"May the 8th, 1954 was the day Dien Bien Phu, the French fortress in Indo-China, fell to the Vietnamese Communist Army." "The garrison had been surrounded by Viet Minh forces." "But despite massive reinforcements (three thousand French paratroopers were dropped to help the besieging troops) and fierce resistance from the sixteen thousand strong French Army, it was to no avail." "After a siege lasting fifty five days, the" "French generals radioed back to that they could hold out no longer." "They surrendered." "It was a defeat that shook the world for several reasons." "First, and not least, the courage and fierce resistance the beleaguered garrison had displayed made worldwide headlines." "This was the first time in that part of South East Asia that a Western occupying power had been defeated by a Communist Army." "It was also the beginning of a military and political path that ended with the Vietnam war itself a decade later." "As a direct result of the French defeat, at the Geneva peace talks that followed, Vietnam was divided into North and South along the 17th parallel." "The Communist Viet Minh controlled the North, the non-Communist Vietnamese, with western support, were to rule in the South." "Even at the time, the agreement was seen as far from perfect." "But is was the best the" "French could get." "As the remnants of their forces tried to find a way out from their defeated fortress, back home in Paris, Dien Bien Phu was seen as a stunning blow to French pride, as well as a turning point in the history of South East Asia."