Liu Bocheng
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| Liu Bocheng | |
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 《解放军画报》记者 柳成行 · Public domain · source | |
| Name | Liu Bocheng |
| Birth date | 4 December 1892 |
| Death date | 7 October 1986 |
| Birth place | Kaizhou, Sichuan, Qing dynasty |
| Death place | Beijing, People's Republic of China |
| Allegiance | * Republic of China * Chinese Communist Party |
| Serviceyears | 1911–1959 |
| Rank | Marshal of the People's Republic of China |
| Commands | 129th Division, Second Field Army |
| Battles | * Northern Expedition * Long March * Second Sino-Japanese War * Chinese Civil War * Korean War |
| Spouse | * Wu Chunlan * Wang Ronghua * Wang Ronghua (remarried) * Wang Ronghua (remarried) |
Liu Bocheng was a preeminent Chinese military commander and a founding Marshal of the People's Republic of China. A key strategist for the Chinese Communist Party during the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Chinese Civil War, he was renowned for his tactical brilliance and earned the nickname "One-Eyed Dragon" after losing an eye in combat. His leadership of the 129th Division and later the Second Field Army was instrumental in securing Communist victory, cementing his legacy as one of the "Three Great Strategists" of the People's Liberation Army.
Early Life and Education
Born in Kaizhou, Sichuan during the final years of the Qing dynasty, he was raised in a scholarly but impoverished family. He received a traditional Confucian education before enrolling in a modern military school, reflecting the era's shift towards institutional reform. His early military training was further developed at the prestigious Baoding Military Academy, where he studied alongside future prominent figures in the Warlord Era. This formal education provided a critical foundation in conventional warfare that he would later adapt to revolutionary guerrilla tactics.
Military Career
He began his service in the Republican army, participating in the Xinhai Revolution and later the Northern Expedition under the National Revolutionary Army. After joining the Chinese Communist Party in 1926, he played a crucial role in the Nanchang Uprising, a seminal event often considered the birth of the People's Liberation Army. During the Long March, he served as Chief of the General Staff, skillfully navigating forces through challenging terrain and engagements with the Kuomintang. His expertise was pivotal in transforming the Eighth Route Army's 129th Division into a formidable fighting force during the war against Japan.
Major Campaigns and Battles
He masterminded numerous successful operations throughout the Second Sino-Japanese War, including the Hundred Regiments Offensive, which demonstrated the growing strength of Communist forces. In the subsequent Chinese Civil War, he commanded the Central Plains Field Army, achieving a decisive strategic victory in the Huaihai Campaign against the National Revolutionary Army. His forces also spearheaded the critical Yangtze River Crossing Campaign, which led directly to the capture of the Nationalist capital, Nanjing. Later, during the Korean War, he contributed to strategic planning as the President of the PLA Military Academy.
Later Life and Legacy
Following the establishment of the People's Republic of China, he held several high-ranking positions, including Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. He was formally honored as one of the Ten Marshals of the People's Liberation Army in 1955. In his later years, he focused on military theory and education, authoring influential translations of works by Carl von Clausewitz and Mikhail Frunze. His strategic doctrines, emphasizing flexibility and the integration of conventional and guerrilla warfare, remain studied within the PLA National Defence University and have left an indelible mark on modern Chinese military thought.
Personal Life
His personal life was marked by resilience, mirroring his military career; he was married four times, with three marriages to the same woman, Wang Ronghua, following periods of separation during wartime. The loss of his right eye in 1916 led to a legendary surgery performed without anesthesia, which solidified his reputation for extraordinary fortitude. Despite his stern military demeanor, he was known to be a devoted scholar of classical Chinese literature and history. He passed away in Beijing in 1986 and was memorialized with a state funeral, his ashes interred at the Babaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery.
Category:1892 births Category:1986 deaths Category:Marshals of the People's Republic of China Category:People from Chongqing