The battle of Dien Bien Phu seen from Spain

Abstract

This article is aimed to analyze the Spanish press coverage of the Dien Bien Phu battle of that took place between November 1953 and May 1954. This French defeat was crucial to the outcome of the First Indochina War, which ended with the signature of the Geneva Accords on July 21, 1954. The treatment of the battle and its consequences by Spanish newspapers, directly or indirectly controlled by the Francoist authorities, was totally dependent on their anti-Communism, which led them to glorify the defenders of the Fortress and at the same time to criticize the French government for its growing willingness to come to an agreement with the Viet Minh, in order to end the conflict.