May 7, 1954Reputable sourceWell documented
Defeat at Dien Bien Phu
On the timeline · around May 7, 1954 ·
What happened
The Viet Minh, under General Vo Nguyen Giap, besieged and overran the French garrison at Dien Bien Phu in a stunning victory that shattered France's will to continue the war.
Why it matters
One of the great anticolonial victories of the 20th century, Dien Bien Phu ended French rule in Indochina and forced a peace conference at Geneva.
Sources
- Encyclopaedia Britannica. Battle of Dien Bien Phu · Reputable source