The press conference held on April 4 to provide information about a national symposium on the Dien Bien Phu Victory (Photo: People's Army newspaper)

The press conference was held by the Ministry of National Defense in coordination with the Party Central Committee’s Information and Education Commission, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, and Dien Bien province.

The symposium will look into the background and the international, regional and domestic situation at the time of the battle. It will also review the French colonialists’ schemes and the US intervention in the Navarre Plan that focused on turning Dien Bien Phu into the strongest military base in Indochina, with the aim of seizing control over the entire Northwest of Vietnam and Upper Laos, and destroy the majority of Vietnam’s regular troops. In so doing, this would pave the way for controlling the Vietnamese territory and pacifying South Indochina.

Speeches to be delivered are expected to analyze the sound and wise strategy applied by the Party Central Committee, led by President Ho Chi Minh, in the campaign, preparations for the battle, contributions by people of all social strata and international support at that time. 

They will also examine special military tactics employed by Vietnam, and historical lessons drawn from the campaign, which are still applicable to the present cause of national construction and defence.

The event is expected to see the attendance of Party, State and National Assembly leaders, representatives from ministries and agencies, scientists and historical witnesses.

On March 13, 1954, the Vietnamese revolutionary army launched the first attack against the French colonialists’ heavily fortified base of Dien Bien Phu, starting the 56-day historic campaign whose victory directly led to the signing of the Geneva Accords on ending the war and restoring peace in Indochina.