Delegates to the conference pose for a group photo. — VNA/VNS Photo Trọng Đức

PHÚ THỌ — Experts and scholars gathered in Hà Nội on March 27 for a conference to spotlight the historical values of the Điện Biên Phủ Victory against the French colonists in 1954.

Lieut. Gen., Prof. Dr. Nguyễn Văn Bạo, Director of the Political Academy under the Ministry of National Defence, said that after 56 days and nights, the Điện Biên Phủ Campaign concluded with a great success, making a decisive contribution to ending the resistance war against the French invasion, leading to the collapse of colonialism and marking a new step of development of national liberation revolution in the world.

The conference is part of activities to mark the 70th anniversary of the victory, which aims to affirm the correctness and the vitality of the people-based defence under the leadership of the Party and President Hồ Chí Minh, and educate the youth on the glorious revolutionary tradition of the nation.

Editor-in-Chief of Quân Đội Nhân Dân (People’s Army) newspaper Đoàn Xuân Bộ said that although there have been many research, books and conferences on the significance and reasons of the victory as well as lessons learnt from it, many issues about the great victory need to be analysed and summarised.

Participants affirmed that the Điện Biên Phủ Victory is the pinnacle of Vietnamese military art.

Colonel Dr. Nguyễn Văn Trường, head of the Department of Communist Party of Vietnam’s History under the Political Academy, held that the decision to launch the Điện Biên Phủ Campaign left many precious lessons for the Vietnamese revolution, which are lessons of staying consistent with the goal of national independence and socialism, maintaining and strengthening the Party's leadership, and promptly grasping opportunities and giving strategic directions to mobilise the nation's strength to win.

These experiences have still maintained their values and been applied creatively in the Vietnamese revolution and the national construction and defence, he stated.

Major General, Dr. Trần Minh Tuấn, Vice Director of the Defence Strategy Institute said that the resounding victory of the Điện Biên Phủ Campaign showed the uniqueness of Vietnam’s military art, marking the maturity of the Vietnam People’s Army.

Participants at the event analysed lessons learnt from the victory, including resistance policy, the promotion of the great national solidarity in combination with the strength of the era, the optimising of political and spiritual factors, military science, political and ideological education, and the coordination among armed forces.

Placard exhibition

A performance of mobile dissemination team. — VNA/VNS Photo Tạ Toàn

An exhibition introducing large-sized placards opened in Việt Trì City, the northern province of Phú Thọ on the same day, as part of a series of activities to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Điện Biên Phủ Victory (May 7).

On display at the 45-day exhibition are 70 works by professional and amateur painters, selected from a poster contest which had been held by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s Department of Grassroots Culture.

Within the framework of the exhibition, the organising board also held a mobile dissemination contest, gathering teams from Phú Thọ, Thanh Hóa, Kom Tum, An Giang and Lai Châu Provinces, and Đà Nẵng City. Seventeen singing and dancing performances praising the beauty of the country, the historic victory of Điện Biên Phủ and the life of people were staged to serve audience inside and outside the province.

These events aim to popularise the significance of the Điện Biên Phủ Victory against French colonialists.

On March 13, 1954, the Vietnamese revolutionary army launched the first attack against the French colonialists’ heavily fortified base of Điện Biên Phủ, starting a 56-day historic campaign whose victory directly led to the signing of the Geneva Accords on ending the war and restoring peace in Indochina. — VNA/VNS