diem bien phu

The Battle of Dien Bien Phu in 1954 was the last major battle between the French Expeditionary Corps and the Vietnamese guerrilla army, the Viet Minh. The Viet Minh and the French had been fighting for control over Vietnam since 1946 when the French violated the terms of an agreement between the newly formed Ho Chi Minh Government to drive the Chinese out of Vietnam. The French generals chose Dien Bien Phu as a final effort to crush the Viet Minh and take control of Vietnam once more. However the Viet Minh prevailed and the French suffered their most humiliating defeat since the Germans swept through France at the start of World War Two. The main cause outcome of the Battle of Dien Bien Phu, both for the event itself and the outcome of the Battle was the Vietnamese strong sense of nationalism. The Vietnamese strong sense of nationalism began during the Chinese rule over Vietnam, from around 200BC until they were driven out in 938AD and when they returned in 1407 up until 1427 where they were driven out again. The next cause for their strong nationalism was the French occupation. The French, during the 1800’s, sought to expand the French empire and set their sights on Vietnam (as well as Cambodia and Laos) and by 1888 had taken the whole of Vietnam. For over 60 years the Vietnamese lived under the cruel, oppressive rule of the French and were only freed when, during the Second World War the Japanese invaded and drove the French out. However when the war ended, as Japan was on the losing side, the Japanese were also driven out. It was then in the political chaos the Japanese left behind that the communist/socialist revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh stepped in. He and his communist/socialist guerrilla army, the Viet Minh, quickly took control of the government and in 1945 he read the Vietnamese Declaration of Independence naming Vietnam an independent and free