The Hunanese who rose “with two kitchen knives”, commander of the Nanchang Uprising and the Second Front Army
Born to a poor peasant family in Sangzhi, Hunan, he left the legend of rising “with two kitchen knives”, commanded the Nanchang Uprising in 1927, and led the Second Front Army on the Long March.
From a poor family in western Hunan, he led local armed bands, rose to command a Nationalist army corps, and joined the party days after commanding the Nanchang Uprising of 1 August 1927. He built a base on the Hunan–Hubei border, led the Second Front Army on the Long March and the 120th Division in the war with Japan. After 1949 he was one of the ten marshals, chairman of the state sports commission and a vice-chairman of the Military Commission. Attacked by Lin Biao and Kang Sheng in the Cultural Revolution, he was confined and died in 1969 after being denied treatment; he was rehabilitated in 1974.
Career Timeline
- 1927.08Commander-in-chief of the Nanchang Uprising
- 1936–1937Commander of the Second Front Army
- 1955Marshal of the People’s Republic of China
Related historical events
- 1924–1927The first united front, the Northern Expedition and the catastrophe of 1927Commander of the Nanchang UprisingCommanded the rising of 1 August 1927 and joined the party days later.
- 1927–1936From Jinggangshan to Yan’an: the soviet bases and the Long MarchCommander of the Second Front ArmyMarched from the Hunan–Hubei base to join at Huining in 1936.
- 1966–1976The Cultural RevolutionMarshal who died under persecutionConfined after attacks by Lin Biao and Kang Sheng; died in 1969.