Being called a teacher by Zhang Zhen, vice chairman of China's Central Military Commission, shows the high level of seniority.
So who is this person?
He was Qiu Weida, commander of the Kuomintang's 74th Army.
Yes, you heard it right, this Kuomintang military commander was indeed called a teacher by Zhang Zhen, and the origin of all this has to start with Qiu Weida's surrender.
What is more worth mentioning is that in the Liberation War, many generals of the Nationalist Army, such as Du Yuming, Wang Yaowu, Liao Yaoxiang, and so on, became prisoners of war of our Party and were imprisoned in war criminals management centers for reform.
However, only Qiu Weida was not captured and imprisoned, but instead became a teacher at our party's East China Military and Political University.
In fact, there are three reasons for the end of all this.
Qiu Weida
Today's Brief History Archive will tell you about the story of Qiu Weida.
He almost joined the Communist Party
Nowadays, when it comes to Qiu Weida, everyone's first impression is that of the commander of the Kuomintang's 74th Army, but in fact, Qiu Weida was almost a communist general.
In 1904, Qiu Weida was born in Pingjiang County, Hunan Province, the family is good, Qiu Weida received a very good education from a young age, which also added a little foundation to his state of mind.
In 1919, Qiu Weida was in
"May Fourth Movement"
Under the influence, he actively participated in the patriotic movement and often took to the streets to march.
However, this behavior was dissatisfied with the Church of England, so Qiu Weida was expelled from school, which also caused social outrage at the time.
It is worth mentioning that at that time, Qiu Weida met the famous general Zhong Zhiguang of our party because of the student movement, and the two met and hated each other late, and soon became very good personal friends.
When he learned that Qiu Weida had been expelled, Zhong Zhiguang introduced him to his middle school, and the head of the middle school also admired Qiu Weida's patriotism.
Bell period light
So the middle school immediately informed Qiu Weida that he could transfer the school unconditionally, and Qiu Weida was also able to enter the county middle school, but unfortunately, the world was unpredictable, and Zhong Zhiguang and Qiu Weida, two young friends, finally stood on the opposite side.
After graduating from middle school, Qiu Weida decided to throw in the pen, so he resolutely applied for the Whampoa Military Academy, and also participated in the famous Northern Expedition during this period.
Don't look at Qiu Weida, who was from the Whampoa Military Academy, in fact, at the beginning, Qiu Weida and Chiang Kai-shek were still enemies!
At that time, Chiang Kai-shek openly betrayed the revolution, launched the April 12 counter-revolutionary coup, and slaughtered the blood of his compatriots, which made the patriotic Qiu Weida feel very dissatisfied and often openly opposed Chiang Kai-shek.
Later, the whole country could not tolerate such white terror, and chose to revolt and resist, and Qiu Weida also followed Ye Jianying to participate in the famous Guangzhou Uprising under the call.
Ye Jianying
At this time, Qiu Weida was not a Red Army, but his heart firmly longed for the Communist Party, so even if the Guangzhou uprising was hasty, Qiu Weida still participated in the uprising without hesitation.
Unfortunately, this uprising was vetoed by the advisers of the Comintern, and although it took 3 days of bloody struggle, it was still due to the disparity in strength between the enemy and ourselves, which led to the failure of the uprising.
It is worth mentioning that if the Guangzhou Uprising can be successful, perhaps Qiu Weida will be able to successfully join the Communist Party and become the Red Army.
Unfortunately, the failure of the uprising led to heavy damage to the troops led by Qiu Weida, making Qiu Weida a lonely light pole leader, and the troops had to find another way to make a living after they were scattered.
Joined Wang Yaowu and became a famous anti-Japanese general
The wind and rain were shaking, and Qiu Weida felt that the defeated people had nowhere to go. So I lost my fighting spirit and was confused all day.
Fortunately, Qiu Weida once had some connections in the Whampoa Military Academy, so soon after, Qiu Weida came to Wang Yaowu's command after being introduced by several old classmates.
Wang Yaowu was a wise man, and he never valued the outcome of Qiu Weida's defeat, on the contrary, Qiu Weida's ability was what Wang Yaowu valued.
Wang Yaowu
Therefore, Wang Yaowu admired Qiu Weida very much, and soon promoted Qiu Weida to his chief of staff.
Qiu Weida was happy that it was not easy to meet BoLe, but the last thing Qiu Weida wanted to face would eventually come, that is, to meet the Red Army soldiers.
Wang Yaowu received orders to encircle and suppress the Red Army, and Qiu Weida had no choice but to be loyal to the king and was ordered to encircle and suppress the Red Army in Jiangxi and northern Shaanxi.
However, Qiu Weida was very unhappy in his heart, and he did not understand why he still had to beat his own people at this moment when the situation was in the autumn of survival?
Therefore, Qiu Weida always put on a negative posture in the battle against the Red Army, Wang Yaowu understood in his heart, but he did not beat Qiu Weida, after all, Wang Yaowu was also unwilling to fight with his own people.
But if you think that Qiu Weida is incompetent, you are really wrong, and Qiu Weida's real ability completely exploded on the anti-Japanese battlefield.
After the outbreak of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the Battle of Songhu was defeated, and Nanjing was about to fall into crisis.
The Battle of Songhu was planned
In order to defend Nanjing, which was the capital at that time, all the major troops rushed to Nanjing to support, Qiu Weida had actually just experienced a bitter battle, but in order to rescue Nanjing, Qiu Weida still rushed to Nanjing without hesitation and threw himself into the defense of Nanjing.
In order to defend Nanjing, Qiu Weida led the death squad to face the Japanese White Blade, and the position also changed hands several times in the confrontation between the two sides.
Despite the difficulties, Qiu Weida still did not give up resistance, and even later almost died on the field because of excessive blood loss from the bullet, thanks to Wang Yaowu's special dispatch to pick up Qiu Weida, qiu Weida was prevented from dying in Nanjing.
Later, in the Battle of Wuhan, Qiu Weida led his troops and the Japanese Army's Tufeiyuan Division to fight hard, and he still did not fall behind;
In the great victory of De'an, Qiu Weida led his troops to severely damage the Japanese Matsuura Division, annihilating nearly 20,000 enemy troops;
In the Battle of Xuefeng Mountain, Qiu Weida used mobile troops to block the enemy's tactics and destroy more than 20,000 enemy troops.
All this directly made Qiu Weida shine on the anti-Japanese battlefield.
It can be said that Qiu Weida showed the spirit of a Son and Daughter of China when facing the Japanese Kou, and after arduous and outstanding efforts, Qiu Weida finally waited for the day of victory in the War of Resistance, and later Qiu Weida also participated in the surrender ceremony of Japan as a representative.
Take the initiative to surrender to the People's Liberation Army
Unfortunately, Qiu Weida was not happy for long, and the civil war ensued.
At that time, many people ridiculed Qiu Weida, saying that he:
"It's going to be a stuffy gourd again."
Where do these people understand Qiu Weida's suffering, Qiu Weida just does not want to see the civil war, as for the ability to fight, Qiu Weida's performance on the anti-Japanese battlefield is enough to explain everything.
Although Qiu Weida had also met with our party soldiers, Qiu Weida understood that he and the People's Liberation Army had never been enemies, especially many opponents on the battlefield, but also his former classmates and close friends.
In this battle, Qiu Weida was really difficult to start.
However, at this moment, the Kuomintang-Communist civil war broke out, and the Kuomintang troops were also gradually defeated, and it seemed that many things were no longer decided by Qiu Weida.
Zhang Lingfu
Sure enough, after the Battle of Menglianggu in 1947, Zhang Lingfu died on the battlefield, and then Qiu Weida was appointed commander of the 74th Army, and Chiang Kai-shek immediately summoned Qiu Weida and ordered him to quickly go to Linyi to reorganize the troops.
Qiu Weida knew that this moment would come, helpless, can only rush to the scene, and later when Qiu Weida recalled this incident in his later years, he said with emotion:
"The rope is tied around the neck again."
In 1949, the Battle of Huaihai broke out, and the defensive positions of the Nationalist armies were gradually disintegrated by the Platon Army, and Qiu Weida led the 74th Army and the 51st Division in a dying struggle according to the order.
Not surprisingly, the People's Liberation Army easily bit the Kuomintang 51st Division, along with the commander of the 51st Division, Wang Menggeng, was also killed, and the 51st Division was annihilated.
Chiang Kai-shek, Soong Mei-ling, Chiang Ching-kuo
Qiu Weida was in a clear state of mind, knowing that the general trend had gone, there was no need to carry out unnecessary resistance, plus Qiu Weida was originally passive to meet the battle and did not want to fight again.
So after Qiu Weida was ready, he immediately led his troops to surrender to the People's Liberation Army and explained his identity.
Qiu Weida's performance, the People's Liberation Army also saw in the eyes, of course, understand that Qiu Weida is not a stubborn person, and remember that he has long had the intention of submission, so Qiu Weida received preferential treatment after surrendering.
After Qiu Wei arrived at the PLA camp, he was not treated as a prisoner of war, nor was his personal freedom restricted, so Qiu Weida went to live in the headquarters of Xu Shiyou's corps for a few days and then to Nie Fengzhi's department for a few days, and the relationship was very harmonious.
Obtained permission to meet Wang Yaowu
After the surrender, Qiu Weida has been busy sorting out the troops and preparing for the follow-up of some things.
During this time, our army learned that Qiu Weida and Wang Yaowu had a great relationship, so they took the initiative to tell Qiu Weida that after Wang Yaowu was captured in the Battle of Jinan, he is now studying and reforming in Yidu County, Shandong.
Qiu Weida was also very happy to learn that his old leader was still alive, and immediately applied to the superior organization to visit Wang Yaowu, and after review, Qiu Weida's request was approved.
In January 1949, Qiu Weida came to the People's Liberation Army Officer Regiment of the East China Military Region in Yidu County, Shandong Province, where qiu Weida met Wang Yaowu in a courtyard.
Wang Yaowu was also very happy about Qiu Weida's arrival, the two had complemented each other for so many years, and they were also teachers and friends, and their relationship was also very close.
Then the two talked freely about their recent situation, and Qiu Weida also explained to Wang Yaowu his experience of taking the initiative to surrender, and Wang Yaowu also expressed understanding of this and praised:
"Old Qiu is much smarter than I am, and it is long overdue."
In fact, what everyone does not know is that Wang Yaowu once had the intention of surrendering, and now, perhaps some news has been distorted, but it is rumored that Wang Yaowu took the initiative to do three things before he was captured in the Battle of Jinan:
First, take the initiative to release the people in the city to flee for their lives;
Second, take the initiative to release underground CCP members in Jinan;
Third, hold a meeting to let the subordinates take the initiative to "release water.".
Although these things are no longer true or false, they can be circulated, and it can also be seen that Wang Yaowu is not confused, otherwise he would not have been released as the first prisoner of war.
After meeting Wang Yaowu, Qiu Weida received a letter from his friend Zhong Zhiguang.
The letter expressed Zhong Zhiguang's praise for his friend's surrender, and Zhong Zhiguang comforted Qiu Weida
"Those who have gone before, those who come can be traced"
As long as in the second half of life, to aspire to do something beneficial to the people, to be a good citizen, then it is not too late.
With the encouragement of his friends, Qiu Weida's confidence was doubled.
Just as the so-called revolution is not in high or low order, the People's Liberation Army also came to find Qiu Weida hoping that he would join the People's Liberation Army and continue to serve the country, Qiu Weida was naturally pleased, and immediately agreed to the INVITATION of the People's Liberation Army.
In March 1950, Qiu Weida, who joined the People's Liberation Army, was transferred to East China Military and Political University as a teacher, and in the military hospital, Qiu Weida saw Zhong Zhiguang, who had not been seen for a long time, and the two exchanged greetings for half a day, and Qiu Weida thanked Zhong Zhiguang for his encouragement.
Just like Zhong Qiguang said, the revolution is not in any order, and Qiu Weida has also done it!
Three reasons prevented Qiu Weida from becoming a prisoner of war
In November 1950, Qiu Weida received an invitation from Marshal Liu Bocheng to attend a banquet held to prepare for the establishment of the military academy.
Liu Bocheng
At the banquet, Liu Bocheng delivered a speech:
"The members who participated in the preparatory meeting for the military academies came together for a common purpose."
Pushing the heart and the stomach, there is no barrier, this is what Qiu Weida has never felt in the Kuomintang!
Qiu Weida was deeply moved and decided to devote himself wholeheartedly to the revolutionary road.
It is worth mentioning that General Zhang Zhen was the vice president of the military academy at that time, and once when he met Qiu Weida, Zhang Zhen blurted out
"Teacher"
This flattered Qiu Weida, who bluntly said that he was a general of the defeated army and really could not afford such a high title.
However, General Zhang Zhen righteously said that it should be:
First of all, because Qiu Weida is older than Zhang Zhen, it is not too much to honor a teacher in terms of age;
The second reason is that Qiu Weida was a well-known Huangpu high-caliber student, who made great contributions during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and won three medals.
Calling him a teacher, Zhang Zhen felt that Qiu Weida deserved it, but Qiu Weida was ashamed and embarrassed, and could only work harder in the military academy to make up for all the wasted time in his previous life.
Zhang Zhen
I believe that seeing this, many people wonder, even if the position is as high as Wang Yaowu, he still can't escape the fate of becoming a prisoner of war, how can Qiu Weida stay out of the matter?
In fact, the reason why Qiu Weida was able to achieve the reversal of life's fate can be summed up for three reasons:
First, Qiu Weida's military ability is outstanding;
Second, Qiu Weida did not support the military claims of civil war;
Third, Qiu Weida's positive confession of guilt.
First of all, Qiu Weida suffered huge casualties in the Battle of Songhu, but for the sake of Nanjing, he did not have time to rest and rushed to participate in the defense war.
Later, in order to defend the Shuixi Gate in Nanjing, Qiu Weida dared to fight and kill, which was a completely sacrificial battle, so fighting for the country, naturally there was no need to doubt its outstanding ability.
Second, thanks to the education that Qiu Weida participated in from an early age, he actively participated in various patriotic movements in his youth, and Qiu Weida also always fought passively against the encirclement and suppression of the Red Army, avoiding a large number of casualties of the Red Army.
Many people laughed at Qiu Weida
Civil war laymen, foreign war insiders
In fact, this is what Qiu Weida got!
The first left is Qiu Weida
The third and most important one is, of course, that military capability is not enough to allow Qiu Weida to escape prison, and more importantly, Qiu Weida's attitude to the civil war and his enthusiasm for admitting mistakes.
In the Battle of Huaihai, Qiu Weida did not stubbornly resist in the battle, and took the initiative to revolt and surrender, directly avoiding casualties on both sides and the attrition of our army's battle.
It can be said that Qiu Weida has made great achievements.
In his later years, Qiu Weida did not give up his contribution to the country, and often went to Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and other places to devote himself to the cause of peaceful reunification.
If Qiu Weida judges the hour and sizes up the situation, it is inevitable that he will appear shrewd.
Rather than this, it is better to say that it is a clear state of mind, if such an understanding of people can be more, then perhaps the new China will be established earlier!
Disclaimer: This article is the original article of the headline number Brief History Archive, and any unauthorized reprinting, plagiarism, and washing of manuscripts must be investigated!