Dien Bien Phu

• When was the battle of Dien Bien Phu?

  May 1954
• When was the Geneva Agreement? 


  July 1954
• French base was surrounded by jungle-covered hills, so...


  General Giap moved 200 artillery guns into the hills and the French base became a trap with no way out
• General Giap secretly moved...

  50,000 men and his artillery up narrow mountain tracks, his forces were then camouflaged so they couldn't be seen by planes.
• How fast could the Vietminh fire?

  50 shells per minute
• What did China provide to the Vietminh?

  guns and ammunition, training for Vietminh troops, military advice. Also 20,000 bikes to help locals move supplies.
• What did the civilians do?

  240,000 civilians carried everything needed for the attack . They travelled on foot up the narrow trails into the hills
• What did the French believe about their tactics and weapons?

  They believed they had superior weapons and tactics, however they didn't think they would be surrounded by artillery and anti-aircraft guns
• What did the French think was not possible?

  Wasn't possible to bring artillery into such a mountainous area
• What did the French assume they could do?

  Could fly in supplies but those planes were shot down by anti-aircraft guns
• When did the French surrender?

  7th May 1954
• How many French had been killed?

  8,000 in 55 days
• 5 results of the Geneva Agreement. (1)


  Vietnam was temporarily divided into North and South Vietnam
• 5 results of the Geneva Agreement. (2)

  Ho Chi Minh led North Vietnam.

  Ngo Dinh Diem led South Vietnam
• 5 results of the Geneva Agreement. (3)

  French would leave Vietnam and the Vietminh would leave South Vietnam
• 5 results of the Geneva Agreement. (4)


  Vietnamese people decided whether they wanted to live in the North or the South
• 5 results of the Geneva Agreement. (5)

  By 1956, a general election would be held to decide who would lead the reunited Vietnam