People’s Republic of China (state) · Background: China · People of the Mao era 1949–1976 — People | Cyber-Lenin

People’s Republic of China (state) Background: China People of the Mao era 1949–1976 Clear all

24 people

By birth A–Z List Cards

Ye Jianying 叶剑英 From Whampoa instructor to marshal, the soldier who organised the arrest of the Gang of Four in 1976 and ended the Cultural Revolution Military command · People’s Republic of China 1897–1986
Peng Dehuai 彭德怀 PLA marshal who commanded Chinese forces in Korea, then was purged for criticizing the Great Leap Forward Military command · People’s Republic of China 1898–1974
Kang Sheng 康生 Mao’s inquisitor who ran party security and intelligence from the Yan’an “rescue” campaign to the Cultural Revolution Security, intelligence and policing · People’s Republic of China 1898–1975
Nie Rongzhen 聂荣臻 Marshal who commanded the Jin-Cha-Ji base and then ran the “two bombs, one satellite” nuclear and missile programme Military command · People’s Republic of China 1899–1992
Chen Yi 陈毅 The poet-marshal who led the New Fourth Army and the Third Field Army and succeeded Zhou Enlai as foreign minister Diplomacy and international organization · People’s Republic of China 1901–1972
Xu Xiangqian 徐向前 Marshal who commanded the Fourth Front Army through Zhang Guotao’s split and as defence minister directed the 1979 war with Vietnam Military command · People’s Republic of China 1901–1990
Peng Zhen 彭真 Beijing mayor purged as the Cultural Revolution's first major target, then the architect of post-Mao China's legal-institutional foundations Political and party leadership · People’s Republic of China 1902–1997
Rao Shushi 饶漱石 The East China leader purged with Gao Gang in the “Gao–Rao anti-party alliance”, the People’s Republic’s first high-level purge Political and party leadership · People’s Republic of China 1903–1975
Chen Boda 陈伯达 Mao’s political secretary and the codifier of “Mao Zedong Thought”, head of the Cultural Revolution Group until his fall in 1970 Ideology and propaganda · People’s Republic of China 1904–1989
Gao Gang 高岗 The second-most powerful man in the CCP who wielded virtually autonomous power in Manchuria, then walked into Mao's trap and fell Economy, finance and planning · People’s Republic of China 1905–1954
Luo Ruiqing 罗瑞卿 First minister of public security and chief of the general staff, purged on the eve of the Cultural Revolution as Lin Biao’s target Security, intelligence and policing · People’s Republic of China 1906–1978
Xu Shiyou 许世友 Shaolin-trained Red Army general who led the Guangzhou military region on the eastern front of the 1979 war with Vietnam Military command · People’s Republic of China 1906–1985
Lin Biao 林彪 Mao's designated successor and the military genius who won the Chinese Civil War, third among the Ten Marshals Military command · People’s Republic of China 1907–1971
Li Xiannian 李先念 The finance chief who survived the Cultural Revolution, helped arrest the Gang of Four and became president; one of the “eight elders” Economy, finance and planning · People’s Republic of China 1909–1992
Deng Hua 邓华 A field commander who read the course of war Military command · People’s Republic of China 1910–1980
Yang Dezhi 杨得志 General who fought in Korea, commanded the Kunming region on the western front in 1979 and became chief of the General Staff Military command · People’s Republic of China 1911–1994
Deng Tuo 邓拓 People’s Daily editor whose Evening Chats at Yanshan were read as satire of the Great Leap, the Cultural Revolution’s first victim Ideology and propaganda · People’s Republic of China 1912–1966
Wei Guoqing 韦国清 Zhuang general sent in 1950 to head the Chinese Military Advisory Group to the Viet Minh, who also attended the Geneva conference Military command · People’s Republic of China 1913–1989
Jiang Qing 江青 From the Shanghai stage to the pinnacle of the Cultural Revolution: Mao's wife who led the Gang of Four and remade Chinese revolutionary art Ideology and propaganda · People’s Republic of China 1914–1991
Chen Yonggui 陈永贵 The peasant leader of the model village behind “In agriculture, learn from Dazhai”, who rose to vice-premier Agriculture and land policy · People’s Republic of China 1915–1986
Wang Dongxing 汪东兴 Mao’s bodyguard chief whose Zhongnanhai Unit 8341 arrested the Gang of Four, then pushed aside for the “two whatevers” Security, intelligence and policing · People’s Republic of China 1916–2015
Zhang Chunqiao 张春桥 Theoretician of the Gang of Four who organized the Shanghai People's Commune and championed all-round dictatorship over the bourgeoisie Ideology and propaganda · People’s Republic of China 1917–2005
Yao Wenyuan 姚文元 The Gang of Four’s theorist whose attack on Hai Rui Dismissed from Office opened the Cultural Revolution; the critic nicknamed “the cudgel” Ideology and propaganda · People’s Republic of China 1931–2005
Wang Hongwen 王洪文 The Shanghai worker-rebel who rose “like a helicopter” to party vice-chairman, youngest of the Gang of Four Political and party leadership · People’s Republic of China 1935–1992