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These are the user uploaded subtitles that are being translated: 1 00:00:01,433 --> 00:00:03,123 (dramatic orchestral music) 2 00:00:03,150 --> 00:00:04,120 - [Male Narrator] Our history is no more than a series 3 00:00:04,150 --> 00:00:06,050 of incredible events. 4 00:00:06,083 --> 00:00:08,273 Every one of us can influence its course. 5 00:00:09,233 --> 00:00:13,073 (dramatic orchestral music) 6 00:00:30,166 --> 00:00:32,316 The most infinite decimal of our decisions 7 00:00:32,350 --> 00:00:35,320 can influence the future of humanity. 8 00:00:35,350 --> 00:00:39,170 To know the past, is to foresee the future. 9 00:00:39,200 --> 00:00:41,280 North Vietnam, 1972. 10 00:00:41,316 --> 00:00:42,376 (yelling in foreign language) 11 00:00:42,416 --> 00:00:45,026 At a village exit, this jungle combat unit 12 00:00:45,066 --> 00:00:46,996 has just fallen into an ambush 13 00:00:47,033 --> 00:00:48,153 (gun shots firing) 14 00:00:48,183 --> 00:00:50,273 The clash is violent, but fortunately 15 00:00:50,300 --> 00:00:52,130 for these Russian commandos, 16 00:00:52,166 --> 00:00:54,476 two helicopter gunships of the Soviet Air Force 17 00:00:55,016 --> 00:00:55,426 were patrolling the surroundings. 18 00:00:55,466 --> 00:00:58,096 (explosions) 19 00:00:58,133 --> 00:00:59,403 At the end of World War II, 20 00:00:59,433 --> 00:01:01,153 France has granted independence 21 00:01:01,183 --> 00:01:03,133 to all its Asian colonies. 22 00:01:03,166 --> 00:01:06,226 Southern Vietnam has become a pro-Western republic. 23 00:01:07,466 --> 00:01:10,476 To reunite the country, the South Vietnamese have launched 24 00:01:11,016 --> 00:01:13,266 a vast offensive against the northern communists 25 00:01:13,300 --> 00:01:16,020 with the approval of the United States. 26 00:01:16,050 --> 00:01:19,400 Overwhelmed, the North has called on its powerful allies, 27 00:01:19,433 --> 00:01:22,133 China and the Soviet Union. 28 00:01:22,166 --> 00:01:25,376 Russia is bogged down in the killing fields of Vietnam. 29 00:01:25,416 --> 00:01:27,326 But none of that ever happened. 30 00:01:27,366 --> 00:01:30,466 In 1945, France is going to deny independence 31 00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:33,120 to it's Asian colonies and to disrupt 32 00:01:33,150 --> 00:01:35,050 the political balance of the region. 33 00:01:39,333 --> 00:01:44,303 December 19th, 1946, in response to an insurrection, 34 00:01:44,333 --> 00:01:47,373 the French colonial forces shell the city of Hanoi. 35 00:01:49,066 --> 00:01:53,246 May 7th, 1954, after a dreadful 56-day long siege, 36 00:01:53,283 --> 00:01:55,133 the trench camp of Dien Bien Phu 37 00:01:55,166 --> 00:01:58,096 falls into the hands of the Viet Minh troops. 38 00:01:58,133 --> 00:02:01,283 July 21st, 1954, the Geneva Accords 39 00:02:01,316 --> 00:02:04,076 put an end to the first Indochina War, 40 00:02:04,116 --> 00:02:06,996 and to the French colonial presence in Asia. 41 00:02:07,033 --> 00:02:09,203 These three inextricably linked events 42 00:02:09,233 --> 00:02:12,053 are key moments in the first Indochina War, 43 00:02:12,083 --> 00:02:13,403 which leads to the independence, 44 00:02:13,433 --> 00:02:16,423 and then the unification of Vietnam. 45 00:02:16,450 --> 00:02:18,320 (ship's horn) 46 00:02:18,350 --> 00:02:23,350 October 5th, 1945, Saigon Port, French Indochina. 47 00:02:24,216 --> 00:02:26,316 (slow light jazz) 48 00:02:26,350 --> 00:02:29,080 Sent thousands of miles away from Paris, 49 00:02:29,116 --> 00:02:31,996 which he liberated from the Nazis a few months ago, 50 00:02:32,033 --> 00:02:34,133 General Leclerc arrives in this far-off 51 00:02:34,166 --> 00:02:36,016 Southeast Asian colony. 52 00:02:38,050 --> 00:02:39,370 This World War II hero, 53 00:02:39,400 --> 00:02:41,420 General de Gaulle's right hand man, 54 00:02:41,450 --> 00:02:43,320 was given the task of restoring 55 00:02:43,350 --> 00:02:45,230 French colonial sovereignty. 56 00:02:47,033 --> 00:02:50,253 For France, losing Indochina isn't an option. 57 00:02:52,333 --> 00:02:54,453 Created at the end of the 19th century, 58 00:02:54,483 --> 00:02:57,183 this colony gathers under French administration 59 00:02:57,216 --> 00:03:02,046 Cochinchina, Cambodia, Annam, Tonkin, and Laos. 60 00:03:03,316 --> 00:03:05,416 Indochina is an exploitation colony 61 00:03:05,450 --> 00:03:08,150 that allows access to the Chinese market. 62 00:03:09,466 --> 00:03:14,116 French colonists employ a massive and cheap workforce. 63 00:03:14,150 --> 00:03:18,100 Most rice, tea, opium, and above all, rubber productions 64 00:03:18,133 --> 00:03:20,133 are sent to mainland France. 65 00:03:21,483 --> 00:03:23,373 In order to control the country, 66 00:03:23,400 --> 00:03:26,450 it is covered with bridges, roads, railroads, 67 00:03:26,483 --> 00:03:29,203 as well as hospitals and schools. 68 00:03:29,233 --> 00:03:31,123 The colonial administration relies 69 00:03:31,150 --> 00:03:34,370 on many Vietnamese executives, perfectly fluent in French. 70 00:03:36,066 --> 00:03:39,266 Some even study in Paris, before going back to their country 71 00:03:39,300 --> 00:03:41,350 to hold civil servant positions. 72 00:03:43,266 --> 00:03:45,476 Through contact with Western intellectuals, 73 00:03:46,016 --> 00:03:48,346 these students return home with their heads full of 74 00:03:48,383 --> 00:03:51,423 Marxist ideals, democratic values 75 00:03:51,450 --> 00:03:53,120 and dreams of independence. 76 00:03:56,383 --> 00:04:00,083 One of them soon adopts the name He Who Enlightens, 77 00:04:00,116 --> 00:04:01,346 in Vietnamese, Ho Chi Minh. 78 00:04:03,050 --> 00:04:06,050 He embodies the anti-colonial struggle. 79 00:04:06,083 --> 00:04:08,123 In 1941, he founds the 80 00:04:08,150 --> 00:04:10,130 League for the Independence of Vietnam, 81 00:04:10,166 --> 00:04:13,216 the Viet Minh, of which he becomes the leader. 82 00:04:14,300 --> 00:04:17,180 Meanwhile, World War II has broken out. 83 00:04:18,416 --> 00:04:22,016 The Japanese have launched a large campaign of conquests. 84 00:04:22,050 --> 00:04:24,000 The scarce French colonial troops 85 00:04:24,033 --> 00:04:26,453 were only able to offer a symbolic resistance. 86 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:31,120 Indochina passes under Japanese Imperial supervision. 87 00:04:31,150 --> 00:04:33,380 But the atomic bombings change everything. 88 00:04:35,233 --> 00:04:40,073 Japan, devastated, surrenders on September 2nd, 1945. 89 00:04:42,016 --> 00:04:45,096 Ho Chi Minh immediately takes his chance. 90 00:04:45,133 --> 00:04:49,053 He seizes power and proclaims the independence of Vietnam. 91 00:04:56,283 --> 00:04:59,173 - [Female Narrator] Welcome to the memory of humanity. 92 00:05:00,450 --> 00:05:04,130 Every historical event, regardless of how small, 93 00:05:04,166 --> 00:05:06,426 is recorded and connected. 94 00:05:06,466 --> 00:05:10,096 You only need to change one to upset all the others. 95 00:05:11,183 --> 00:05:14,183 Here, we're able to control time, 96 00:05:14,216 --> 00:05:16,466 analyze and compare billions of events, 97 00:05:17,000 --> 00:05:20,200 in order to rewrite history in infinite ways. 98 00:05:20,233 --> 00:05:22,433 In the aftermath of World War II, 99 00:05:22,466 --> 00:05:25,396 the balance of powers has been shattered. 100 00:05:25,433 --> 00:05:28,133 Europe is in ruins. 101 00:05:28,166 --> 00:05:30,316 The Soviet Union and the United States 102 00:05:30,350 --> 00:05:33,120 are the new game masters. 103 00:05:33,150 --> 00:05:36,270 Part of the French military staff understands that a war 104 00:05:36,300 --> 00:05:40,000 is too risky, and that they need to negotiate. 105 00:05:40,033 --> 00:05:43,173 This is the report General Leclerc gives to de Gaulle, 106 00:05:43,200 --> 00:05:45,280 who seems hostile to a new conflict. 107 00:05:47,100 --> 00:05:49,420 But the head of the temporary government resigns. 108 00:05:51,133 --> 00:05:54,403 At the time, Leclerc finds himself alone in the face of 109 00:05:54,433 --> 00:05:57,333 the High Commissioner for Indochina, d'Argenlieu, 110 00:05:57,366 --> 00:06:01,366 convinced that the colony must be kept by force if need be. 111 00:06:01,400 --> 00:06:04,070 We have arrived at a point of divergence. 112 00:06:05,316 --> 00:06:08,046 A point of divergence is a key moment, 113 00:06:08,083 --> 00:06:09,303 a crossroads in our history 114 00:06:09,333 --> 00:06:13,023 where our world can swing from one side to the other. 115 00:06:14,433 --> 00:06:18,003 If Leclerc's recommendations had been followed, 116 00:06:18,033 --> 00:06:21,103 France probably wouldn't have engaged in a war, 117 00:06:21,133 --> 00:06:23,323 and would have initiated a peace process. 118 00:06:26,200 --> 00:06:28,170 Ho Chi Minh's Northern Vietnam 119 00:06:28,200 --> 00:06:30,370 would have certainly become communist. 120 00:06:32,166 --> 00:06:35,296 Southern Vietnam might have tried to reunify the country. 121 00:06:38,033 --> 00:06:41,303 It's young army trained by Western military men, 122 00:06:41,333 --> 00:06:43,283 would have easily gotten rid of then, 123 00:06:43,316 --> 00:06:47,196 unseasoned and underequipped militiamen of the Viet Minh. 124 00:06:48,366 --> 00:06:51,316 Therefore, it is easy to imagine a military intervention 125 00:06:51,350 --> 00:06:56,050 of its communist allies, Mao's China, and most importantly, 126 00:06:56,083 --> 00:06:57,403 the Soviet Union. 127 00:06:57,433 --> 00:07:00,253 The United States would never have engaged 128 00:07:00,283 --> 00:07:01,253 in the Vietnam War. 129 00:07:07,200 --> 00:07:10,200 (mysterious cymbal music) 130 00:07:10,233 --> 00:07:11,303 - [Male Narrator] 1950. 131 00:07:12,300 --> 00:07:14,150 Route Coloniale 4. 132 00:07:16,400 --> 00:07:20,230 Located in Tonkin, at the northern extremity of Indochina, 133 00:07:20,266 --> 00:07:23,416 it winds through the jungle along the Chinese border. 134 00:07:23,450 --> 00:07:27,300 (soft engine) (yells in foreign language) 135 00:07:27,333 --> 00:07:29,133 Every day, taking advantage 136 00:07:29,166 --> 00:07:32,146 of the weakness of the French presence, Viet Minh fighters 137 00:07:32,183 --> 00:07:34,403 move clandestinely between the two countries. 138 00:07:35,466 --> 00:07:38,096 Mao's China welcomes into it's midst 139 00:07:38,133 --> 00:07:40,473 Viet Minh training camps, supplies weaponry, 140 00:07:41,000 --> 00:07:42,420 and if need be, asylum. 141 00:07:44,016 --> 00:07:45,366 A precious support base. 142 00:07:47,233 --> 00:07:52,253 (yells in foreign language) (guns fire) 143 00:07:56,183 --> 00:07:58,353 The soldiers of the French Expeditionary Corps 144 00:07:58,383 --> 00:08:01,103 name this path, The Bloody Road. 145 00:08:04,166 --> 00:08:06,416 From the first fights, the Viet Minh majors 146 00:08:06,450 --> 00:08:09,070 quickly understood that they were incapable 147 00:08:09,100 --> 00:08:12,280 of confronting the fire power of the French troops. 148 00:08:12,316 --> 00:08:14,476 On the other hand, the vast support of 149 00:08:15,016 --> 00:08:17,276 the northern population, and their excellent knowledge 150 00:08:17,316 --> 00:08:19,316 of the mountains and jungle, 151 00:08:19,350 --> 00:08:23,400 offered the perfect conditions to conduct guerrilla warfare. 152 00:08:26,383 --> 00:08:29,023 If the French firmly hold the cities, 153 00:08:29,050 --> 00:08:32,150 the Viet Minh rapidly take control of the countryside. 154 00:08:34,033 --> 00:08:37,233 Then, commanded by brilliant generals, like General Giap, 155 00:08:37,266 --> 00:08:40,166 the Viet Minh troops begin to achieve victories. 156 00:08:41,250 --> 00:08:43,250 During the debacle of Cao Bang, 157 00:08:43,283 --> 00:08:46,403 the French discover a trained and equipped Viet Minh army, 158 00:08:46,433 --> 00:08:48,453 able to adapt to modern warfare. 159 00:08:50,016 --> 00:08:53,026 In 1950, the conflict enters into a new, 160 00:08:53,066 --> 00:08:55,216 and broader context. 161 00:08:55,250 --> 00:08:57,280 The worldwide Cold War. 162 00:08:58,316 --> 00:09:00,266 It is not a colonial war anymore, 163 00:09:00,300 --> 00:09:04,380 but a fierce battle between communist and capitalist powers. 164 00:09:06,083 --> 00:09:09,383 If Vietnam turns, so will the neighboring Laos, 165 00:09:09,416 --> 00:09:13,016 then Cambodia, until the whole of Southern Asia 166 00:09:13,050 --> 00:09:15,320 falls like a series of dominoes. 167 00:09:15,350 --> 00:09:18,020 (dramatic instrumental music) 168 00:09:18,050 --> 00:09:21,230 Consequently, from 1952 onwards, 169 00:09:21,266 --> 00:09:25,216 the United States contributes to the French war effort. 170 00:09:25,250 --> 00:09:27,200 But despite the French victories, 171 00:09:27,233 --> 00:09:29,233 and the tremendous casualties inflicted on the 172 00:09:29,266 --> 00:09:33,396 Viet Minh troops, the conflict gets nowhere, bogged down. 173 00:09:33,433 --> 00:09:37,003 The Viet Minh troops, supported by China, are constantly 174 00:09:37,033 --> 00:09:40,433 restocked, and equipped with heavy and modern weaponry. 175 00:09:40,466 --> 00:09:44,196 In France, this far-off conflict is at best ignored, 176 00:09:44,233 --> 00:09:46,353 at worst, seen as a dirty war. 177 00:09:48,083 --> 00:09:50,083 The government feels that this conflict 178 00:09:50,116 --> 00:09:51,276 can no longer be won. 179 00:09:52,333 --> 00:09:54,333 It will be necessary to negotiate. 180 00:09:56,350 --> 00:09:59,280 But, in order to act from a position of strength, 181 00:09:59,316 --> 00:10:03,096 both camps want a clear and decisive victory. 182 00:10:03,133 --> 00:10:06,023 To provoke the enemy into a direct confrontation, 183 00:10:06,050 --> 00:10:08,320 the French military staff plans the installation of 184 00:10:08,350 --> 00:10:10,070 a large fortified base, 185 00:10:10,100 --> 00:10:12,380 right at the heart of the area controlled by the Viet Minh, 186 00:10:12,416 --> 00:10:15,076 near the village of Dien Bien Phu. 187 00:10:19,016 --> 00:10:22,376 - [Female Narrator] Asymmetric warfare. 188 00:10:22,416 --> 00:10:26,326 General Giap uses guerrilla tactics fervently. 189 00:10:28,000 --> 00:10:31,430 Psychological war, lightning raids, ambushes, 190 00:10:31,466 --> 00:10:34,376 nighttime attacks of isolated locations, 191 00:10:36,116 --> 00:10:39,046 then scatterings in the woods and hiding among civilians. 192 00:10:40,183 --> 00:10:42,353 (dramatic instrumental music) 193 00:10:42,383 --> 00:10:45,033 He avoids direct confrontation 194 00:10:45,066 --> 00:10:48,066 and attacks weak spots by surprise. 195 00:10:48,100 --> 00:10:52,330 His objective is perfectly clear, drive the enemy out. 196 00:10:55,133 --> 00:10:56,453 The French Expeditionary Corps 197 00:10:56,483 --> 00:11:00,103 is less than 200,000 soldiers strong. 198 00:11:00,133 --> 00:11:02,153 Divided into scattered units, 199 00:11:02,183 --> 00:11:05,133 a sufficient number to hold the cities and the roads, 200 00:11:05,166 --> 00:11:07,316 but too low to lock down the country. 201 00:11:09,183 --> 00:11:11,323 The French entrench themselves, 202 00:11:11,350 --> 00:11:14,450 and rely on their fire power in direct confrontation. 203 00:11:15,400 --> 00:11:17,320 Often, they can't succeed 204 00:11:17,350 --> 00:11:20,280 in distinguishing the rebels from just civilians, 205 00:11:20,316 --> 00:11:22,426 they don't know on whom they can fire, 206 00:11:22,466 --> 00:11:25,016 nor where danger will come from. 207 00:11:25,050 --> 00:11:27,430 That is what Ho Chi Minh theorizes 208 00:11:27,466 --> 00:11:31,176 as the fight of the tiger and the elephant. 209 00:11:31,216 --> 00:11:35,226 When it's impossible to locate or identify the enemy, 210 00:11:35,266 --> 00:11:37,326 firepower is useless. 211 00:11:39,350 --> 00:11:42,380 (propellor spinning) 212 00:11:42,416 --> 00:11:44,116 (dramatic drum music) 213 00:11:44,150 --> 00:11:47,350 - [Male Narrator] November 20th 1953, 7:20 A.M. 214 00:11:48,483 --> 00:11:50,133 Airbase of Hanoi. 215 00:11:50,166 --> 00:11:53,476 (yelling in foreign language) 216 00:11:54,016 --> 00:11:56,466 On the runway the Battalion Chief Bigeard 217 00:11:57,000 --> 00:11:59,480 has just gotten the green light to launch Operation Castor. 218 00:12:02,333 --> 00:12:05,373 Within a few hours, he and his men will be dropped with 219 00:12:05,400 --> 00:12:08,330 the first wave, above the plains of Dien Bien Phu. 220 00:12:15,300 --> 00:12:20,170 (dramatic instrumental music) (gunshots) 221 00:12:20,200 --> 00:12:22,320 After the first furious fights, 222 00:12:22,350 --> 00:12:26,130 French Parachute Battalions soon hold the plains. 223 00:12:26,166 --> 00:12:29,276 As early as November 25th, the former Japanese runway, 224 00:12:29,316 --> 00:12:33,226 dating back to World War II, is brought back into operation. 225 00:12:33,266 --> 00:12:36,366 Immediately, a heavy airlift is put in place, carrying 226 00:12:36,400 --> 00:12:40,330 into Dien Bien Phu, reinforcements, artillery and everything 227 00:12:40,366 --> 00:12:44,276 needed to change the plains into a strong, operational base. 228 00:12:44,316 --> 00:12:48,126 This large valley, four miles wide by ten and a half long, 229 00:12:48,166 --> 00:12:51,326 is surrounded by mountains four thousand feet high. 230 00:12:51,366 --> 00:12:54,446 At the center, hills provide an excellent natural defense, 231 00:12:54,483 --> 00:12:57,153 and a good view of the surroundings. 232 00:12:57,183 --> 00:13:00,453 The French General Staff makes it the center of its defense. 233 00:13:00,483 --> 00:13:04,373 At it's heart, the airfield, vital to resupply the camp, 234 00:13:04,400 --> 00:13:08,250 and on the outskirts, fortified strongpoints conceive to 235 00:13:08,283 --> 00:13:10,323 support one another in case of attack. 236 00:13:10,350 --> 00:13:13,200 The strongpoints receive feminine designations. 237 00:13:13,233 --> 00:13:16,303 Gabrielle, Beatrice, Isabelle, or Eliane. 238 00:13:18,000 --> 00:13:20,400 The success of this plan is based on the enemies incapacity 239 00:13:20,433 --> 00:13:22,023 to carry heavy artillery 240 00:13:22,050 --> 00:13:24,430 into mountainous regions deprived of roads. 241 00:13:26,083 --> 00:13:29,173 And if, by some miracle, the adversary manages 242 00:13:29,200 --> 00:13:31,070 to collect a few cannons, 243 00:13:31,100 --> 00:13:33,400 the Chief of the French Counter-Battery assures that 244 00:13:33,433 --> 00:13:37,103 his own artillery pieces would silence them right away. 245 00:13:37,133 --> 00:13:39,183 Provided that the airlift is maintained, 246 00:13:39,216 --> 00:13:41,416 the French units are confident they can repel 247 00:13:41,450 --> 00:13:43,450 any assault from the enemy infantry. 248 00:13:45,150 --> 00:13:47,400 The intelligence reports a great deal of activity 249 00:13:47,433 --> 00:13:49,133 among the enemy. 250 00:13:49,166 --> 00:13:52,246 All of its regiments seem to converge towards Dien Bien Phu. 251 00:13:53,466 --> 00:13:56,146 General Giap, at the head of the Viet Minh armies, 252 00:13:56,183 --> 00:13:59,183 is about to launch a high intensity attack. 253 00:13:59,216 --> 00:14:01,476 Colonel de Castries, the Base Commander, 254 00:14:02,016 --> 00:14:03,276 is resolutely waiting. 255 00:14:07,333 --> 00:14:11,453 - [Female Narrator] Dien Bien Phu is 186 miles from Hanoi, 256 00:14:11,483 --> 00:14:14,233 and lost in the middle of a mountainous jungle. 257 00:14:15,433 --> 00:14:19,273 It's impossible for the French army to reach it by foot. 258 00:14:19,300 --> 00:14:21,170 But not for the Viet Minh. 259 00:14:22,383 --> 00:14:25,453 Using the help of tens of thousands of civilians, 260 00:14:25,483 --> 00:14:30,123 General Giap has hundreds of miles of roads laid out. 261 00:14:30,150 --> 00:14:34,070 On bicycles, or aboard trucks supplied by the Soviet Union, 262 00:14:34,100 --> 00:14:37,350 he transports massive amounts of weapons and ammunitions 263 00:14:37,383 --> 00:14:41,383 right under the noses of the French reconnaissance aircraft. 264 00:14:41,416 --> 00:14:45,076 Heavy Chinese cannons dismantled are hauled 265 00:14:45,116 --> 00:14:46,196 with only muscle power 266 00:14:46,233 --> 00:14:48,473 on the mountains that surround Dien Bien Phu. 267 00:14:49,000 --> 00:14:51,050 Giap then has them reassembled, 268 00:14:51,083 --> 00:14:53,133 and installed on the side of the hills, 269 00:14:53,166 --> 00:14:55,426 buried into shelters carefully camouflaged, 270 00:14:55,466 --> 00:14:58,046 within range of the airfield. 271 00:14:58,083 --> 00:15:00,253 On the height surrounding the base, 272 00:15:00,283 --> 00:15:03,453 he deploys whole divisions of anti-aircraft guns, 273 00:15:03,483 --> 00:15:07,403 ready to release a deluge of fire on the French Air Force. 274 00:15:07,433 --> 00:15:10,423 On the eve of the battle, the North Vietnamese General 275 00:15:10,450 --> 00:15:13,400 has more than 30,000 well-equipped soldiers, 276 00:15:13,433 --> 00:15:17,003 and a considerable artillery at his disposal. 277 00:15:17,033 --> 00:15:19,053 His primary objective will be to cut the 278 00:15:19,083 --> 00:15:21,483 enemy's supply line, by firing at the airfield. 279 00:15:23,200 --> 00:15:26,150 More importantly, the French General Staff, 280 00:15:26,183 --> 00:15:29,473 aware of these maneuvers, has not informed the trench camp. 281 00:15:31,166 --> 00:15:35,076 Therefore, de Castries, commander of Dien Bien Phu, 282 00:15:35,116 --> 00:15:38,096 had no knowledge of the enemy's real strengths. 283 00:15:38,133 --> 00:15:41,053 He could not adapt to the evolving threat. 284 00:15:42,333 --> 00:15:45,473 (ominous guitar music) 285 00:15:56,266 --> 00:15:59,346 - [Male Narrator] Night of March 13th, 1954. 286 00:16:00,366 --> 00:16:02,166 Strongpoint Beatrice. 287 00:16:05,066 --> 00:16:07,416 The last Legionnaires still able to fight, 288 00:16:07,450 --> 00:16:09,470 get ready for a last stand. 289 00:16:10,000 --> 00:16:12,330 (gun reloading) 290 00:16:12,366 --> 00:16:14,276 From the end of the afternoon on, 291 00:16:14,316 --> 00:16:17,046 thousands of shells have fallen on their positions, 292 00:16:17,083 --> 00:16:19,073 harrowing these elite soldiers, 293 00:16:19,100 --> 00:16:21,470 destroying their fortifications, their artillery 294 00:16:22,000 --> 00:16:24,130 and killing their Chiefs. 295 00:16:24,166 --> 00:16:28,146 Then, in successive waves, the infantry has charged 296 00:16:28,183 --> 00:16:31,173 over and over again, ignoring it's own casualties, 297 00:16:31,200 --> 00:16:33,220 up until the fall of the French bunkers, 298 00:16:33,250 --> 00:16:34,380 one after the other. 299 00:16:36,100 --> 00:16:40,050 At dawn, despite a relentless resistance of 1 to 12, 300 00:16:40,083 --> 00:16:43,173 the French flag doesn't flutter above the fort anymore. 301 00:16:45,200 --> 00:16:47,270 And yet, this strongpoint was held 302 00:16:47,300 --> 00:16:49,170 by the elite of the French Army. 303 00:16:52,200 --> 00:16:55,370 The following day, Gabrielle falls in turn. 304 00:16:55,400 --> 00:16:58,150 Crushed by pitiless barrage of fire, 305 00:16:58,183 --> 00:17:01,253 then engulfed in a continuous torrent of enemy soldiers. 306 00:17:01,283 --> 00:17:03,003 (dramatic violin music) 307 00:17:03,033 --> 00:17:05,183 The facts are indisputable. 308 00:17:05,216 --> 00:17:07,466 The enemy has a strong artillery. 309 00:17:08,000 --> 00:17:09,370 And the Chief of the French Counter-Battery 310 00:17:09,400 --> 00:17:11,480 proves to be unable to silence it. 311 00:17:13,116 --> 00:17:16,216 Consumed by dishonor, he commits suicide. 312 00:17:19,233 --> 00:17:21,183 The French Air Force is too small 313 00:17:21,216 --> 00:17:23,996 and is impeded by disastrous weather conditions, 314 00:17:24,033 --> 00:17:26,173 as well as by anti-aircraft cannons, 315 00:17:26,200 --> 00:17:28,020 positioned on the heights. 316 00:17:28,466 --> 00:17:33,176 (yelling) (explosions) 317 00:17:33,216 --> 00:17:35,426 After only three days of fighting, 318 00:17:35,466 --> 00:17:38,166 the entire French strategy collapses. 319 00:17:38,200 --> 00:17:39,430 (plane engine roars) (explosions) 320 00:17:39,466 --> 00:17:41,316 The runway is under the direct fire 321 00:17:41,350 --> 00:17:43,350 of the Viet Minh cannons. 322 00:17:43,383 --> 00:17:47,203 Unless a miracle happens, the battle is already lost. 323 00:17:49,166 --> 00:17:52,196 Soon, no other plane can land. 324 00:17:52,233 --> 00:17:53,483 The reinforcements and the supplies 325 00:17:54,016 --> 00:17:56,416 can no longer be brought in, only airdropped. 326 00:17:56,450 --> 00:17:58,220 The pilots take all the risks 327 00:17:58,250 --> 00:18:00,380 to help their comrade in arms on the ground. 328 00:18:00,416 --> 00:18:03,116 They know the trench camp cannot resist. 329 00:18:03,150 --> 00:18:04,320 They see from their cockpits 330 00:18:04,350 --> 00:18:07,250 it's defensive perimeter dwindling day after day. 331 00:18:07,283 --> 00:18:09,333 (gun shots) 332 00:18:09,366 --> 00:18:12,126 The Viet Minh trenches get inexorably closer 333 00:18:12,166 --> 00:18:13,416 to the French Nerf center. 334 00:18:15,350 --> 00:18:18,230 The General Staff sends all of it's available reinforcements 335 00:18:18,266 --> 00:18:20,366 on the planes still fit to fly. 336 00:18:20,400 --> 00:18:24,130 Yet they know these men are likely to be sacrificed in vein. 337 00:18:24,166 --> 00:18:25,246 (rain falls) 338 00:18:25,283 --> 00:18:28,303 In Hanoi, a call for volunteers is issued. 339 00:18:28,333 --> 00:18:30,123 Candidates are aplenty. 340 00:18:30,150 --> 00:18:33,250 Several having never fought, or done a parachute jump. 341 00:18:33,283 --> 00:18:35,003 (yelling in foreign language) 342 00:18:35,033 --> 00:18:38,133 Yet these men know that the battle is already lost, 343 00:18:38,166 --> 00:18:41,096 and that they will land in Hell, and certainly die there. 344 00:18:43,233 --> 00:18:46,123 But they no longer go there for France, 345 00:18:46,150 --> 00:18:48,430 and even less for Indochina. 346 00:18:48,466 --> 00:18:52,276 They go for honor, for their brothers in arms, 347 00:18:52,316 --> 00:18:53,396 for their pals. 348 00:18:53,433 --> 00:18:57,383 (gun shots) (yelling in foreign language) 349 00:18:57,416 --> 00:19:01,376 On the spot, the situation is more and more critical. 350 00:19:01,416 --> 00:19:04,066 Dominique falls in turn. 351 00:19:04,100 --> 00:19:06,430 The French multiply the heroic counter-attacks, 352 00:19:06,466 --> 00:19:10,116 but the Viet Minh soldiers, despite appalling casualties, 353 00:19:10,150 --> 00:19:13,030 prove themselves, of a rock-solid combativeness. 354 00:19:14,250 --> 00:19:17,470 Bravery, as well as death, is found on both sides. 355 00:19:18,000 --> 00:19:20,470 The Field Hospital is overwhelmed with injured men. 356 00:19:21,000 --> 00:19:24,200 Diluvial rains turned the trenches into torrents of mud. 357 00:19:24,233 --> 00:19:26,373 The site is covered with bodies. 358 00:19:26,400 --> 00:19:30,000 France solicits air support from the USA, 359 00:19:30,033 --> 00:19:32,273 but despite two aircraft carriers in the region, 360 00:19:32,300 --> 00:19:35,280 the American bombers won't leave their sheds. 361 00:19:35,316 --> 00:19:38,216 On May 1st, the able-bodied French, are expecting 362 00:19:38,250 --> 00:19:40,170 the full attack of the Viet Minh Army. 363 00:19:40,200 --> 00:19:43,100 Some 25,000-men strong. 364 00:19:43,133 --> 00:19:45,353 On the 4th, Huguette falls. 365 00:19:45,383 --> 00:19:49,173 The survivors fight back-to-back, often with bladed weapons. 366 00:19:49,200 --> 00:19:52,120 Under a shower of shells and heavy machine guns, 367 00:19:52,150 --> 00:19:53,420 the French cling to Eliane. 368 00:19:54,483 --> 00:19:58,073 On the 5th, a mere 2000 men can still stand. 369 00:20:00,483 --> 00:20:04,283 On the 6th, in the evening, a tremendous underground blast 370 00:20:04,316 --> 00:20:07,176 destroys the command center of Eliane 2. 371 00:20:07,216 --> 00:20:10,096 Some bastions are only defended by the wounded. 372 00:20:10,133 --> 00:20:12,023 (dramatic orchestral music) 373 00:20:12,050 --> 00:20:14,250 On the following day at 4 P.M. 374 00:20:14,283 --> 00:20:16,323 de Castries announces by radio 375 00:20:16,350 --> 00:20:20,030 that the enemy is about to penetrate the central fort. 376 00:20:20,066 --> 00:20:23,276 At 5:30 P.M. the stronghold ceases firing. 377 00:20:25,000 --> 00:20:26,320 Dien Bien Phu has fallen. 378 00:20:29,333 --> 00:20:30,403 - [Female Narrator] Was a French victory 379 00:20:30,433 --> 00:20:32,283 in Dien Bien Phu possible? 380 00:20:34,000 --> 00:20:37,350 Hard to know, but in order to win, all of the other 381 00:20:37,383 --> 00:20:40,203 ongoing operations would have had to be put on hold, 382 00:20:40,233 --> 00:20:42,303 and all of the forces thrown into battle. 383 00:20:44,000 --> 00:20:47,100 Dien Bien Phu wasn't a strategic error per se, but 384 00:20:47,133 --> 00:20:50,183 it seems to have been beyond the French operational means. 385 00:20:51,383 --> 00:20:54,303 General Giap fought to liberate his country. 386 00:20:54,333 --> 00:20:56,403 He pinned all his hopes on this fight. 387 00:20:58,350 --> 00:21:01,180 Before Dien Bien Phu though, the Viet Minh had been 388 00:21:01,216 --> 00:21:04,416 on the brink of breaking apart, after the latest fights, 389 00:21:04,450 --> 00:21:06,300 harsh and costly in men. 390 00:21:06,333 --> 00:21:09,133 Some commanders had even been considering retreating 391 00:21:09,166 --> 00:21:11,216 temporarily into China. 392 00:21:11,250 --> 00:21:14,000 But Giap has called for all fighting units, 393 00:21:14,033 --> 00:21:16,203 even those afforded government protection. 394 00:21:17,416 --> 00:21:20,396 In Dien Bien Phu, at the height of the fights, the French 395 00:21:20,433 --> 00:21:24,003 multiply the daring stunts and retake many strongpoints, 396 00:21:25,233 --> 00:21:28,373 but without any backup, they constantly have to retreat, 397 00:21:28,400 --> 00:21:30,220 losing the bitterly-won ground 398 00:21:30,250 --> 00:21:33,080 which is immediately taken by the Viet Minh. 399 00:21:33,116 --> 00:21:37,166 Testimonies of soldiers tell that for each enemy shot down, 400 00:21:37,200 --> 00:21:38,270 two others appeared. 401 00:21:39,450 --> 00:21:42,180 In these conditions, Dien Bien Phu soon became 402 00:21:42,216 --> 00:21:46,376 a battle already lost, in a war already lost. 403 00:21:52,400 --> 00:21:54,270 - [Male Narrator] 11,000 prisoners. 404 00:21:55,383 --> 00:21:58,173 The luckiest, the seriously injured, 405 00:21:58,200 --> 00:22:00,330 have been evacuated by the Red Cross. 406 00:22:02,083 --> 00:22:05,223 For the others, it's the beginning of a new Hell. 407 00:22:05,250 --> 00:22:08,370 Completely exhausted after 56 days of fighting, 408 00:22:08,400 --> 00:22:11,150 they will have to walk several months through the jungle, 409 00:22:11,183 --> 00:22:14,403 to reach Distance Prisoner and political re-education camps. 410 00:22:18,116 --> 00:22:21,016 More than 60% of them will never come back, 411 00:22:21,050 --> 00:22:25,050 having starved to death, died of sickness, or exhaustion. 412 00:22:30,050 --> 00:22:34,200 After seven years of an unpopular war, France gives up. 413 00:22:36,133 --> 00:22:40,383 On July 21st, 1954, the Geneva Accords are signed, 414 00:22:40,416 --> 00:22:43,066 putting an end to the first Indochina War, 415 00:22:43,100 --> 00:22:45,380 and to the French colonial presence. 416 00:22:45,416 --> 00:22:47,096 The Accords provide for a 417 00:22:47,133 --> 00:22:50,003 separation of Vietnam into two zones. 418 00:22:50,033 --> 00:22:52,283 The Democratic Republic of Vietnam to the north, 419 00:22:52,316 --> 00:22:55,276 under communist influence, and the Republic of Vietnam 420 00:22:55,316 --> 00:22:57,466 to the south, awaiting elections. 421 00:22:59,166 --> 00:23:01,426 But the Accords will never be ratified. 422 00:23:01,466 --> 00:23:04,476 The war resumes immediately between the two Vietnams, 423 00:23:05,016 --> 00:23:06,396 but this time without France. 424 00:23:06,433 --> 00:23:08,173 (explosions) 425 00:23:08,200 --> 00:23:11,250 In the face of a communist threat, the USA comes out 426 00:23:11,283 --> 00:23:14,283 of it's reserve and gets actively involved. 427 00:23:14,316 --> 00:23:17,196 Their action, at first limited to an economic 428 00:23:17,233 --> 00:23:20,353 and material aid, evolves into military support, 429 00:23:20,383 --> 00:23:23,073 and then into a massive troop deployment. 430 00:23:24,150 --> 00:23:25,380 It's the beginning of the second phase 431 00:23:25,416 --> 00:23:29,426 of the Vietnam conflict, the one we call the Vietnam War. 432 00:23:32,033 --> 00:23:34,283 In ten years, the Americans will drop their 433 00:23:34,316 --> 00:23:37,466 twice-as-many bombs as all the Allies during World War II. 434 00:23:40,416 --> 00:23:43,476 But that is another story. 435 00:23:44,016 --> 00:23:47,176 (slow orchestral music) 436 00:23:52,000 --> 00:23:55,080 - [Female Narrator] In France, the fall of Dien Bien Phu, 437 00:23:55,116 --> 00:23:58,296 was received with relief for the majority. 438 00:23:58,333 --> 00:24:01,333 This war was quite simply considered illegitimate, 439 00:24:01,366 --> 00:24:04,216 even immoral, by a part of the population. 440 00:24:06,050 --> 00:24:08,350 The soldiers of the Expeditionary Corps were professionals. 441 00:24:08,383 --> 00:24:10,373 Some considered them to be mercenaries 442 00:24:10,400 --> 00:24:12,150 who deserved their fate. 443 00:24:14,000 --> 00:24:16,280 Back in their own country after the hell of war, 444 00:24:16,316 --> 00:24:19,026 some veterans even got stones thrown at them 445 00:24:19,066 --> 00:24:22,446 by communist activists fiercely opposed to the war. 446 00:24:22,483 --> 00:24:24,353 To find a new job, 447 00:24:24,383 --> 00:24:27,273 being an Indochina veteran was problematic. 448 00:24:29,066 --> 00:24:31,426 The strong presence of former German soldiers 449 00:24:31,466 --> 00:24:34,126 and even former Waffen-SS among 450 00:24:34,166 --> 00:24:36,326 the elite regiment of the French Foreign Legion 451 00:24:36,366 --> 00:24:39,326 contributed to people's mistrust of its own army. 452 00:24:40,450 --> 00:24:43,020 However, be they Legionnaires, 453 00:24:43,050 --> 00:24:45,000 infantrymen from North Africa, 454 00:24:45,033 --> 00:24:47,153 or paratroopers of the colonial forces, 455 00:24:47,183 --> 00:24:50,173 they didn't decide to throw their country into this war. 456 00:24:50,200 --> 00:24:53,080 This decision has been taken in Paris, 457 00:24:53,116 --> 00:24:56,066 by politicians at the head of the French state. 458 00:24:56,100 --> 00:25:00,170 As for the Vietnamese, facing a powerfully armed enemy, 459 00:25:00,200 --> 00:25:02,250 they were able to find the weak spot. 460 00:25:02,283 --> 00:25:05,033 The tiger defeated the elephant. 461 00:25:05,066 --> 00:25:08,216 Over nearly 30 years of war, this modest Asian country 462 00:25:08,250 --> 00:25:13,200 defeated France, then the USA, to finally become free. 463 00:25:13,233 --> 00:25:16,483 (dramatic strings music) 37770

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