The opening combat at Him Lam hill in the Dien Bien Phu batterfield (File photo: VNA)

Dr Evgeny Vlasov, Vice President of International Relations at the Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU), said Dien Bien Phu was the most important battle in the 1^st Indochina war and Vietnam had a breakthrough victory.

He said the Vietnamese army gradually seized areas of strategic importance, which boosted their fighting morale. In particular, they had the edge on fighting tactics and understanding the local terrain. Vlasov said the victory made Vietnamese hero and national liberator – General Vo Nguyen Giap known to the world.

Professor of Vietnamese language at the FEFU, Alexander Sokolovsky, said the Dien Bien Phu victory was of great significance. Vietnam showed the French and the world that if a nation wants freedom and its people unite, they can liberate themselves from oppression. Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam regained their sovereignty and the rights to build their own independent, democratic nations.