The most important french position in the dien bien phu valley, hill a1 known to the french as eliane was considered impregnable. Ac car and guide pick up and drive to dien bien phu hotel for check in. Top 10 hotels in dien bien phu, vietnam cancel free on. Navy seal jocko willink breaks down combat scenes from movies gq. The town sits in the heartshaped muong thanh valley, surrounded by heavily. Bloomer, usa csc 1991 subject area general an analysis of the french defeat at dien bien phu outline thesis statement.
Dien bien phu is located in vietnam, using iata code din, and icao code vvdb. It is remarkable that this is the place where vietnamese people defeated the french colonist with the great victory of dien bien phu. Accordingly, the siege of dien bien phu began on march, by which time the viet minh had concentrated nearly 50,000 regular troops, 55,000 support troops, and almost 100,000 transport workers in the area. Today the provincial capital with broad boulevards and an airport, dien bien phu played a major role in the first indochina war. Whether traveling for business or leisure, dien bien phu is an outstanding city to visit with over 39 hotels to choose from. The center of dien bien phu is quite small and you can easily explore everything on foot. This definitive documentary focuses on the history of americas involvement in indochina, from the defeat of the french at dien bien phu to the reunification of vietnam after the last american troops left saigon, with footage from vietnamese, chinese and french combat photographers rarely seen in the west. Crossing border from vietnam to laos with a motorbike.
Mai chau to dien bien phu vietnam lonely planet forum. Last week i went from hanoi to dien bien phu taking the local minibusses. Dien bien phu dbp plays a star role in vietnams modern history. Muong thanh dien bien phu hotel offers 144 airconditioned accommodations with minibars and safes. Each bed icon indicated a guesthouse, hostel or hotel covered on travelfish. There never was, as press maps of the time erroneously showed. This major confrontation occurred at dien bien phu, a large heartshaped valley located in northwestern part of vietnam, near the border with laos.
Dien bien phu city is located in muong thanh valley with around 20km long and 6km wide. At dien bien phu the french violated nearly all of the principles of war at every level of warstrategic, operational, and tactical. Hill a1, located in muong thanh ward, plays a critic part in controlling the whole battle of dien bien phu campaign. Dien bien phu and the french defeat in vietnam pdf. The battle of dien bien phu was one of the most influential battles in military history. Then it was on to dien bien phu in north west vietnam close to the laos border i took the flight option which was relatively cheap and a 1 hour flight beats 14 hours in a bus over terrible roads any day. For three years, the insurgents had been trying to wear down the south, but they now. 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 battle of dien bien phu there is a book in the kinsley kansas library called the 20 most decisive battles in world history, or it might be called the 20 most decisive battles in vietnam. Dien bien phu is a historic province and the nature is beautiful. Dien bien phu valley is fertile due to the nam rom river. 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. There are also people who offer you a motorcycle ride, if needed. Dien bien phu map vietnam maps vietnam travel guide.
For travelers who want to take in the sights and sounds of dien bien phu, a1 hotel is the perfect choice. Popular areas are dien bien phu where visitors can enjoy the quintessential experiences of dien bien phu. Discuss dien bien phu travel with tripadvisor travelers. Dien bien phu forum, travel discussion for dien bien phu. Dien bien phu is located in dien bien province in the northwest region of vietnam. Muong thanh valley in dien bien phu video northern vietnam.
Bathrooms include bathtubs or showers, slippers, complimentary toiletries, and hair dryers. Fifty years ago, the french garrison at dien bien phu fell to the viet minh. Battlefield vietnam part 1 dien bien phu the legacy. Dien bien phu is a comparatively new town established in the middle of the 19th century to help to rid the area of incursions by bandits from siam, laos and china. The battlefield sites, most of which are found west of the nam yum river, are frequented by many visitors. Up to 90 days of daily highs, lows, and precipitation chances. After french forces occupied the dien bien phu valley in late 1953, viet minh commander vo nguyen giap amassed troops and placed heavy. The calculated flying distance from dien bien phu to hanoi is equal to 183 miles which is equal to 295 km if you want to go by car, the driving distance between dien bien phu and hanoi is 491. This is a historical site which its name was in the mind of most of vietnamese and french people of that generation. Bien phu marked the end of the first indochinese war and left the french decimated and embarrassed. Real time counter, world map, news roylab stats 57,122 watching live now gorillaz clint eastwood official video duration. It is situated in the highlands of northwest vietnam, about 420 kilometres from hanoi.
Dien bien phu victory created a great echo in the world. The place is bestknown for having seen the french defeated against the vietminh army on may 7 th, 1954. The best dien bien phu hotel deals are here with our lowest price guarantee. Extremely mountainous, dien bien is one of the newest provinces in vietnam, having been split off from lai chau further to the north.
Map of dien bien phu hotels and attractions on a dien. The province features some of the most exhilarating mountainous terrain in all of vietnam. The time and date were carefully chosenthe hour allowed the artillery to fire in daylight, and the date was chosen because it was a. An analysis of the french defeat at dien bien phu author major harry d. Distance from dien bien phu to hanoi distance calculator. I dont think a bicycle is the easiest way but i have seen a group of travellers on bikes near mai chau so i suppose its. Battle of dien bien phu french foreign legion information. Hell in a very small place the battle of dien bien phu. Today, the former battlefield is one large historical site. Its remote location in the extreme northwest of vietnam deterred both visitors and development, apart from. Winding along the rugged road that is highway 6, one deep valley is followed by another, often with rice paddies dug in steps along the sides of the hills, reaching up to. The battle of dien bien phu the last pitched battle.
Chinese aid, consisting mainly of ammunition, petroleum, and some large artillery pieces carried a distance of 350 kilometers from the. The decisive battle in which viet minh revolutionaries defeated the french colonial forces took place in the surrounding heartshaped muong thanh valley in 1954. Know whats coming with accuweathers extended daily forecasts for dien bien phu, di. Visit dien bien phu on your trip to dien bien phu or vietnam. Bien phu was a symbol throughout the world that small guerrilla forces like the viet minh could turn away even the largest of imperial powers. Battlefield 1942 mod eve of destruction vietnam map battle. Check flight prices and hotel availability for your visit. Dien bien phu town it is still a place, where you will not see to many foreign tourist, like in another places, eg. After 1953, french expeditionary corps occupied dien bien phu and set up a group of fortresses equipped with many stateoftheart weapons.
Due to its large file size, this book may take longer to download. 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. For final clarification please check with the relevant service. Get directions, maps, and traffic for dien bien phu. It is located in the muong thanh valley in a heart shape, a 20 km long and 6 km wide valley. The battle of dien bien phu, which took place in northern vietnam in 1954, marked a major turning point in both the first indochina war between france and the viet minh independence movement and the general position of european colonial powers in southeast asia. The fourway circular thingy marks sights, attractions and other points of interest. Dien bien phu was founded in 1841when the nguyen dynasty wanted a fortified royal district as a response to the growing problem of banditry in the area. Dien bien phu is a useful and stop, if you en route. That is one of the bordered cities as it is around 35km to laos, 474km to hanoi. And today, 10 years after dienbienphu, vietcong guerrillas in south vietnam again challenge. Information how to get to dien bien weather accommodation interesting places map dien bien phu town is of special interest for fans of military history. Use the map below to find specific destinations in dien bien phu which are listed on travelfish. Whatever is true, i am amazed that i was personally involved with two of these battles in my relative short military career.
Dien bien phu travel forum dien bien phu photos dien bien phu map dien bien phu guide all dien bien phu hotels. Our map displays the areas and neighborhoods around all dien bien phu hotels so you can see how close you are from landmarks and attractions, and then refine your search within the larger area. I liked the frequent switch to maps, outlining the units and movements and then back. That defeat sealed the end of french colonization and of the first indochina war. War in vietnam documentary on the battle of dien bien phu. Battle of dien bien phu, the decisive engagement in the first indochina war 194654. This morning you are picked up at the hotel, by car and tour guide for your transfer to the airport for you flight to dien bien. The battle of dien bien phu was a climactic confrontation of the first indochina war that took.
Battle of dien bien phu area today a map of the area around the battle positions battle of dien bien phu summary. This place is great, much quieter and the people are incredibly friendly. Dien bien phu travel northwest vietnam, vietnam lonely. About 2,000 lay dead all over the battlefield in graves left unmarked to this day. When the siege ended, the viet minh sent the surviving vietnamese women for.
Dien bien phu 20 km from laos is a place, where french troops suffered a big defeat by vietminh in the indochina war in 1954 muong thanh valley in whole area of the town of dien bien phu is a place of the largest rice field in northwestern vietnam. A pitched battle happened in dien bien phu around sixty years ago. The siege at dien bien phu was a landmark battle of the last centurythe first defeat of modern. The viet minh victory in this battle effectively ended the eightyearold war.