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- For other uses see, Dien Bien Phu (film).
Dien Bien Phu (Điện Biên Phủ) is a small town in northwestern Vietnam in the province of Điện Biên.
Historic battle
In the 50's, the town was known not only for its famous opium traffic, generating 500,000,000 French Francs per year, which was an important financial resource for the Viet Minh, but more so for its historical value.
The region was fortified in November 1953 by the French Union force in the biggest large scale airborne operation of the 1946-1954 Indochina War named Operation Beaver, to block Viet Minh transport routes, and to set the stage to draw out Viet Minh forces. The following year, the important Battle of Điện Biên Phủ was fought between the Viet Minh (led by Vo Nguyen Giap), backed by the Soviet Union and Communist China, and the United States-backed French Union (led by General Navarre), the successor of General De Lattre de Tassingny. The siege of the French garrison lasted fifty-seven days, from 5:30PM March 13th to 5:30PM May 7th. The southern outpost, or firebase, of the camp, named Isabelle, did not follow the cease-fire order and fought until the next day at 01:00AM; a few hours before the long-scheduled Geneva Meeting's Indochina conference involving the United States of America, the United Kingdom, the French Union, and the Soviet Union.
The results of this battle are significant in that they ended major French involvement in Indochina (Vietnam, Laos & Cambodia), and led to the accords which partitioned Vietnam into North and South. The battle of Điện Biên Phủ is often described as a great victory for a Southeast Asian nation over a modern Western (i.e., colonial) power.
The fear of a Communist extension in Southeast Asia, named the Domino Theory by Dwight D. Eisenhower during the Điện Biên Phủ siege, and the departure of the French from Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam, led to the direct American intervention in South Vietnam.
Today
The town of Điện Biên Phủ itself has a population of around 125,000, although it was much smaller at the time of the battle. The majority of the population is not ethnically Vietnamese - rather, Thai ethnic groups form the largest segment. Ethnic Vietnamese make up around a third of the population, with the remainder being Hmong, Si La, or others.
Điện Biên Phủ lies in Muong Thanh valley, a 20-km-long and 6-km-wide basin sometimes described as "heart-shaped". It is the capital of Điện Biên Province, and has traditionally been considered remote. It is only around 35 kilometers from the border with Laos.
See also
External links
Dien Bien Phu | Dien Bien Phu | Điện Biên Phủ | Dien Bien Phu | Diên Biên Phu | 디엔비엔푸 | Dien Bien Phu | Dien Bien Phu | ディエンビエンフー | Dien Bien Phu | Dien Bien Phu | Дьен Бьен Фу | Dien Bien Phu | Dien Bien Phu | Điện Biên Phủ | 奠邊府
"Dien Bien Phu"