Russian scholars praise Dien Bien Phu victory
Russian scholars have congratulated Vietnam on its historic victory in the Dien Bien Phu campaign on the occasion of its 67th anniversary on May 7, saying it was the most important battle in the first Indochina War.
Dr Evgeny Vlasov, Vice President for International Relations at the Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU), said Dien Bien Phu was an entrenched fortification with seven fortresses, 49 strongholds, mine fields, communication trenches, and an air strip. The French colonialists wanted to turn it into a springboard to attack the communication routes of the Vietnamese army and put France in an advantageous position at ongoing negotiations in Geneva at that time.
However, after many failures during its military campaign in 1953, French troops had become exhausted. At the same time, the Vietnamese army gradually seized areas of strategic importance, which boosted morale. In particular, they held an edge in fighting tactics and understanding the local terrain.
Vlasov affirmed that although the victory did not bring peace to Indochina just yet, it was a strong blow against the French colonialists. The world then also knew of a new Vietnamese hero and national liberator - General Vo Nguyen Giap.
Meanwhile, Professor of Vietnamese language at the FEFU, Alexander Sokolovsky, affirmed the historic significance of the victory at Dien Bien Phu.
According to him, the victory stopped France from continuing its colonial policy in Indochina. After that, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam regained their sovereignty and right to build their own country.
He recalled that while playing the role of General De Castries in a film directed by Bach Diep in Hanoi’s outlying district of Ba Vi in 1994, he become more aware of the power of the Vietnamese people, which laid behind their glorious triumph against the French invaders.
