Russian scholar describes Dien Bien Phu Victory as one of prominent battles of 20th century

The Dien Bien Phu Victory 70 years ago (May 7, 1954) was one of the prominent battles of the 20th century, said Anatoly Sokolov, a Russian Vietnamologist and Associate Prof., Doctor of Literature, while talking with a Vietnam News Agency’s resident reporter in Moscow.

Sokolov, who is also a senior research fellow at the Centre for Southeast Asia, Australia and Oceania at the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Oriental Studies, said the Dien Bien Phu Victory marked the successful end of the Vietnamese people's 8-year resistance against French colonialists. It was studied by military academies worldwide and often referred to as Vietnam's Stalingrad.

According to the scholar, the Dien Bien Phu Victory has become a shining and practical example for many oppressed peoples around the world. It shattered the domination of French colonialism, compelling not only France but also other colonial powers to respect the rights of oppressed peoples in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

Meanwhile, the April 30, 1975 victory forever etched into the world history, marking the definitive end of the longest, fiercest, and most challenging war of the 20th century. The 30-year struggle of the Vietnamese people against foreign invaders - the French colonialists and the American imperialists - came to a close, he said.

He attributed the victory to the far-sighted policy and vision of the Communist Party of Vietnam, and the correctness of the strategy and tactic of the Vietnam People's Army.