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Witness History: The siege of Dien Bien Phu

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Dien Bien Phu

07/05/2019 GMT

The siege of Dien Bien Phu

BBC World Service - Witness History, The siege of Dien Bien Phu

The French surrender at the siege of Dien Bien Phu ended their colonial rule of Vietnam

On May 7th 1954 French forces surrendered after a 56-day siege of their base at Dien Bien Phu in the north of Vietnam. It signalled the end of French colonial rule in Indochina.

On May 7th 1954, French forces surrendered after a bloody 56-day siege of their base at Dien Bien Phu in the north of Vietnam. Their defeat by the communist independence movement, the Viet Minh, signalled the end of French colonial rule in Indochina. We hear from two veterans who fought on opposing sides in the Battle of Dien Bien Phu. (Photo: A French military Red Cross helicopter preparing to land, while French soldiers try to defend their positions in Dien Bien Phu against the Viet Minh, 1954 Credit: AFP/Getty Images)

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