People’s Republic of China state institutions · Marxism and communism · Background: China — People | Cyber-Lenin

People’s Republic of China state institutions Marxism and communism Background: China Clear all

41 people

By birth A–Z List Cards

Zhu De 朱德 Founder of the Chinese Red Army and the PLA, first among the Ten Marshals Military command · People’s Republic of China state institutions 1886–1976
Liu Bocheng 刘伯承 The “one-eyed dragon”, Red Army chief of staff and Deng Xiaoping’s partner who commanded at Huaihai Military command · People’s Republic of China state institutions 1892–1986
Mao Zedong 毛泽东 He rewrote the grammar of revolution for a peasant country Political and party leadership · People’s Republic of China state institutions 1893–1976
Soong Ching-ling 宋庆龄 Sun Yat-sen’s widow who stayed with the Kuomintang left and became a vice-chair of the People’s Republic Social movements and organizing · Communist Party of China 1893–1981
He Long 贺龙 The Hunanese who rose “with two kitchen knives”, commander of the Nanchang Uprising and the Second Front Army Military command · People’s Republic of China state institutions 1896–1969
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 state institutions 1897–1986
Liu Shaoqi 刘少奇 CCP chief theoretician and PRC Chairman (1959–68), designated successor to Mao who was purged as China's foremost 'capitalist roader' Political and party leadership · People’s Republic of China state institutions 1898–1969
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 state institutions 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 state institutions 1898–1975
Zhou Enlai 周恩来 The PRC's first premier and an architect of its foreign policy Government and administration · People’s Republic of China state institutions 1898–1976
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 state institutions 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 state institutions 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 state institutions 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 state institutions 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 state institutions 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 state institutions 1904–1989
Deng Xiaoping 邓小平 The paramount leader who redirected China through reform and opening Political and party leadership · People’s Republic of China state institutions 1904–1997
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 state institutions 1905–1954
Chen Yun 陈云 CCP elder who designed China's socialist economic system with his 'bird-cage economy' concept Economy, finance and planning · People’s Republic of China state institutions 1905–1995
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 state institutions 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 state institutions 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 state institutions 1907–1971
Bo Yibo 薄一波 First finance minister and central figure of the “61 renegades” case, who returned in the reform era as a conservative elder Economy, finance and planning · People’s Republic of China state institutions 1908–2007
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 state institutions 1909–1992
Deng Hua 邓华 A field commander who read the course of war Military command · People’s Republic of China state institutions 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 state institutions 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 state institutions 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 state institutions 1913–1989
Xi Zhongxun 习仲勋 A founder of the northern Shaanxi base, purged for sixteen years, who opened Guangdong’s special economic zones Government and administration · People’s Republic of China state institutions 1913–2002
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 state institutions 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 state institutions 1915–1986
Hu Yaobang 胡耀邦 The reformist general secretary who rehabilitated the Cultural Revolution’s victims and freed thought; his death sparked the 1989 protests Political and party leadership · People’s Republic of China state institutions 1915–1989
Wan Li 万里 “If you want rice, look for Wan Li” — the reform pioneer who let Anhui’s peasants contract land to households Agriculture and land policy · People’s Republic of China state institutions 1916–2015
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 state institutions 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 state institutions 1917–2005
Zhao Ziyang 赵紫阳 From Sichuan’s farm reforms to general secretary, the reformer who opposed martial law in 1989 and died under house arrest Political and party leadership · People’s Republic of China state institutions 1919–2005
Hua Guofeng 华国锋 Mao’s designated successor — “With you in charge, I am at ease” — who arrested the Gang of Four and was eased out by Deng Xiaoping Political and party leadership · People’s Republic of China state institutions 1921–2008
Jiang Zemin 江泽民 The “core” plucked from Shanghai in 1989 who led post-Tiananmen China into the market economy and the “Three Represents” Political and party leadership · People’s Republic of China state institutions 1926–2022
Li Peng 李鹏 The premier who declared martial law in May 1989, called “the butcher of Beijing”; Zhou Enlai’s ward Government and administration · People’s Republic of China state institutions 1928–2019
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 state institutions 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 state institutions 1935–1992