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Jackie and Megan , Richard

Dien Bien Phu. Jackie and Megan , Richard. What is Dien Bien Phu and where was it located?. Dien Bien Phu was a village in the valley which was surrounded by mountains and thick jungle . It was here that a battle occurred to end the First Indo-China war.

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Jackie and Megan , Richard

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  1. Dien Bien Phu Jackie and Megan, Richard

  2. What is Dien Bien Phu and where was it located? • Dien Bien Phu was a village in the valley which was surrounded by mountains and thick jungle. • It was here that a battle occurred to end the First Indo-China war. • 10,000 French union soldiers against 50,000 Viet Minh forces. • The battle was over an armed camp in the middle of the valley. • The French lost and were driven out of Indo-China, therefore losing control.

  3. French strategy • Commander-in-chief General Henri Navarre wanted to trap and destroy the Viet Minh forces by offering bait, the armed French camp in the valley. • They believed they had the ability to fight the Viet Minh because they thought they had enough fire-power but most of the French troops were not accustomed to fighting in the harsh terrain. • The only link to the French main supply base in Hanoi, was via a mountainous road. This was why they relied on air transport to bring in troops and supplies.

  4. Viet Minh Tactics • Viet Minh soldiers watched the French operation in the mountains. • There were 40 to 50 thousand soldiers by January 1954 which locked down on Dien Bien Phu. • The Viet Minh soldiers were prepared to fight against the French because they, like the French, had also possessed superior artillery firepower.

  5. The Last Battle • A conference was to be held in Geneva in April in order to discuss any ceasefire opportunities in Indochina, both sides hoped to gain control over Dien Bien Phu. • Viet Minh military started to bombard the French camp and a victory was clear on the first day, this resulted in the suicide of the French commander. • Following the bombardment of the French the Viet Minh built tunnels into the camp whilst the French fell back into a smaller area. • An American airstrike on Dien Bien Phu was a possibility but was voted against by President Eisenhower and the British.

  6. The Last Battle continued.. • Despite defeat being inevitable, the weak French defenders continued to fight for control of the camp. • 7,900 Viet Minh soldiers were killed with 15,000 wounded. • 13,000 French Soldiers were killed out of the original 16,000 (some 1,000 died in prison camps). • A ceasefire was ordered at 5.30 pm on the 7th of May 1954 and Viet Minh soldiers took control of Dien Bien Phu and raised their flag.

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