The Last Valley: Dien Bien Phu and the French Defeat in Vietnam Pdf, Epub, Ebook

THE LAST VALLEY: DIEN BIEN PHU AND THE FRENCH DEFEAT IN VIETNAM PDF, EPUB, EBOOK

At the base of both the French and American defeats was this underestimation of the enemy. The level of detail might strike some as overwhelming. A number of quadruple 0. Davis, Allan M. I can easily rate this is in my top 10 favorite books. Overall, the result is disappointing. First Indochina War. This is a European-centric telling of the battle. By the way, I ain't gonna to guard my coppy right here. Both historians record that Langlais and Marcel Bigeard were known to be on good terms with their commanding officer. To start with, it is indeed a researched book. I can't say enough good thinks about Windrow's historiography. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! Even more critical, after the fall of the northern outposts, he isolated himself in his bunker so that he had, in effect, relinquished his command authority". The French colonial army regrouped in Algeria where a new war began, one it was so determined to win that its officers would ultimately attempt a coup d etat. It is the best of the three, my apologies to Bernard Fall for whom I have only the greatest of admiration , probably because Windrow had access to more sources. He didn't alright. The wounded were given basic first aid until the Red Cross arrived, extracted prisoners, and provided better aid to the remainder. By the end of April, Isabelle had exhausted its water supply and was nearly out of ammunition. Anyone who desired to bring the misguided direction of the effort to the fore was either ignored or destroyed by the establishment just as had been the case with the French; John Paul Vann and David Hackworth being but tow examples. Dien Bien Phu was a serious defeat for the French and was the decisive battle of the Indochina war. It is also difficult to believe that after witnessing what happened to the French in Vietnam that the Americans would jump in with such reckless abandon. It only assumed the aspect of a definitive defeat of our forces by reason of its profound psychological effects on French public opinion, which, tired of a war that was unpopular and seemingly without end, demanded in a way that it be ended. They brought in vast amounts of heavy artillery including anti-aircraft guns and managed to move these bulky weapons through difficult terrain up the rear slopes of the mountains. Dien Bien Phu is a true landmark battle. Martin Windrow cheerfully admits in his introduction that he is not a professional historian and that he has provided a synthesis of published work. To them the important thing was that they were getting out of Indochina with their reputations frayed, but intact. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. Even before the battle began the French were looking for a way out. This feat, demanded a terrible hardship , a beyond human endurance , a tremendous sacrify in human lives death from exhaustion, injury and sickness - from thin oxygen air inside the tunnel is a strong testament for their heroic resolve and willngness to sacrify everything to win this battle at all cost. Colonel William F. This Day In History. Community Reviews. For the Americans, in particular Dulles, this wasn't enough. The Last Valley: Dien Bien Phu and the French Defeat in Vietnam Writer

Second, from the time the battle opened, things were not working according to French plans. University Press of Kentucky. However, that site had flat to high ground in the center while Dien Bien Phu, in a river basin, eventually became known as the toilet bowl. Pursuant to this strategy, the French would place a forward operating base into Laos, threaten the Viet Minh supply lines, and lure General Vo Nguyen Giap into making a massed assault. The scale of death and destruction in this book is quite breathtaking. The author takes the time to explain the military and political settings of the war in Indo China, offers detailed accounts of the opposing forces and commanders and provides a well researched narrative of the events leading up to this battle. Praising the bravery of the French garrison, the ingenuity of the People's Army - whatever he's talking about, it is filled to the brim with such an enthusiasm and believable emotion that you cannot help but be pulled along for the ride. He gives us vivid portraits of Giap, Castries, and Langlais, fleshing these characters out and crafting a clear and engaging narrative, although it can get dry in a few select parts. Archived from the original PDF on 11 August Dec 30, Manray9 rated it it was amazing Shelves: france , asia. Windrow devotes extensive time to French military issues. Because they would be far from their own bases, the French post would have to be supplied solely from the air. Windrow details well the French approach by the planning and execution Operation Castor executed four months before the siege. Even if the battle had been a huge success, in the end the French still wanted to leave and it seems unlikely they would have gotten a much better deal than the peace accords laid out. To better understand the frustrating diplomatic fencing that occurred in Geneva while France's best troops in Indochina were slowly slaughtered, Ted Morgan's "Valley of Death" holds more detail. And the source material for the Viet Minh side also seems sparse. But Uncle Sam didn't laugh too long.. While they were there, less than a third of the troop were European let alone Legionnaires. Derision for politicians and generals I have in ample quantity after a lifetime of seeing their modus operandi in action! Following this, 37 American transport pilots flew sorties over the course of the battle. Further information: Operation Condor It includes divisions among colonial forces, including the famed Foreign Legion, the African Arm Excellent overview of the battle of Dien Bien Phu and everything behind it. The French, who were exhausted and without reserves, fell back from both positions late in the afternoon. Less well known was the catastrophic French attempt to retain influence in its Far Eastern empire. It is a very long, sometimes dry, read, but well worth it for any one interested. In , the French had begun to strengthen their defenses in the Hanoi delta region to prepare for a series of offensives against Viet Minh staging areas in northwest Vietnam. Main article: Battle of Khe Sanh. Many of the flights operated by the French Air force to evacuate casualties had female flight nurses on board. Another story is the poor showing by the French Air Force. When French paratroopers landed in the jungle on the border between Vietnam and Laos, the Vietnamese quickly isolated the French force and confronted them at their jungle base in a small place called Dien Bien Phu. Namespaces Article Talk. The Last Valley: Dien Bien Phu and the French Defeat in Vietnam Reviews

Well that turned out to be another miscalculation. Jan 15, Stefan rated it it was amazing Shelves: history. Martin Windrow does a excellent job of using a variety of sources to create a narrative that that is easy to follow and remember. In great detail the opening chapters document French losses from to I grew attached to French sergeants and lieutenant-colonels from 60 years ago, to the rankers and file of the garrison who were left in the mud and rot for months with no hope of rescue and came so close to achieving an impossible victory. An interesting topic. Three of its four battalions, however, were absent. History at Home. The battle of Dien Bien Phu in Laos during the First Indochina War proves two things about the French: 1 they are born to lose; and 2 they are warriors. French aerial resupply took heavy losses from Viet Minh machine guns near the landing strip. Long stated twelve years after the defeat: []. On the afternoon of May 7, , the British ocean liner Lusitania is torpedoed without warning by a German submarine off the south coast of Ireland. The French estimated that Viet Minh losses totalled dead and 1, wounded. On September 2, , hours after the Japanese signed their unconditional surrender in World War II , communist leader Ho Chi Minh proclaimed the independent Democratic Republic of Vietnam, hoping to prevent the French from reclaiming their former colonial possession. The most severe fault with The Last Valley , however, lies with its one-sided view of the battle. Smaller attacks on Eliane 4 were also pushed back. At the next day, the Algerian battalion fell back, abandoning Gabrielle to the Viet Minh. When French paratroopers landed in the jungle on the border between Vietnam and Laos, the Vietnamese quickly isolated the French force and confronted them at their jungle base in a small place called Dien Bien Phu. Decisive Democratic Republic of Vietnam victory [3] [4]. Location within Vietnam. For the Americans, in particular Dulles, this wasn't enough. There is nothing wrong and in fact it can be quite informative to take a sympathetic perspective from the French point of view. He also establishes a connection with the subjects by taking the time to name and describe the people he is talking about. I had to put this book down for a couple of days, focus past the descriptive carnage. Oct 29, Adam Morris rated it really liked it Shelves: asia , history , non-fiction. Vietnamese casualties on both sides were far greater during the later conflict compared to during the French Indochina war. Martin Windrow. Vietnamese figures: 4, dead 9, wounded missing [13] French estimate: 8, dead and 15, wounded [14]. Another lesson the Americans failed to take on board, consequently squandering this, their most valuable potential resource through political and military mismanagement and arrogant racially based paternalism. New York: Longman, The prisoners were divided into groups. I had no idea that so many men, French and, Vietnamese and French Foreign Legion had suffered for months of siege warfare and were just sacrificed by lazy bureaucrats, ultimately to be abandoned because a change in government at home First of all, it took Giap pulling a Hannibal-in-the-Alps to get his army into the harsh terrain around Dien Bien Phu. Anyone who desired to bring the misguided direction of the effort to the fore was either ignored or destroyed by the establishment just as had been the case with the French; John Paul Vann and David Hackworth being but tow examples. The hunters became the hunted. In March, a massive artillery bombardment by the Viet Minh ensued. Lists with This Book.

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Error rating book. I had to put this book down for a couple of days, focus past the descriptive carnage. I mean that in two ways. Gen De Castries bitched afterward that the battle was lost AFTER the politicians in the safety of their lair leaking their desire a way out. View 2 comments. Archived from the original on 19 December The meat bulk doesn't see the attackers and can't find them yet keep getting bleeding wounds til death. Retrieved 28 June Oh, they can fight. Do you need to be a Yale grad to know, understand and appreciate this simple historical observation? Very few of the Viet Minh are introduced and discussed--and those who are mentioned are primarily written up at the book's beginning. Retrieved 24 August The Viet Minh was able to overwhelm any offensive air attacks with mass, resilience, air defense, and camouflage. By the end of November, six parachute battalions had been landed, and the French Army consolidated its positions. In talking about the US supplied B bombers, he takes on the training of the crews. A first, at odds with my personal opinions, I found myself almost rooting for the French forces to be decimated - their command and view of the People's Army was so arrogantly dismissive in relation to their ability to take DBP, anyway that I felt like they almost deserved to get their teeth kicked in. Long stated twelve years after the defeat: []. For 56 days they had given everything, endured everything; they had achieved the impossible, not once but again and again. To make it real simple so even an elementary student can understand , let imagine the dirty French gangsters as a big elephant displaying his bulk in a HIGHT and lighted theatrical stage , while the patriotic Viet Minh guerrillas , hiding in the surrounding darkness , nibbing at this bulk with spears and immediately fading back into the darkness. But it is not important for my thesis , to wit: Why empires disappearing and emerging as different monsters with different outer apprearances? We conveniently forget, of course, that France saved our bacon during the American Revolution, and then gave us a dirt cheap price on the American West Louisiana Purchase, anyone? Nearly 30 kilometres away from the centre of Dien Bien Phu is the Viet Minh army complex containing shelters and trenches, also preserved in Muong Phang village. This is a model, a much simplified version of the battle at DBP as well as the whole French Indo-China bloody venture. Militarily, it was the first defeat of modern western forces by an Asian guerrilla army. At no time did I find the story boring or bogged down in detail. An event which you have come through clean may start on another page, An interesting topic. They will raise up! A good book. Thanks for telling us about the problem. The Viet Minh victory at Dien Bien Phu signaled the end of French colonial influence in Indochina and cleared the way for the division of Vietnam along the 17th parallel at the conference of Geneva. Giessen University. Martin C. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Fighting continued in this manner over the next several nights. There are no discussion topics on this book yet. The French and the few remaining Tais on Anne-Marie were then forced to withdraw. Eventually, after months of siege and trench warfare, Giap's troops overran the various fortresses making up the base. Archived from the original on 7 August

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