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Dien Bien Phu
For most people, the battle at Dien Bien Phu marks the end of French Colonial rule in Indochina when they were defeated here in 1954. To the Vietnamese it marks a turning point in their struggle for independence.
History Inan effort to stop the Viet Minh crossing into Laos, the French commander, Navarre, established a large garrison at the head of the Dien Bien Valley. This garrison was located at the strategic cross-roads of Laos to the west, Son La to the south, and Lai Chau to the north. His strategy was that with this base established in the far northwest of Vietnam, he could to launch strikes against the Viet Minh, and weaken them in the area.
By mid 1953, the base was completed, and the French considered it to be practically unassailable. There were twelve battalions of French, Moroccan and Algerian soldiers, two airstrips, a heavily mined perimeter, and the garrison was surrounded by several outer defensive positions.
Note: The redoubts Dominique, Elaine, Claudine and Huguette were supposedly named after the four mistresses of the base commander. It was also said that the French even flew in an entire brothel of French women to “entertain” the troops.
For the Viet Minh commander, Vo Nguyen Giap, however, this was his opportunity, and the Viet Minh begun the incredible task of dragging up, piece by piece, heavy artillery guns and hiding them in caves and in the forest on the hills around the base. By early 1954, there were over 40,000 Viet Minh fighters in the hills surrounding the base.
The French knew that there were some Viet Minh troops in the surrounding hills, but evidently thinking that they were too few in number to be a threat to the base, they did nothing about it. Then on March 10, 1954, the Viet Minh started shelling the base. The French were completely taken by surprise. The airstrips were the first targets of the shelling, so planes could not take-off, and the base could not be re-supplied, thus cutting it off from bring reinforced.
After the first day of shelling, the redoubt Gabrielle was attacked, and by midnight of the 13th, redoubt Beatrice had fallen. The Viet Minh would follow hours of shelling with waves of attacks, incurring heavy casualties. The fighting was intense, and at times it was hand-to-hand. The French could not stop the shelling, because they were unable to locate and take-out the Viet Minh’s well-hidden guns.
After 5 days of shelling, both airstrips had been destroyed, and the garrison could only be re-supplied by airdrops, which was getting increasingly dangerous. And as the Viet Minh advanced closer and closer to the garrison, the airdrops increasingly fell behind Viet Minh lines.
At the beginning of April there was a lull in the fighting, and during this time the French parachuted in more troops, bringing the total troops in the garrison to about 16,000. The Vietnamese also brought in reinforcements, bringing their troop strength up to about 50,000.
The situation for the French was becoming increasingly desperate, and they appealed to the U.S. for help. They asked for bombing strikes on the Vietnamese from U.S. bases in the Philippines. However, the U.S. was afraid of getting entangled in another ‘Korean War’, and it is said that the U.S. proposed limited tactical nuclear strikes on the Vietnamese positions, and strikes on China. The British vetoed this idea, and in the end, the U.S. did nothing.
For the French, this meant that the situation was hopeless, and after another series of attacks by the Viet Minh, the garrison finally surrendered on May 8th. By the time of the surrender, the conditions in the garrison were unimaginable. The French troops were completely demoralized, and their condition was wretched. It is estimated that 7,000 French soldiers and nearly 20,000 Vietnamese were killed during the battle. In the end, it was the French ignorance and arrogance that mostly led to their defeat. After this humiliating defeat, the French finally withdrew from Vietnam, and eventually from all of French Indochina.
In Dien Bien Phu today, the historic garrison is still there, and there is a Museum. You can also take a tour of the, redoubts, trenches, tunnels and bunkers where it all happened.
Dien Bien Phu is still a somewhat remote area of Vietnam, and hill tribes living in the area make up 70% of the population. The main ethnic groups include the Black Thai, Nung, Meo, Loa and other groups.
Cambodia
he French knew that there were some Viet Minh troops in the surrounding hills, but evidently thinking that they were too few in number to be a threat to the base, they did nothing about it. Then on March 10, 1954, the Viet Minh started shelling the base. The French were completely taken by surprise. The airstrips were the first targets of the shelling, so planes could not take-off, and the base could not be re-supplied, thus cutting it off from bring reinforced. 
bases in the Philippines. However, the U.S. was afraid of getting entangled in another ‘Korean War’, and it is said that the U.S. proposed limited tactical nuclear strikes on the Vietnamese positions, and strikes on China. The British vetoed this idea, and in the end, the U.S. did nothing. 
withdrew from Vietnam, and eventually from all of French Indochina.