Vietnam War veterans, party leaders, and diplomats gathered at Dien Bien Phu province to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the country’s victory over French colonial forces.
The deadly 56-day war in the northern, remote valley ended on May 7, 1954, triggering the end of French colonial power.
The historic Dien Bien Phu fight is regarded as one of the greatest battles of the twentieth century. The French loss prompted the signing of the Geneva Accords on July 21, 1954.
Undeterred by unrelenting rain, tens of thousands of people crowded Dien Bien Phu’s main stadium to watch military parades and variety shows and listen to rousing speeches, which were broadcast on national television.
According to reports, artillery fired across the valley during the conflict, and there was hand-to-hand combat. Dien Bien Phu and its surrounding hills were strewn with the remains of troops from both sides.
Meanwhile, Sebastien Lecornu, French Minister of the Armed Forces, attended the ceremony in Dien Bien Phu.
“A lesson from the Dien Bien Phu campaign is that Vietnam must clearly identify its national interests and pursue these interests strategically,” Carl Thayer, a senior expert in Vietnam security, said.
“Vietnam has codified this approach in the expression bamboo diplomacy to be firm and unyielding on basic principles but flexible in the ways and means to achieve its strategic objectives.”
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