Tran ku, lam bao o dien bien phu a journalist at dien bien phu. Dr grauwins book is a selfless, very honest story of the tragedy of dienbienphu and the extraordinary medical skills of his staff. It ended in may 1954 with tens of thousands of vietminh troops overrunning the besieged garrison. For more information on battle of dien bien phu, visit. Dien bien phu dbp plays a star role in vietnams modern history. The french wounded remained in the camp until the international red cross arrived and provided medical assistance. Simpson, was an us correspondent in indochina and wrote an interesting book.
Navarres choice of dien bien phu as a place to force giap to battle was a terrible one. Standing on the top of hill a1 while listening to a tourguide briefing about the 1954 campaign, ones may have a sense of attending the battlefield. A guerrilla force of viet minh destroyed a technologically superior french army, convincing the viet minh that similar tactics might prevail in battle with. Even so, the french asked for more during the winter of 195354 as the viet minh noose tightened around the french garrison at dien bien phu. On may 7th 1954, the garnison of the fortified camp of dien bien phu ceased the fight against general giap vietminh army after an heroic resistance.
His book provides a detailed analysis of this key battle, but also reveals much about the mind of one of the great military commanders of the twentieth century. Nam yum river n dien bien phu 0 0 1 mile 1km high ground air strip annemarie huguette francoise beatrice dominique eliane hq claudine gabrielle viet minh 312 nd division viet minh 308 th division viet minh 316 th division viet minh 308 th division 1km isabelle 7 vm 304 th div opposes isabelle huge guns up steep slopes this slide and. 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 the 141st and 219th regiments of the 312th viet minh division attack the 3d battalion, th foreign legion demibrigade at isolated strong point beatrice. The city is best known for the events which occurred there during the first indochina war, the battle of di. Battle of dien bien phu french foreign legion information. Open library is an open, editable library catalog, building towards a web page for every book ever published. The battle of dien bien phu is seen as the decisive battle of the first indochina war between french troops and the viet minh league for the independence of vietnam, a nationalist, prosoviet union movement of ho chi minh. Journalist bernard fall, who was embedded with the garrison, detailed in his book hell in a very small place that the french military deployed two bmcs mobile field brothels to dien bien phu prior to the siege, one with seven vietnamese women, the other with 11 oulednail from algeria. The struggle for what was then called french indochina in southeast asia started in 1945 and ended only in 1975.
Information agency correspondent visited the isolated fre. Simpson, 9781574888409, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. It was fought ostensibly between the french and the communistled vietmin at dien bien phu, an obscure valley bordering china, in the remote northwestern part of what was then french indochina. Stone, 2004, brasseys, distributed in north america by casemate pub. The defeat of the french at dien bien phu marked the end of french influence in the region. Battle of dien bien phu, the decisive engagement in the first indochina war 194654. The government of laos was very much under the influence of the french though the viet minh had successfully infiltrated much of laos, thus undermining. Dien bien phu covers the period of 1946 1954 when a polyglot force of moroccans, senegalese, algerians, legionnaires, vietnamese, thos and others under the auspices of the french sought to retain frances hold on indochina and were opposed by the nationalist communist forces of the viet minh. If you have read hell in a very small place by bernard fall, this book fills in some of the blanks concerning battlefield medical care at dien bien phu.
Trench warfare lasted 56 days and the city suffered. The battle of dien bien phu was fought from march to may 7, 1954, and was the decisive engagement of the first indochina war 19461954, the precursor to the vietnam war. Dien bien phu article and radio feature posted by mike on 7 may 2014 01. The vietnamese victory at dien bien phu in may 1954, with the killing or capturing of over 16,000 enemy forces, sealed the defeat of french colonialism in indochina. It was fought between the french unions french far east expeditionary corps and viet minh communist. In 1954, french forces in french indochina sought to cut the viet minhs supply lines to laos. Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. Bernard fall wrote that in comparison with other world battles, dien bien phu could hardly qualify as a major battle, let alone a decisive one.
Dien bien phu by john keegan meet your next favorite book. The battle ended with a humiliating defeat for the french, which. Feb 02, 2012 hell in a very small place the battle of dien bien phu. An annotated bibliography, collection of ephemera, and a timeline of the battle, comprising extracts from books in my personal collection. Dien bien phu was a bizarre battle the french had an idea that they would establish a forward base on the laotian border, to use to attack viet minh guerrillas in the hinterlands. The memoir was originally published in french as jetais medecin a dien bien phu and was translated by james oliver in 1955. Bernard fall on the battle of dien bien phu parallel narratives. In 1953, a hard fought battle between french and vietnamese forces finished off france as a colonial power and eerily presaged. This was a decisive blow to france as a colonial power. The french strategy of seeking to establish a fortified base across the viet minhs route to and from laos provoked an awesome struggle that lasted from november 1953 to may 1954.
Dien bien phu is recognized as one of historys great. Dien bien phu is the definitive account of the great, climactic battle in french indochina that led to the american commitment to vietnam. It is highly probable the united states would have been faced with much the same situation as the french after the fall of dien bien phu if the north vietnamese had been successful at khe sanh. This movie needs some background knowledge of the colonial european history, mainly the french one, to be fully appreciated.
Fall november 19, 1926 february 21, 1967 was a prominent war correspondent, historian, political scientist, and expert on indochina during the 1950s and 1960s. The director, schoendorffer, was an army cameraman sent to dien bien phu, and one of the characters, howard r. The game covers the critical period of viet minh assaults and french counterattacks of march to may, 1954. If you book with tripadvisor, you can cancel at least 24 hours before the start date of your tour for a full refund. The fighting began in november 1953, when french paratroopers seized a small airstrip in northwestern vietnam. Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 52f to 92f and is rarely below 44f or above 100f. Dien bien phu is the definitive account of the great, climactic battle. Dien bien phu war remnants a popular tour hill a1, located in muong thanh ward, plays a critic part in controlling the whole battle of dien bien phu campaign. It is a literary monument to the courage of the doctors and surgeons, like himself, whose constant concern for the suffering of. If a general reader wanted a recommendation for one book on the battle of dien bien phu, i would not recommend that this to be the one. French casualties numbered 3,000 dead, 4,500 wounded and 11,700 prisoners.
The most consequential military engagement in southeast asia in the 20th century is the 1954 battle of dien bien phu. It is the decision of lieutenant torrens, after learning that dien bien phu has fallen meaning the war is lost to have his men attack. Jun 17, 2010 siege of dien bien phu the battle that ended the first indochina war slideshare uses cookies to improve functionality and performance, and to provide you with relevant advertising. If you want a heartfelt paean to both the french and vietminh soldier, on the stupidity and wastefulness of the whole french effort in indochina, this book is a mustread. In dien bien phu, the wet season is hot, oppressive, and overcast and the dry season is warm and mostly clear. Ballantines illustrated history of the violent century. The vietnamese viewpoint of dien bien phu supplies some much needed balance to the accounts of the battle written by western soldiers and historians. Simpson and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Born in austria, he moved with his family to france as a child after germanys annexation, where he started fighting for the french resistance at the age of sixteen, and. So ended an epic struggle begon 170 days earlier with the landing of the first french paratroopers on the site of dien bien phu.
Dien bien phu and the french defeat in vietnam by martin windrow is, quite simply the best book ive ever run into on the french view of the military aspects of the battle of dien bein phu. The book covers the entire siege at basically the company or when necessary the platoon level. Although they supplied ho chi minh and his struggling army with arms and training to fight against the japanese, u. Mostly this is an overall history of the war, though a significan section deals with dien bien phu. Date th march 7th may 1954 location dien bien phu, vietnam war first indo china war combatants france vs viet minh outcome french defeat. The siege occurred while the 1954 geneva conference was ironing out agreements between the major powers, including the future of indochina. In his book war, army edited in hanoi, 1961 he wrote. It was fought between the french union s french far east.
Only a hundred of the 500 legionaries escape, the viet minh lose 600. If you want a dry factual account of the battle of dienbienphu, this is not the book to read. Battle of dien bien phu battle of dien bien phu part of the first indochina war french union paratroops dropping from an united states air forcelent flying boxcar. The french only realized the precariousness of their situation in midmarch when the viet minh attacks began in earnest and the french began running short of ammunition, medical supplies, and food. The vva veteran, a publication of vietnam veterans of america.
The author was a french physician, the only doctor to attend to the sick, wounded and dying at the infamous battle of dien bien phu. I am well aware, of course, that the real heroes arent film actors. It was in the surrounding countryside here, on 7 may 1954, that the french colonial forces were defeated by the viet minh in a decisive battle, and the days of their indochina empire became numbered. Apr 01, 2005 the battle of dien bien phu ranks with agincourt, waterloo, and gettysburg as one of the great military engagements of history.
Dien bien phu, vietnam graham greene described the last poignant embraces. Dien bien phu is arguably the most important battle since the end of world war ii. Dien bien phu goodreads meet your next favorite book. The battle of dien bien phu 19531954, stresses the author, was one of the modern eras most decisive confrontations. The viet minh victory in this battle effectively ended the eightyearold war. Dien bien phu is a city where, in 1954, the communist oriented vietminh with ho chi minh fought againts the french colonial army. Historically, the viet minh won the battle, overrunning the base. Instead, general vo nguyen giap, one of the great guerrilla generals, had his viet minh forces besieged the valley base, trapping the french defenders in a brutal. During this time dien bien phu, surrounded by 2000 ft hills and thus difficult to resupply by. The town sits in the heartshaped muong thanh valley, surrounded by heavily. The base was wellfortified and defended by crack troops, but it could only be reached by air. Dien bien phu travel northwest vietnam, vietnam lonely. The battle of dien bien phu ranks with agincourt, waterloo, and gettysburg as one of the great military engagements of history. The battle of dien bien phu, 1954 a picture from the past.
In the fifty seven day siege, viet minh forces suffered 8,000 dead and 15,000 wounded. Before the final bombardment, wives and sweethearts of french officers flew in for a. My recommendation would be hell in a very small place by bernard fall which i believe is much more readable and has more detail on the battle itself. The lone french woman at the decisive battle for vietnam naval institute, 208 pp.
Dien bien phu resulted in severe political consequences. The battle of dien bien phu, 1954 a picture from the past the first indochina war between french colonial forces and the communist viet minh culminated with the ferocious 55day siege of the. The battle of dien bien phu was the decisive engagement in the first indochina war 194654. Paul grauwin, who witnessed the 57 days of bloodshed and carnage wrought by the viet minh on the encircled french enclave in north vietnam called dien bien phu. Well even let you know about secret offers and sales when you sign up to our emails. This, he believed, would allow him to win a crushing victory. Dien bien phu is a wargame covering the decisive battle of the first indochina war in which elite french expeditionary force units defended an airland base against the communist viet minh. One 2018 book refers to aerial supply that the french needed to fly in 36000 tonnes of equipment they managed 4000 tonnes. Do you need to book in advance to visit dien bien phu. John keegan was a consulting editor to the multiple volume series ballantines illustrated history of the violent century in the 1970s.
Complete with detailed accounts, maps, and photos, giaps memoirs depicts concretely how a small and weak nation can overcome a stronger force. It is not often that the story of a struggle as dramatic as dien bien phu is told with a flair that matches the courage of the. Hell in a very small place, subtitled the siege of dien bien phu is the classic account of a french defeat in a rainsoaked valley in the northeast vietnam. By focusing french resources at dien bien phu, he sought to force giap to attack him. The forgotten angels of dien bien phu war is boring. Dien bien phu article and radio feature osprey publishing. The siege of dien bien phu by bernard fall the 1954 battle of dien bien phu ranks with stalingrad and tet for what it ended imperial ambitions, what it foretold american involvement, and what it symbolized. Dien bien phu marked the end of french colonialism in vietnam and the accelerated u. Mar 27, 2015 dien bien phu was a town in northwest vietnam with an isolated air base built and used by the japanese in world war two. This major confrontation occurred at dien bien phu, a large heartshaped valley located in northwestern part of vietnam, near the border with laos. This was the climatic battle of what historians refer to as the first indochina war the u.
Average weather in dien bien phu, vietnam, year round. He also contributed several titles to the series, one of which was dien bien phu published in 1974 by random house. We recommend booking dien bien phu tours ahead of time to secure your spot. An american reporter finds himself in the middle of the 57day battle of dien bien phu in vietnam between the french army and the vietminh, which finally resulted in the defeat and surrender of the french forces and frances eventual withdrawal from vietnam. Written by defenceweb editor leon engelbrecht 16th oct 2008. This is a first person account of the head surgeon of dien bien phu, who was there from the beginning. Between the french union and the viet minh, it took place in dien bien phu in north vietnam.
If you book with tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. If you continue browsing the site, you agree to the use of cookies on this website. The epic battle america forgot history of war new ed by howard r. No american is better qualified to tell the tale of dien bien phu and its significance than howard simpson. It was a very bloody and violent battle between the two and shortly after france agreed to a cease fire with viet minh. Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle coronavirus. The tragedy at dien bien phu that led america into the vietnam war by ted morgan. This place is great, much quieter and the people are incredibly friendly. In may 1954, the first indochina war ended with the surrender of the french military garrison at dien bien phu. From here and onwards, there was a continuous retreat from the french colonies even though the algerian french thought they could turn history around.
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