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Dien Bien Phu (sometimes Dienbienphu) is a town in northwest [[Vietnam]], famous as the site of the Battle of Dien Bien Phu.

'''Dien Bien Phu''' is a town in northwest [[Vietnam]], famous as the site of a battle fought in 1954.

By 1954, Vietnamese nationalists under the leadership of [[Hồ Chí Minh]] had been waging a guerrilla war against the French colonial government of what was then French Indochina since 1946. The Vietnamese insurrection was receiving significant military aid from the [[Chinese Communist Party]], which overthrew the [[Chinese Nationalist Government]] with Soviet aid in 1949. The United States, which eventually became committed to stopping the spread of [[communism]] as per the [[containment]] doctrine, began financing 80% of the French war effort.

By 1954, Vietnamese nationalists under the leadership of [[Ho Chi Minh]] had been waging a guerilla war against the French colonial government of what was then French Indochina since 1946. The Vietnamese insurrection was receiving significant military aid from the [[Chinese Communist Party]], which overthrew the [[Chinese Nationalist Government]] with Soviet aid in 1949. The United States, which eventually became committed to stopping the spread of [[communism]] as per the [[containment]] doctrine, began financing 80 percent of the French war effort.

Dien Bien Phu was intended to be a French bridgehead in the mountainous north of the country, which had long been a stronghold for the Viet Minh. However, Vietnamese general Võ Nguyên Giáp was able to quickly assemble a large force, including a minimum of sixty thousand men and a large amount of heavy weaponry. The French troops, outnumbered five to one and cut off from supplies, finally surrendered after a grueling two-month siege.

Dien Bien Phu was intended to be a French bridgehead in the mountainous north of the country, which had long been a stronghold for the Viet Minh. However, Vietnamese general Vo Nguyen Giap was able to quickly assemble a large force, including a minimum of 60,000 men and a large amount of heavy weaponry. The French troops, outnumbered five to one and cut off from supplies, finally surrendered after a gruelling two-month siege.

The battle proved decisive in ending support for an already unpopular war, leading to a treaty and the division of French [[Indochina]] into [[Cambodia]], [[Laos]], and North and [[South Vietnam]]. Ultimately, the outcome of the war would provoke the similar Vietnam War a decade later.

The battle proved decisive in ending support for an already unpopular war, leading to a treaty and the division of French [[Indochina]] into [[Cambodia]], [[Laos]], and North and [[South Vietnam]]. Ultimately, the outcome of the war would provoke the similar Vietnam War a decade later.