Peng Dehuai

Peng Dehuai was a prominent Chinese military leader and a senior official of the Chinese Communist Party. He served as a Marshal of the People's Republic of China and was a key commander in major conflicts including the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Chinese Civil War, and the Korean War. His later criticism of Mao Zedong's policies at the Lushan Conference led to his political downfall and persecution during the Cultural Revolution.

Early life and military beginnings

Born into poverty in Hunan province, he joined the Hunan Army in 1916 and later attended the Hunan Military Academy. He initially served as an officer in the National Revolutionary Army during the Northern Expedition, but became disillusioned with the Kuomintang. In 1928, he led the Pingjiang Uprising and defected to the Chinese Communist Party, joining forces with Mao Zedong and Zhu De at Jinggang Mountains. He became a leading commander in the Chinese Red Army, playing crucial roles in the Jiangxi Soviet during the Encirclement Campaigns and the subsequent Long March.

Role in the Chinese Civil War

During the Second Sino-Japanese War, he commanded the Eighth Route Army in major operations like the Hundred Regiments Offensive. In the resumed Chinese Civil War, Peng was appointed commander of the Northwest Field Army, which was later redesignated the First Field Army. He successfully defended the Shaanxi-Ningxia-Gansu border region and later led major campaigns to secure Northwest China, including the critical Lanzhou Campaign. His forces ultimately captured Xinjiang, integrating it into the newly founded People's Republic of China.

Korean War command and leadership

In October 1950, he was appointed the commander and political commissar of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army, leading its entry into the Korean War. He directed major offensives against United Nations Command forces, including the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir and the Fifth Phase Offensive. His leadership involved complex coordination with Kim Il Sung and direct reporting to the Central Military Commission in Beijing. After the signing of the Korean Armistice Agreement, he was hailed as a national hero and was awarded the title of Marshal of the People's Republic of China in 1955.

Post-war political career and the Lushan Conference

Following the war, he served as Minister of National Defense and a member of the Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party. He was deeply concerned about the economic consequences of Mao Zedong's Great Leap Forward. In 1959, at the pivotal Lushan Conference, he presented a critical letter, known as the "Ten Thousand Character Letter," to Mao, detailing failures in policy. This direct criticism provoked Mao's wrath and led to Peng being denounced as the leader of an "anti-Party clique" alongside colleagues like Huang Kecheng and Zhang Wentian. He was removed from all his positions, though he retained his Central Committee membership.

Later years, persecution and death

After his purge, he lived under virtual house arrest, writing extensive personal memoirs. With the onset of the Cultural Revolution, he was publicly denounced by the Gang of Four and subjected to severe persecution by Red Guards. He endured repeated struggle sessions and was imprisoned. In 1973, he was diagnosed with colorectal cancer but received inadequate medical treatment. He died in 1974 in Beijing. Posthumously, in 1978, he was fully rehabilitated by the Chinese Communist Party under Deng Xiaoping, with his reputation officially restored at a memorial service presided over by Deng Xiaoping.