The historic Dien Bien Phu victory was hailed by oppressed people around the world as a signal to keep on with their own struggles.

Great victory  

French historian Alain Ruscio (L) (Photo: VOV Bureau in Paris)

French historian Alain Ruscio said the Dien Bien Phu victory was a decisive blow that forced France to the negotiating table and eventually to sign the Geneva Accords. It was a successful combination of patriotism and love of the Vietnamese people under the wise leadership of President Ho Chi Minh.

“Dien Bien Phu was an important event in Vietnamese history. This victory was the result of a difficult battle. Beginning as a struggle of General Vo Nguyen Giap’s army, the course of the war changed toward the "people's struggle". It was no longer a war of soldiers only, but of the consensus, sacrifice, and determination of the whole nation,” Ruscio said.

Professor Dr. Vong So Theara, Head of the Department of the History of Cambodia and Southeast Asia of the Royal University of Cambodia, said the Dien Bien Phu victory forced the French colonialists to sit down for talks. The victory had great international significance because it was the first time the army of a colonized country in Asia had defeated the modern army of an advanced European country. The victory forced France to negotiate and eventually withdraw its troops from Indochina.

“France’s defeat to Vietnam at Dien Bien Phu battlefield was a momentous event. It’s raised the flag of victory above Vietnam and all the countries of Indochina,” said Dr. Theara.

Professor Dr. Vong So Theara, Head of the Department of the History of Cambodia and Southeast Asia of the Royal University of Cambodia (Photo: VOV Bureau in Phnom Penh)

The victory enhanced the unity of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia and generated a combined power that enabled each country to win. Dr. Theara said: “In the shared war, we united as one. When the three countries established revolutionary forces to fight colonial rule, we achieved successes. After France was defeated at Dien Bien Phu, the Geneva conference concluded with a good result. France officially recognized the independence of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.”

Victory of the era

The Dien Bien Phu victory ended colonial rule in three Indochina countries and opened a new chapter in human history. The victory encouraged other colonial countries to fight for independence and end colonialism around the world. Reda El Taify, Egyptian Ambassador to Vietnam in the 2010-2014 tenure, said the Dien Bien Phu campaign was one of the most famous battles in history.

Reda El Taify, Egyptian Ambassador to Vietnam in the 2010-2014 tenure (Photo: VOV)

“It can be said that the Dien Bien Phu was one of the most important battles in world history, on a par with Waterloo, Pearl Harbor, the Normandy campaign, the tank battle at Kursk, the attack on Berlin in World War II, and the 1973 Arab-Israeli war. The Dien Bien Phu victory ended French colonial rule not just in Vietnam but in Asia,” said Taify. 

The Dien Bien Phu victory inspired liberation movements throughout Asia, Africa, and Latin America, said Taify. “The Vietnamese people are proud of the Dien Bien Phu victory. We in the Middle East and Arab world will never forget that historic event, because almost every leader in Africa learned precious lessons from the Dien Bien Phu campaign. It inspired our fight for liberation and the complete defeat of all forms of French colonial rule in Africa.”

Leonard Lema, Secretary of the Communist Youth Union of France’s Saint Pierre des Corps city, shared: “The Dien Bien Phu victory had a huge impact on national liberation movements in many regions. As a native of South America, I heard many stories from my family about the event. For my father, the Dien Bien Phu victory was a symbolic victory. We have seen similar things in Algeria and other oppressed countries.”

At Dien Bien Phu, for the first time in history, an oppressed nation defeated a powerful empire, regained national independence, and gave true democratic rights to the people. It was a great victory for the Vietnamese people and all oppressed peoples in the world.

70 years after the Dien Bien Phu victory, many international scholars and historical researchers agree that the lessons of the Dien Bien Phu victory on May 7, 1954, remain valuable. Vietnam is a pioneering country and a shining symbol of national liberation that opened a new page in the history of humanity.