# Canonical recap data for Battle of Dien Bien Phu (1954)
# Source: https://recap.at/1954/dien-bien-phu
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: dien-bien-phu
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/1954/dien-bien-phu"
title: Battle of Dien Bien Phu
aliases:
- Điện Biên Phủ
- Fall of Dien Bien Phu
- First Indochina War finale
subtitle: The decisive French defeat at Dien Bien Phu in 1954 marked the effective end of French colonial rule in Indochina and reshaped Southeast Asian geopolitics.
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 1954-03-13
endDate: 1954-05-07
datePrecision: day
year: 1954
decade: 1950
country:
name: Vietnam
slug: vietnam
summaryShort: The Battle of Điện Biên Phủ was a defeat of the French Union forces by the Viet Minh forces in the First Indochina War. It took place between 13 March and 7 May 1954.
summaryLong: The Battle of Điện Biên Phủ was a defeat of the French Union forces by the Viet Minh forces in the First Indochina War. It took place between 13 March and 7 May 1954.
lede: In spring 1954, French forces in Indochina were surrounded and defeated at a remote valley fortress by Vietnamese communist fighters. The loss ended French colonial rule in Southeast Asia and reshaped the Cold War's geography—Vietnam would soon split into north and south, setting up decades of conflict.
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ae/Victory_in_Battle_of_Dien_Bien_Phu.jpg/1280px-Victory_in_Battle_of_Dien_Bien_Phu.jpg"
heroImageCredit: Wikipedia · "Battle of Dien Bien Phu"
importance: 78
sourceConfidence: 75
keyFacts:
- label: Battle duration
  value: 56 days (13 March – 7 May 1954)
- label: French forces deployed
  value: ~16,000
- label: Viet Minh forces
  value: ~40,000–50,000
- label: French casualties
  value: ~2,200 killed; ~7,000 wounded
- label: French prisoners taken
  value: ~11,000
- label: Location
  value: Remote valley near Laotian border, northwestern Vietnam
- label: French commander
  value: Colonel Christian de Castries
- label: Viet Minh commander
  value: General Vo Nguyen Giap
timeline:
- date: 1950-11-01
  title: French strategic shift
  description: French High Command decides to establish a fortified airhead at Dien Bien Phu to intercept Viet Minh supply lines from China.
- date: 1953-11-21
  title: Operation Castor begins
  description: French paratroopers land at Dien Bien Phu; fortress construction starts with intent to control the valley and disrupt Viet Minh operations.
- date: 1954-01-15
  title: Giap mobilizes
  description: Vo Nguyen Giap begins assembling 40,000–50,000 troops and siege artillery around the fortress; Chinese military advisors assist with artillery positioning.
- date: 1954-03-13
  title: Battle opens
  description: Viet Minh artillery begins bombardment at dawn; French realize their airfield is under fire and cannot be used for resupply. Major assault on outpost 'Beatrice' overwhelms French defenders.
- date: 1954-03-17
  title: Outpost collapse
  description: French outer strongpoints fall under sustained Viet Minh assault. French command reports deteriorating morale and ammunition shortage; no relief columns can reach the valley.
- date: 1954-04-20
  title: Diplomatic deadline
  description: Geneva Conference convenes in Switzerland to negotiate Indochina settlement. Dien Bien Phu remains under siege; negotiations occur while battle rages.
- date: 1954-05-07
  title: French surrender
  description: Colonel de Castries surrenders after final assaults overrun remaining strongholds. Approximately 11,000 French and allied troops are captured.
- date: 1954-07-21
  title: Geneva Accords signed
  description: Agreement partitions Vietnam at 17th parallel; North Vietnam under Ho Chi Minh, South Vietnam under Ngo Dinh Diem. Elections to reunify Vietnam promised in 1956 but never occur.
sources:
- url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Dien_Bien_Phu"
  title: Battle of Dien Bien Phu
  provider: Wikipedia
related: []
impactStatement: Dien Bien Phu marked the end of European colonialism in Indochina and triggered the Geneva Accords, which partitioned Vietnam and created the conditions for the American War that followed. The Viet Minh's victory under General Vo Nguyen Giap demonstrated that disciplined insurgency could defeat a modern army, a lesson absorbed by every guerrilla movement that came after.
categories:
- war
taxonomy:
domain: military
eventTypes:
- war
- invasion
- occupation
canonicalClasses:
- conflict
- transformation
- collapse
impactRadius: regional
velocity: sudden
predictability: forecastable
intentionality: coordinated
domainCoupling: multi_domain
lifecycleClass: transition
metaDescription: French defeat at Dien Bien Phu in 1954 ended colonialism in Indochina and split Vietnam into north and south.
wikidataQid: Q604897
archiveSnapshots:
- url: "https://web.archive.org/web/20260520165807/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Dien_Bien_Phu"
  capturedAt: 2026-05-20
  label: Battle of Dien Bien Phu
  originalUrl: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Dien_Bien_Phu"
