At Dien Bien Phu the French forces were smartly handled by the Vietminh forces led by General Vo Nguyen Giap. The French Commander, Navarre, faced several problems in the battle. (i) The valley where French garrisons were located flooded in the monsoon. (ii) The area was covered with bushes, making it difficult for the troops and tanks to move, or trace the Vietminh anti-aircraft guns hidden in the jungle. (iii) Supplies and reinforcements could not reach the French garrison. (iv) The wounded French soldiers could not be taken to the hospitals. (v) The French airstrip became incompetent because of continuous missiles fire.But the Vietminh were quite well acquainted with the places around and they successfully surrounded the French garrisons in the valley below, digging trenches and tunnels to move without being detected. This led to the defeat of the French forces in the battle of Dien Bien Phu and it soon became a very important symbol of struggle. It gave confidence to Vietminh of their capabilities. The stories of the battle were retold in villages and cities to inspire other people also.