Battle of Dien Bien Phu: Quick Facts

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Facts

Date	1953 - May 7, 1954
Location	Laos • Vietnam
Participants	France • Viet Minh
Context	First Indochina War

Photos and Videos

Bronze statue on a pedestal at D1 Hill, Dien Bien Phu, Vietnam, showing three figures raising a flag, with one holding a star above their head. Mountains and cloudy sky in the background.

Learn how U.S. presidents Eisenhower and Truman backed France against the Viet Minh in the First Indochina War

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Key People

Vietnamese General Vo Nguyen Giap in full military uniform with medals and a peaked cap, photographed in 1968.

Vo Nguyen Giap

Vietnamese general

General Christian de Castries in uniform salutes while reviewing French soldiers standing in formation outdoors in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Christian de Castries

French military officer

D-Day. American soldiers fire rifles, throw grenades and wade ashore on Omaha Beach next to a German bunker during D Day landing. 1 of 5 Allied beachheads est. in Normandy, France. The Normandy Invasion of World War II launched June 6, 1944.

A History of War

Civil War era cannon overlooks Kennesaw Mountain National Battle. (military, artillery, American history)

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Louis IX of France (St. Louis), stained glass window of Louis IX during the Crusades. (Unknown location.)

World Wars