[UnklGene]

French Indo-China: Viet Nam The Battle of Dien Bien Phu (Vietnamese: Chiến dịch Ðiện Biên Phủ) was the final battle in the First Indochina War between the military forces of France and Vietnamese revolutionary forces called the Viet Minh. The battle occurred between March and May, 1954, and culminated in a massive French defeat that effectively ended the war. Dien Bien Phu was "the first time that a non-European colonial independence movement had evolved through all the stages from guerrilla bands to a conventionally organized and equipped army able to defeat a modern Western occupier in pitched battle."

[Dan(9698)]

...able to defeat a modern Western occupier in pitched battle."

That was hardly a pitched battle.

They were talked into retreating into defensive enclaves where the were vulnerable to artillery and mortar attacks.

You can only win with an offensive strategy. Democrats want us to fall for the same trap.

[AlaskaErik]

The battle occurred between March and May, 1954, and culminated in a massive French defeat that effectively ended the war. Dien Bien Phu was "the first time that a non-European colonial independence movement had evolved through all the stages from guerrilla bands to a conventionally organized and equipped army able to defeat a modern Western occupier in pitched battle."

The French set up their positions in a valley surrounded by mountains. Now how stupid is that? If the French would have had competent leadership the outcome could have been much different.