Vietnam celebrates the 70th anniversary of the victory of Dien Bien Phu and invites France for the first time

The Battle of Dien Bien Phu sealed almost a century of French domination in Indochina and led to the Geneva Accords on July 21, 1954.

Cannon shots, speeches and soldiers. Vietnam celebrated the 70th anniversary of the victory of Dien Bien Phu against French troops on Tuesday, May 7. The nearly two-hour ceremony, which began in the rain, brought together around 12,000 people in a stadium where giant banners exalted the triumph of May 7, 1954 which led to the country’s independence.

The Battle of Dien Bien Phu represents “victory for justice“, said Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh during the speech to launch the ceremony. The parade brought together soldiers, firefighters and other members of society praised by the Communist Party – employees, intellectuals, farmers, women, ethnic minorities , etc. – extended into the streets of the city, where locals and tourists waved the national flag.

At least 10,000 Vietnamese dead or missing

Organized every two years, the show of force, with helicopters and howitzers in support, welcomed for the first time members of the French government, accompanied by three French veterans. The presence of the Minister of the Armed Forces, Sébastien Lecornu, and the Secretary of State for Veterans and Memory, Patricia Mirallès, demonstrated the reconciliation at work, against a backdrop of shared strategic interests.

On the eve of the commemoration, with our veterans, engaged 70 years ago in Dien Bien Phu.

On Eliane 2 hill, shared emotion at the evocation of their memories and all their missing comrades. pic.twitter.com/JqhhhS1gaW

— Sébastien Lecornu (@SebLecornu) May 6, 2024

The fall of the entrenched camp on May 7, 1954, put an end to 56 days of deluges of shells and hand-to-hand confrontations, which left 13,000 dead or missing, including 10,000 on the Vietnamese side.

2024: Vinfast convertible! 1954: Cargo bikes

At the Parade #celebrations #70 years #DienBienPhu #Vietnam pic.twitter.com/QHkxMatRJZ

— Mai Lam Nguyen Conan (@mailamnc) May 7, 2024

The French expeditionary force, with some 15,000 men of many nationalities, had underestimated the firepower of its enemies, fueled by the installation, on the hills overlooking the entrenched camp, of cannons transported in pieces from hundreds kilometers in the jungle, sometimes by bike. Dien Bien Phu led to the Geneva Accords on July 21, 1954, which marked the end of almost a century of French domination in Indochina, as well as the partition of Vietnam, a prelude to future American commitment.