The above-mentioned victory originated from the ingenious and wise leadership of the Party, headed by President Ho Chi Minh, from the ardent patriotism, the will for independence and self-reliance, and the spirit of indomitable solidarity of the Vietnamese people. That victory was also thanks to the support and assistance of fraternal socialist countries and peace-loving peoples in the world, especially the Soviet Union and China.
Since its inception, the Government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, headed by President Ho Chi Minh, has built an independent, autonomous, self-reliant, and self-reliant foreign policy, actively promoted diplomatic activities, and won the sympathy, support, and assistance of many progressive forces in nations and peoples around the world. In January 1950, China and the Soviet Union recognized and established diplomatic relations with the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. From then on, the struggle of the Vietnamese people had a great, important spiritual "rear" and began to receive material aid and assistance from friends around the world.
In close coordination with the assault units, the anti-aircraft artillery soldiers are fiercely fighting back enemy aircraft in Dien Bien Phu.
In response to the Vietnamese people's request for assistance in their resistance war, Soviet leaders affirmed: "China will help Vietnam with what it needs. Whatever China does not have, it will take from the goods the Soviet Union has provided to China and transfer to Vietnam and the Soviet Union will return it" (1); at the same time, many units of the Vietnam People's Army were sent to China to study, train and receive weapons and equipment provided by the Soviet Union. Before the decisive strategic battle of Dien Bien Phu began, the 45th Artillery Regiment equipped with 105mm artillery and the 367th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment equipped with 72 37mm anti-aircraft artillery and 72 12.7mm machine guns provided by the Soviet Union completed their training courses and returned to Vietnam to participate in the battle.
Based on a comprehensive assessment of the situation, on December 6, 1953, the Politburo Conference decided to launch the Dien Bien Phu campaign to defeat the French army's best efforts and latest form of defense, creating a new situation in the Indochina war. Supporting that policy, the Chinese Government urgently sent to Vietnam: "200 cars, more than 10,000 barrels of oil, more than 3,000 guns of various types, 2,400,000 bullets, more than 100 artillery pieces of various types, more than 60,000 artillery shells and rockets, 1,700 tons of food" (2). At this time, the Chinese Military Advisory Group actively coordinated with the generals of the Vietnam People's Army to survey, develop a combat plan and prepare the battlefield for the Dien Bien Phu campaign.
During the preparation for the campaign, General Vo Nguyen Giap assessed that the battlefield situation had changed a lot, and if the motto of "fighting fast, solving fast" was followed, victory would not be guaranteed. Therefore, General Vo Nguyen Giap reported and received approval from the Politburo to change the combat motto from "fighting fast, solving fast" to "fighting steadily, advancing steadily". Regarding this policy, the Chinese Military Advisory Group unanimously supported and requested the Central Military Commission and the General Staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army to urgently send to Vietnam documents summarizing the latest combat experiences in Korea, especially the experience of building battlefields, fighting in tunnels, and fighting with trenches, encirclement, and encroachment.
While our army and people were actively preparing in all aspects for the Dien Bien Phu campaign, on February 26, 1954, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union sent a telegram to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, expressing its stance on the Geneva Conference and other issues related to Vietnam: “…in any case, we must make the Conference most beneficial for the Vietnamese people” (3). Then, on February 27, 1954, in a meeting with the French Foreign Minister, Soviet Foreign Minister VM Molotov affirmed that he would not accept the presence of allied national delegations at the Geneva Conference if the Democratic Republic of Vietnam was not present.
Promoting a correct and creative foreign policy, from 1950 to 1954, Vietnam won the support of many progressive forces in the world and received 32,311 tons of aid and 1,640 vehicles of various types (4). Of the total aid mentioned above, aid from the Soviet Union accounted for an important volume, including: 128 12.7 mm anti-aircraft machine guns, 112 37 mm anti-aircraft guns (5), 1,489 vehicles of various types (6). In the Dien Bien Phu campaign alone, the Chinese Government provided the Democratic Republic of Vietnam with 1,700 tons of rice (equal to 6.8% of the total rice used in the campaign), 36,000 105 mm bullets, and 24 artillery pieces; a 75 mm DKZ battalion, a Kachiusa battalion (provided by the Soviet Union), and 1,136 bullets (7). This important source of military aid contributed to narrowing the gap in firepower between the forces participating in the Dien Bien Phu campaign and the French army.
At 5:05 p.m. on March 13, 1954, the units participating in the campaign officially opened fire to attack the Dien Bien Phu stronghold. The first appearance of 105mm artillery and the large-scale joint-arms fighting contributed to improving the efficiency of the opening battle to attack the Him Lam stronghold. Continuing to flexibly promote and creatively apply the experiences of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, our troops "brought the trenches close to the center of the stronghold" (8), gradually tightening the siege, cutting off supplies and reinforcements by air of the stronghold. Before the third attack began, Battalion 224 - H6 Multiple Launch Rocket Battalion was established. With the active support of Chinese advisors, officers and soldiers of Battalion 224 quickly grasped the shooting techniques and promptly brought into play firepower, actively supporting the infantry in attacking and destroying the enemy.
While French troops were besieged in the Dien Bien Phu basin, on May 2, 1954, the US Government was forced to accept the Soviet Government's firm stance that the Democratic Republic of Vietnam was a party to the Geneva Conference. Resonating with the victories on the diplomatic front, on May 7, 1954, the units participating in the campaign carried out a general attack, destroyed the last strongholds, captured the enemy's Command Headquarters, and successfully completed the Dien Bien Phu campaign.
The Dien Bien Phu victory was the result of the correct, creative, independent and autonomous resistance line of our Party, headed by President Ho Chi Minh, and the victory of the process of mobilizing to expand international solidarity, combining national strength with the strength of the times. In particular, the support and assistance of the Soviet Union and China were among the important factors contributing to the victory of the Dien Bien Phu campaign. The above experiences continued to be developed, flexibly and creatively applied in the resistance war against the US to save the country and promote their great value for the cause of building and defending the Fatherland in the new situation. _________________
(1) General Vo Nguyen Giap, The Road to Dien Bien Phu, Memoirs, performed by Huu Mai, People's Army Publishing House, Hanoi, 2001, p.14.
(2) Real records of the Chinese Military Advisory Group assisting Vietnam in fighting the French, Communist Party of China History Publishing House, Beijing, 2002 (translated and edited by Tran Huu Nghia and Duong Danh Dy), p.136.
(3) Quoted from: Ministry of National Defense, Vietnam Military History Institute, Soviet Union supported and assisted Vietnam in the two resistance wars against French colonialism and American imperialism (1945-1975), People's Army Publishing House, Hanoi, 2018, p.42.
(4) The amount of aid received from 1950 to 1955, Documents stored at the Ministry of National Defense Archives, General Department of Logistics, File: 565, pp. 4, 165; War Summary Steering Committee under the Politburo, Summary of the Resistance War Against French Colonialism - Victory and Lessons, National Political Publishing House, Hanoi, 1996, p. 459: Total international aid: 21,517 tons, worth 136 million yuan (34 million rubles), of which the Soviet Union's technical equipment included: 76 37mm anti-aircraft guns, 12 H6 rocket guns, 685/715 transport vehicles.
(5) Statistics of imported guns and artillery during the years 1950-1954, Documents stored at the Ministry of National Defense Archives Center, General Department of Logistics, File: 565, p.179.
(6) Special needs in 1955 requested from the Soviet Union - Xe received from 1951 to present, Document stored at the Ministry of Defense Archives Center, Foreign Affairs Department, File: 1, page 74.
(7) Pham Mai Hung, International assistance for the Vietnamese people's resistance war against French colonialism (1945-1954), in the book: Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences and Dien Bien Provincial Party Committee - People's Committee, 50 years of Dien Bien Phu victory and the cause of national innovation and development, Social Sciences Publishing House, Hanoi, 2004, p.538.
(8) General Vo Nguyen Giap, Complete Memoirs, People's Army Publishing House, Hanoi, 2018, p.1,039.
(1) General Vo Nguyen Giap, The Road to Dien Bien Phu, Memoirs, performed by Huu Mai, People's Army Publishing House, Hanoi, 2001, p.14.
(2) Real records of the Chinese Military Advisory Group assisting Vietnam in fighting the French, Communist Party of China History Publishing House, Beijing, 2002 (translated and edited by Tran Huu Nghia and Duong Danh Dy), p.136.
(3) Quoted from: Ministry of National Defense, Vietnam Military History Institute, Soviet Union supported and assisted Vietnam in the two resistance wars against French colonialism and American imperialism (1945-1975), People's Army Publishing House, Hanoi, 2018, p.42.
(4) The amount of aid received from 1950 to 1955, Documents stored at the Ministry of National Defense Archives, General Department of Logistics, File: 565, pp. 4, 165; War Summary Steering Committee under the Politburo, Summary of the Resistance War Against French Colonialism - Victory and Lessons, National Political Publishing House, Hanoi, 1996, p. 459: Total international aid: 21,517 tons, worth 136 million yuan (34 million rubles), of which the Soviet Union's technical equipment included: 76 37mm anti-aircraft guns, 12 H6 rocket guns, 685/715 transport vehicles.
(5) Statistics of imported guns and artillery during the years 1950-1954, Documents stored at the Ministry of National Defense Archives Center, General Department of Logistics, File: 565, p.179.
(6) Special needs in 1955 requested from the Soviet Union - Xe received from 1951 to present, Document stored at the Ministry of Defense Archives Center, Foreign Affairs Department, File: 1, page 74.
(7) Pham Mai Hung, International assistance for the Vietnamese people's resistance war against French colonialism (1945-1954), in the book: Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences and Dien Bien Provincial Party Committee - People's Committee, 50 years of Dien Bien Phu victory and the cause of national innovation and development, Social Sciences Publishing House, Hanoi, 2004, p.538.
(8) General Vo Nguyen Giap, Complete Memoirs, People's Army Publishing House, Hanoi, 2018, p.1,039.
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