Dien Bien Phu cemetery
Dien Bien Phu cemetery
Dien Bien Phu cemetery
Dien Bien Phu cemetery
Dien Bien Phu cemetery
Dien Bien Phu cemetery
Dien Bien Phu cemetery
Dien Bien Phu cemetery
Dien Bien Phu cemetery
Dien Bien Phu museum
Dien Bien Phu museum
Dien Bien Phu museum
Dien Bien Phu museum