A Classic of Warfare: Battle of Dien Bien Phu (1954)
The battle of Dien Bien Phu in Vietnam in 1954 is generally considered a classic battle which shows the conversion of a guerrilla war into a conventional war. The battle is thus a matter of study for students of military history. Before we discuss this battle a few words about Indochina is essential.
The entire Indo -China including Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam was a French colony. However things began to happen in 1940 when Hitler's armies in a swift 40 days battle defeated the French. The French sued for peace and became collaborators of the Nazi regime under Marshal Petain. This is known in history as the Vichy regime. The French colonies thus came under control of the Vichy government.
In 1942 the Japanese army overran Indo -China, but as the Vichy government was a collaborator of the Germans they were allowed to continue to administer Indo China under overall Japanese control. The French had some breathing space, but the nationalist Vietnamese under Ho Chi Minh started a guerrilla war against the Japanese. This war continued till 1945 and despite severe reprisels by the Japanese the Viet Minh ( organization created by Ho Chi Minh) survived.
After the dropping of the Atomic bombs on Japan and its surrender the French decided to reassert themselves in Indo- China. From 1946 the French legiones attacked the Viet Minh, but Ho and his troops escaped into the jungles and mountains. The French could not do much as the enemy was elusive. The French wanted a pitched battle where they were sure to win, but the Viet Ming did not oblige them as after a raid and killing of French troops they escaped into the mountains and jungles. This guerrilla war continued till 1953, when the French decided to confront the VietMinh in their own den.
They chose an area on the border of Cambodia called Dien Bien Phu, which had an airfield as well. It was an area which was used for cultivation of poppy by the Viet Minh who later sold the crop for weapons. The French began a build up at this place and they airlifted heavy guns and caterpillars which were air dropped by multiple parachutes on the airfield. They extended the airfield and then brought in more troops and guns. The French at their peak had almost 15-20000 troops and guns. In addition they had local Vietnamese troops who were their supporters.
Ho Chi Minh now appointed General Giap as commander. Giap decided the time had come to launch a frontal attack on the French. he opined the the time had come to convert the guerrilla movement to a full fledged conventional war. The Chinese supplied the Viet Minh with artillery, weapons and medicines, most of which had been captured from the Americans during the Korean war.
The Viet Minh transported these guns and weapons by road through jungle trails and positioned them around the airfield. The French despite their aerial recce were not aware of this as the Vietminh concealed their moves in the jungle by tieing the top of the trees.
From January 1954 the Viet Minh began a bombardment of the French and they were completely taken by surprise. They fired back , but the location of the Viet Minh guns was so cleverly concealed that the French firing was largely ineffective. Casualties began to mount among the French and after the failure of the French artillery return fire the commander of the artillery committed suicide by blowing himself with a grenade. This had a catastrophic effect on the French morale and many desertions began to take place. The French commander refused to come out of his bunker as he went into depression and command was taken over by a junior. The French planes now could not land with supplies as the air field was under heavy artillery fire.
The Vietnamese troops along with the French now switched sides and surrendered. With low morale and lacking ammunition and supplies the French faced a hopeless task. General Giap now ordered an offensive and by mid 1954 the entire French base had been captured and more than 12000 French were taken POW. In addition almost 4000 injured soldiers went into captivity and almost 50% died due to lack of medical care. This battle marked the end of French rule in Indochina and at the subsequent Geneva conference in 1955, the French agreed to grant independence to Vietnam and Cambodia. It was a colossal defeat. The French military reputation touched rock bottom and overall it was proved that the French did not have stomach for battle. They subsequently also fled Algeria after battle there.
This battle is important from the military view as one can study how a guerrilla war is to be converted into a full fledged conventional war. Mao did the same thing in China against the Nationalists and Ho Chi Minh and Giap did the same at Dien Bien Phu.
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