Very little is known about the life of sun tzu also spelled sunzi and there is some speculation that he may not have been a real person at all, but instead a character invented by chinese generals to serve as the author of the art of war. 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. Dien bien phu share book recommendations with your. Battle of dien bien phu french foreign legion information. The vietnamese victory at dien bien phu in may 1954, with the killing or capturing of over 16,000 enemy forces, sealed the defeat of french colonialism in indochina. He also directed the communist campaign of the 1960s and 1970s against the government of south vietnam. After more than a year and a half of delicate negotiations, limited conflicts, and the french failure to legitimize their authority, ho chi minh, the. The battle of dien bien phu began in 1953, when general navarre. When the results justified the sacrifice, as at dien bien phu, giap pressed for a victory. The original combat plan for dien bien phu, established under close support of the chinese advisory group, assumed simultaneous, multipronged, swift, allout assaults at french strong points swift combat, swift victory, to be concluded within three nights and two days. This was evidenced as early as 1944, when giap sent his minuscule force against french outpost in indochina. To be honest, my zest for battle description, strategy, and all the technical realities of this.
Simpson, was an us correspondent in indochina and wrote an interesting book. The french repulsed wave after wave of frontal attacks at dien bien phu. Fourstar general vo nguyen giap led vietnams armies from their inception, in the 1940s, up to the moment of their triumphant entrance into saigon in 1975 possessing one of the finest military minds of this century, his strategy for vanquishing superior opponents was not to simply outmaneuver them in the field but to undermine their resolve by inflicting demoralizing. More recently, windrow 2004 and morgan 2010 continued in the same vein by adding new perspectives decades after the events. On the last evening in dien bien phu, nev and i decided to buy about fresh big bread rolls from a local bakery run by a old matriarch who keeps here sons under tight control mind you. Apr 17, 2016 his victory over the french at dien bien phu is wellknown, as is his prosecution of the war against the americans to a successful conclusion in 1975. However the reader would like to have fuller information.
Senior general vo nguyen giap was, and is, the only pavn figure known at all well outside of vietnam, the only pavn general mentioned in most counts of the vietnam war, and the only vietnamese communist military leader about whom a full length biography has been written. See all 1 dien bien phu museum tours on tripadvisor. Henri navarre, the french commander, hoped to lure giap into a setpiece battle there, in. General vo nguyen giap was the commander in chief of the communist armed. A critical analysis of the operational performance of general vo nguyen giap 19401954 major stuart pascoe, australian army. Aug 19, 2019 the end of french occupation dien bien phu was the battle that finally ended the french occupation of vietnam. Dien bien phu remains the victory for which gen giap is best known. In the end, of the 16,000 french troops, fewer than 100 broke through the siege at dien bien phu, with the rest killed, wounded, or captured. Avoiding dien bien phuby captain patrick mckinneyavoiding dien bien phu full pdf articleon 19 december 1946, armed members of the viet minh, a communist vietnamese resistance group, launched countrywide attacks on french garrisons in indochina.
General vo nguyen giap, commander of the north vietnamese army, wrote in his memoirs that his army was on the brink of collapse, but the u. Aug 28, 2017 17 kilometres east of dien bien phu are the remains of general giap s viet minh headquarters from which led the successful battle against the french. Vo nguyen giap, born 1912, an xa, vietnamdied october 4, 20, hanoi, vietnamese military and political leader whose perfection of guerrilla as well as conventional strategy and tactics led to the viet minh victory over the french and to the end of french colonialism in southeast asia and later to the north vietnamese victory over south. The strategic positioning of their artillery made it nearly impervious to french counterbattery fire. Vo nguyen giap august 25, 1911october 4, 20 was a vietnamese general who led the viet minh during the first indochina war. Martin windrows account of dien bien phu is the best battle history that i have read in ages. Dien bien phu and operation vulture armchair general and. Giap would repeat his dien bien phu strategy against the united states, locking it into its most divisive war that took a toll of nearly 60,000 u. You can sometimes forget youre reading a book that is meant to be covering dien bien phu, but as someone who is interested in all aspects of vietnam it was a pleasant surprise for me to have all this information in one place and learn about the failed strategies in the years prior which would shape the mindsets of the commanders at dien bien phu. Vo nguyen giap, the vietnamese general who masterminded victories against france and the us, has died aged 102. Gen giaps strategic rethinkdecisive factor to dien bien. Bloomer, usa csc 1991 subject area general an analysis of the french defeat at. In a rare interview with the author of a book about the trail, he recalls his. Im not convinced that my original theory on quick to slow holds up.
His victory over the french at dien bien phu is wellknown, as is his prosecution of the war against the americans to a successful conclusion in 1975. Bloomer, usa csc 1991 subject area general an analysis of the french defeat at dien bien phu outline thesis statement. Aug 25, 2006 vo nguyen giap is the vietnamese general who planned the ho chi minh trail and defeated the french at dien bien phu. Vietnam war a memoir bio of general vo nguyen giap.
An analysis of the french defeat at dien bien phu author major harry d. After dien bien phu the americans decided that they would need to up their involvement in vietnam if they were to stop the spread of communism. We recommend booking dien bien phu museum tours ahead of time to secure your spot. With this defeat, the strategic initiative shifted to the vietminh.
How to get there, travel guide, weather, detailed map of area, what to visit. General vo nguyen giap obituary world news the guardian. Peoples war peoples army marxists internet archive. Vo nguyen giap is the vietnamese general who planned the ho chi minh trail and defeated the french at dien bien phu. Speaking on the eve of the 50th anniversary of the fall of dien bien phu, the legendary vietnamese general vo nguyen giap reminded the world that we can learn many lessons from vietnams unbreakable and indomitable will. Dien bien phu rendezvous with history a memoir memoirs of war series by general vo nguyen huu mai assistance lady borton annotated translation giap jan 1, 2008 hardcover. Colonel piroth, the artillery commander, blamed himself for the destruction of french artillery superiority. General vo nguyen giaps strategic rethink played a decisive factor to the glorious victory of dien bien phu.
Fifty years after the event, it is necessary to recall the significance of the french defeat at dien bien phu. Could it be explained away by friction between giap and his chinese advisors. When the results justified the sacrifice, as at dien bien phu, giap. The disparity between general giap and the othersthe lone figure standing in the forefront of a legion of shadowy. Vietnam general yo nguyen clap, the north viet namese defence minister and victor of dien bien phu in 1954, has taken personal comnzand of the communist offensive at khe sani.
The book chronicled a 209 day battle between french and vietminh forces at a small village, dien bien phu, in northern vietnam near the laotian border in 1953 and 1954. Complete with detailed accounts, maps, and photos, giaps memoirs depicts concretely how a small and weak nation can overcome a stronger force. The battle of dien bien phu was a climactic confrontation of the first indochina war that took. If you book with tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund.
The french strategy was to fortify dien bien phu in order to lure the. A critical analysis of the operational performance of. Buku yang menarik dari sudut pandang seorang vo nguyen giap. This movie needs some background knowledge of the colonial european history, mainly the french one, to be fully appreciated. Of course, but even so, it was still a peoples war. Dec 25, 2016 hardly, the viet minh won just as anyone who fought the french has, they let the french fuckup. Dien bien phu, battle ofstatue honouring the 50th anniversary of the battle of dien bien phu. In december 1953 french paratroopers, who had been searching for the elusive vietnamese army, were quickly isolated by them and forced to retreat into their. But there never was any sufficient commitment to convincingly support this objective.
He had an extraordinary ability to listen and to absorb any information forecasting an. And, a peoples war is characterized by a strategy that is more than simply military. Dien bien phu by vo nguyen giap goodreads share book. The battle of dien bien phu was the decisive engagement in the first indochina war 194654. Giaps strategy was so successful that the french supply line to the base in dien bien phu was strangled by. General vo nguyen giap is ain excellent example of operational ari. News of dien bien phus fall was announced in france several hours after the surrender, around 4. Straight out of the gate the idea of dien bien phu was flawed. Plenty of books have been written on dien bien phu, but i think martin windrows.
Vietnam war a memoir history of vietnam tet offensive. Vo nguyen giap was born in quang binh province, central annam, in 1912. I recently read hell in a very small place, written by bernard b. He later commanded the vietnam peoples army during the vietnam war.
After french forces occupied the dien bien phu valley in late 1953, viet minh commander vo nguyen. How would you compare van tien dung with vo nguyen giap in. Ninetenths of tactics are certain, and taught in books. Dien bien phu is a place of the one of the biggest fight of vietminh against the french colonial army. To reach the final decision, the general tossed and turned much, said dinh. During this time dien bien phu, surrounded by 2000 ft hills and thus difficult to resupply by air as the french had intended, became the scene of fearful contests between the locally savvy men of general giap and the hapless french forces who, losing one strongpoint after another, were finally trapped in dien bien phu garrison. Guoqing and mei jiasheng, who directed general giaps every order, the viet. And we learn that as commander of the assault on dien bien phu, giap faced a difficult decision. Plenty of books have been written on dien bien phu, but i think martin windrows account of the battle is the best account of it yet. The battle of dien bien phu was the climactic confrontation of the first indochina war between the french unions french far east expeditionary corps and viet minh communistnationalist revolutionaries. At dien bien phu, you are determined to implement a battle plan that imposes your will on the enemy.
We got enough for each kid and their carer mother or aunty as a treat. Complete with detailed accounts, maps, and photos, giap s memoirs depicts concretely how a small and weak nation can overcome a stronger force. Giap was the deputy prime minister of vietnam from 1955 to 1991. The viet minh, however, under general vo nguyen giap, surrounded and besieged the.
But what did the kennedyjohnsonnixon administrations learn from that one battle which cost the equivalent of nearly onefifth of all the. Inspire a love of reading with prime book box for kids. During the battle of dien bien phu, the french almost completely misjudged. The entire idea of the defense centered around the hedgehog concept, a flawed strateg. You gather your staff and division commanders in your command bunker in the hills north of dien bien phu to brief them on three courses of action you are considering. Dien bien phu a city in the northwest vietnam, especially for fans of military history. In a rare interview with the author of a book about the trail, he recalls his part in. General giaps scrutiny illustrates his acuity and versatility. The director, schoendorffer, was an army cameraman sent to dien bien phu, and one of the characters, howard r. O u r strategic direction of the winter 1953 spring. We learn details like the fact that giap traveled on horseback or in a captured army jeep and that he had great affection for the natural beauty of his country. More devastatingly, in 1954 at a place called dien bien phu, giap lured the overconfident french into a turning point battle and won a stunning victory with brilliant deployments. Militarily there was no point in france fighting on, as the viet minh could repeat the strategy and tactics of the dien bien phu campaign elsewhere, to which the french had no effective response. This autumnwinter, you are assigned the taslc of marching to dien bien phu to wipe out more enemy effectives, extend our resistance bases, and liberate more compatriots still under the enemys oppression.
Pilipix the battle was joined in late 1953 when french forces, who had been rapidly losing ground to the popularly supported viet minh, occupied the town of dien bien phu in an attempt to cut the. The battle of dien bien phu began in midmarch and ended in early may 1954. Only a handful of french or englishlanguage books offer a comprehensive general overview of the battle in dien bien phu. To the fighters on the dien bien phu battlefront dear officers and men on the dien bien phu battlefront.
Oct 05, 20 using this strategy, general giap defeated the french armys elite and its foreign legion at dien bien phu in may 1954, forcing france from indochina and earning the grudging admiration of the. Dien bien phu museum all you need to know before you go. Jul 11, 2017 general giap and the myth of american invincibility. The strategy of general giap 16 feb 1968 the spectator. Was the victory of dien bien phu totally due to the genius of. Oct 04, 20 general vo nguyen giap in 1994, the 40th anniversary of the defeat of the french at dien bien phu. Details the errors in strategy and actions taken by us leaders and how general giap. Dien bien phu battle in dien bien phu, vietnam in may, the vietminh storming hill. A critical analysis of the operational performance of general vo nguyen giap 19401954. Dien bien phu, vietnamforty years ago, men fought, bled and died here in an epic battle that changed the course of recent world history over the years the trenches and bomb craters have given way to the gentleness of the land, save for some battle sites with small decaying stone memorials that hint at the events that took place. General vo nguyen giap organized the first viet minh military force in 1944, a thirty. For 54 days, the viet minh seized position after position, pushing the french until they occupied only a small area of dien bien phu. Two of them, fall 1967 and rocolle 1968, were strangely published at the same time on both sides of the atlantic ocean. Van tien dung mar 28th 2002 ap an american historian, eugene grayson, who served in vietnam as a colonel, reckoned that van tien dung was one of the grea.
Giap did not often discuss his strategy or tactics. Slaughter in wholesale fashion has been the reality of most wars. At the beginning, we thought that the americans, with their strategy of. His strategic thinking, which has dictated the whole pattern of the communist campaign in the viet nam war, was set out in his book peoples war, peoples army, from which the following ex tracts are taken.
Military dau tranh culminates, in giaps strategy, with the general counteroffensive in which the government forces are totally. Catherine karnowcorbis giap s political timidity came as a crushing disappointment. Perhaps it is incovrect to say thar th2 world yet recognizes the name. This major confrontation occurred at dien bien phu, a large heartshaped valley located in northwestern part of vietnam, near the border with laos. Outside of a relatively small circle, few people know who giap is. An ebook reader can be a software application for use on a computer such as microsofts free reader application, or a book sized computer this is used solely as a. Theres always a synthesized aspect to the strategy. Giap executed that strategy with an unbending will. Using this strategy, general giap defeated the french armys elite and its foreign legion at dien bien phu in may 1954, forcing france from indochina and earning the grudging admiration of the. Both the journey out and the historical sight are highlights of a visit to the area. General giap and the myth of american invincibility. He combines a thorough understanding of the strategic situation in indochina, the political background in france and the tactical problem that the french faced in the valley of dien bien phu with an extraordinary ability to put the reader at the scene of the battle itself. Critics of giaps butcher bill tend to discount the very nature of warfare. How would you compare van tien dung with vo nguyen giap in terms of military talent.
The french defeat in vietnam is a classic example on how not to conduct a war. Get premium, high resolution news photos at getty images. Vo nguyen giap vo nguyen giap born 1912 was a vietnamese communist military strategist and architect of the 1954 defeat of the french at dien bien phu. Particularly outstanding were his use of artillery to cut off french supplies from the air and his series of overlapping wave attacks which struck the french defences first on one side and then on the other.
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