How many French died at Dien Bien Phu?

3,000 French
That struggle culminated in the siege of Dien Bien Phu, where more than 3,000 French and 10,000 Vietnamese soldiers died, and ended in Geneva, where the French agreed formally to the partition of Indochina into Laos, Cambodia, communist North Vietnam and U.S.-supported South Vietnam — setting the stage for U.S. …

What happened at the battle of Dien Bien Phu?

In northwest Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh’s Viet Minh forces decisively defeat the French at Dien Bien Phu, a French stronghold besieged by the Vietnamese communists for 57 days. Although the Vietnamese rapidly cut off all roads to the fort, the French were confident that they could be supplied by air.

What happened to French prisoners at Dien Bien Phu?

[2] In addition to the harsh camp conditions and inadequate medical facilities, the Viet Minh marched the French prisoners taken at Dien Bien Phu many miles to camps, causing many deaths during the march.

Why did the French fight in Vietnam?

After World War II, France reoccupied Vietnam as part of its attempt to reclaim its prewar empire. Bombs ready to be loaded onto a French aircraft for the long drawn out Dien Bien Phu Battle of the Indochina War on April 10, 1954.

Why did the French fight in the Vietnam War?

The French were fighting in Vietnam to maintain their colonial power and to regain their national pride after the humiliation of World War II. The U.S. government had an interest in the conflict in Indochina from the end of World War II until the mid-1950s when France found itself fighting against a communist insurgency led by Ho Chi Minh.

What was the role of the French in the Vietnam War?

The French did recruit conscripts in France for their war in Vietnam, in order to keep the war from becoming more unpopular at home than it was – a war being called the ” dirty war ” (la sale guerre) by France’s communists and leftist intellectuals, including Jean Paul Sartre .

How did Vietnam gain independence from France?

When the Japans surrendered in WWII where the Vietnam communist, Ho Chi Minh declared independence of Vietnam in France. This was affirmed after the Japanese had over-run the area, and the French came back in 1945. The Americans and Vietnamese in Paris signed a peace agreement and this is where they finally gained independence from France.

When did France colonize Vietnam?

France began to colonize Vietnam between 1859 and 1862, when they took control of Saigon . By 1864 they controlled all of Cochinchina , the southern part of Vietnam. France took control of Annam , the large central part of Vietnam, in 1874.