The French forces are defeated at Dien Bien Phu on May 7, 1954, after a 56-day siege by Viet Minh forces led by General Vo Nguyen Giap; bringing an end to French colonial efforts in Indochina. Vietnam was partitioned by the Geneva Accords of 1954 into Communist North Vietnam and non-Communist South Vietnam.
President Eisenhower sent some 700 military personnel as well as military and economic aid to the government of South Vietnam. In 1961, JFK authorized sending additional Special Forces troops and military advisors to South Vietnam. By the end of 1962, there were approximately 11,000 military personnel in South Vietnam and 16,000 by the end of 1963.
