45 years is still an ordinary soldier, after the end of the Liberation War is just an ordinary unit chief, even in the Lin Biao case, he was also implicated, so why did he soar to become a lieutenant general, and then promoted to general? What exactly did Zhang Wannian do in the Vietnam War?
At that time, Vietnam, in the case of the success of the revolution, constantly eroded the surrounding territories, and after invading Cambodia, it targeted China, which was only a short time ago.
In order to justify the war with China, Vietnam carried out the same operation as India at that time, blurring the Sino-Vietnamese border, questioning the territorial sovereignty of the border, and in order to combat Vietnam's arrogance, China deployed nearly 300,000 troops on the Sino-Vietnamese border.
The general who was ordered by Shangfeng to avoid scaring away the Vietnamese army was General Zhang Wannian, who had made outstanding contributions in this battle.
What's going on here? China and Vietnam are at war, but they want to make the general pause the battle so as not to scare off the opponent? What is the superiority of this young general Zhang?
1. Participate in the War of Resistance Against Japan and join the Party with honor
Compared with other generals, General Zhang Wannian was really younger. In 1928, many generals had already joined the party, and this general Zhang had just been born, born in a poor family in Shandong, he was kind and sensible from an early age, and often worked with his parents in his childhood.
But the good times were short-lived. When I was 14 years old, my hometown was in a drought, and my already poor family was even more indebted, and I didn't even have to eat a full meal.
Left a general of the Ten Thousand Years
In order to make ends meet, Zhang Wannian proposed to his mother that he wanted to go out and beg for food, and as a simple farmer, this was the most difficult time in his life.
In the past, although the family was poor, they were also croppers who lived with a straight waist, but to go out to beg for food was to reach out to others for food, which for honest croppers, it was tantamount to trampling them in the dirt, and the old saying used to be "people want faces, trees want bark." ”
But in order to survive, the family also had to beg for a living. Even if Zhang Wannian had succumbed to fate, like other farmers, he lived with his back to the sky facing the loess. But fate still did not let him go, and even if he begged for 42 years, he could not get back a grain of grain.
The family has been several meals without rice under the pot, the drought lasted for three years, the grain grains have not been harvested, in order to survive, the father borrowed grain from one family to another, but delayed the work for the Japanese, and the Japanese broke into the house in anger, beat Zhang Wannian's father and took him away.
"Extreme shame and pain burned in his chest."
Little Zhang Wannian was very angry at the Japanese army's approach, but there was nothing he could do, he could only cry with his mother, this incident gave Zhang Wannian a fatal blow, it turned out that even if he was seeking perfection, it was impossible to live in this chaotic world.
Since for him, no matter what he does, he will eventually die, so why should he linger, it is better to resist. If there is no country, how can we talk about home?
A year later, when he came into contact with the Communist Party, he resolutely joined the Eighth Route Army, although Zhang Wannian was only an honest peasant, but in his heart he was furious with the Japanese army.
As an ordinary soldier, he was determined to break out of his own world in the Eighth Route Army.
The War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression
At this time, the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression was nearing its end, and it was reasonable to say that as a small soldier, at this time, it was difficult to get ahead, but for Zhang Wannian, who had been resentful of the Japanese army for a long time, he was extremely brave on the battlefield, as if he was rushing forward like a life, no matter which time he participated in the battle, he was invincible.
Zhang Wannian, who was so brave, quickly joined the party and became a party member.
Second, the War of Liberation and became a representative of meritorious heroes
Compared with the War of Resistance Against Japan, which did not have much room to play, the War of Liberation can be called the main battlefield of Zhang Wannian as a soldier.
At the beginning of the Liberation War, Zhang Wannian was still a small soldier, but by the end of the Liberation War, he was already the head of the regimental communications unit. Such a position promotion is naturally inseparable from Zhang Wannian's record.
During the Liberation War, Zhang Wannian followed the troops to the northeast and participated in many battles, and due to the gradual enrichment of combat experience, Zhang Wannian's position was also quietly changing.
But when he became a platoon leader, he experienced a fierce battle, and it was also the first time he was injured in this battle.
As a platoon leader, he served as an assault platoon to attack enemy fortifications. At that time, the Kuomintang not only added an entire regiment equipped with heavy weapons to Yingpan Village, but also built strong fortifications outside the village. The task of the assault platoon was to destroy the fortifications.
One platoon to another regiment, this is by no means a simple task, Zhang Wannian rushed to the front with his warriors, all the way forward, did not expect to stray into the enemy's trap - Meihua Fort.
In order to break through the enemy's encirclement, Zhang Wannian took the risk alone and threw grenades to blow up the Meihua Fort, although the battle was won, but Zhang Wannian's stomach was also injured by shells.
The Battle of Anshan in 48 years was even more tragic, and Anshan, which had a natural barrier, was a typical terrain that was easy to defend and difficult to attack.
Relief of Anshan Martyrs Cemetery
In order to capture Anshan, they chose to climb from the ice slope to the main peak, but they were violently attacked by the Kuomintang. In order to win this battle, Zhang Wannian immediately made a decision, avoided the fire point, and climbed to the top by taking a ladder.
But in the process of climbing, unfortunately hit the leg by a bullet, Zhang Wannian, who fell down, immediately passed out, and by the time he woke up, the battle was over.
The battle was extremely fierce, and General Zhang Wannian recalled the scene at that time and still proudly said,
"In battle, political work cadres, taking the lead and sacrificing themselves in the front, is the glorious tradition of our 36 regiment."
It was precisely because of his excellent performance in this battle that Zhang Wannian was promoted two levels in a row and became the chief of the communications unit. Subsequently, he made a great contribution to maintaining communication during the battle.
Third, the war against Vietnam scares away the Vietnamese army
After the Liberation War, Zhang Wannian completely annihilated the Kuomintang defending the enemy in Southern Pengdao in one fell swoop, and was commended by the central authorities for calling, and more than ten years later, Zhang Wannian was promoted to division commander, which was the first time he accurately stepped onto the big stage of history.
Prior to this, Zhang Wannian's name had always existed in China's army. In the subsequent War of Vietnam, the name Zhang Wannian was even thunderous to the US military.
In the Liberation War, Zhang Wannian, who did not have much military talent, how did he get on the stage of history?
In 1979, Vietnam constantly provoked our country, shouted on the border line I crossed, and argued over land and sea issues, in order to deter Vietnam, China deployed 300,000 troops on the Sino-Vietnamese border.
Although there are so many troops, our army has not fought since it taught India 17 years ago. This can't help but make people wonder, can the Chinese army, which has rested for so long, be able to defeat the Vietnamese army that has been baptized in artillery fire?
Everyone's heart is beating drums, but everyone understands that this is a war that can only be won and not lost.
Although the situation did not face the crisis of India in the past, it should not be underestimated, and the countries of the world are eyeing China, and if the myths of the Korean War and the War against India are broken, the situation facing China will only become more difficult and complicated.
In order to win a single blow, the march into Vietnam was led by the 127th Division, known as the Iron Army Division, and the commander of the division at that time was Zhang Wannian.
Self-defense counterattack on the Sino-Vietnamese border
The battle was of great significance not only to China, but also to the 127th Division and Zhang Wannian.
Everyone in the 127th Division held their breath in their hearts and wanted to take advantage of this battle to raise their eyebrows, but fortunately, the 127th Division and General Zhang got what they wanted.
Zhang Wannian, who had a wealth of experience, finally decided to enter Vietnam from the small road, facing the enemy of both battalions with all their strength, and the Vietnamese army, which was still sleeping, was beaten by this surprise attack.
It took only one night to end the battle, and in order to win with all his might, Zhang Wannian ordered an all-out attack on Luping, taking advantage of the good morale and taking Luping into his pocket. Sure enough, the weak Vietnamese army was vulnerable, and in the afternoon of the same day, Lu Ping was attacked by Zhang Wannian.
This quick and direct attack disrupted all of Shangfeng's deployment for the battle.
Xu Shiyou originally thought that this should be a protracted war, that Zhang Wannian's troops should take the lead, and other troops followed, but he did not expect that Vietnam, which claimed to have been in the battlefield for a long time, would lose its position so easily.
Faced with such miscalculations, Xu Shiyou wanted to adjust the battle plan, and urgently telegraphed Zhang Wannian that "in view of the fact that the frontal troops are still fighting fiercely, in order to avoid scaring away the Vietnamese army, the 127th Division suspended the fighting." ”
In this way, Zhang Wannian stopped his footsteps, but in Luping City, he found many slogans about himself, and the most common thing was to capture Zhang Wannian alive.
General Zhang Wannian did not care, and the victory in this battle not only gave General Zhang great confidence, but also gave the 127th Division great confidence, and it can be said that this was an opportunity for them to raise their eyebrows.
Everyone in the 127th Division was excited about this opportunity. What's going on here?
Speaking of this, it is necessary to mention that marshal Lin Biao, who was extremely talented, as the founding father and one of the important leaders, wanted to usurp the supreme power of the country during the Cultural Revolution, and finally died in Mongolia.
Right Lin Biao
This confusing past for us meant a disaster for the parties involved, and as Marshal Lin Biao from 127, 127 was not implicated, and Zhang Wannian, as the commander of the 127th Division, his political commissar was Lin Biao's office secretary at that time.
The sensitive identity in the sensitive period made Zhang Wannian and the 127th Division both questioned to a certain extent, and Zhang Wannian was also investigated by the organization.
Although the organization showed that it believed in his loyalty and gave him and the 127th Division recognition, there were still more or less criticisms around him, and strength was the best proof, and only the complete victory of the Vietnam War could wash away all the criticism.
Zhang Wannian's achievements in Luping can prove everything and make people remember his side as a military man.
After entering Lu Binh, the war against Vietnam was completely launched, and in the dangerous Vietnamese battlefield, there were actually many more dangerous incidents.
In order to capture Zhang Wannian alive, the Vietnamese side repeatedly sent agents to try to capture General Zhang alive during the non-combat period, but was discovered by General Zhang for the first time and killed in time.
The second time was purely by luck, at that time, General Zhang commanded the army in a car, but was touched by the Vietnamese soldiers, and shot at the car, the smoke suddenly filled the surrounding air, the smoke was widespread, General Zhang escaped the disaster because of good luck, but the other people on the military vehicle had already died.
General Zhang, who had walked around the ghost gate, returned to the side of the car only to find that the car had been pierced through 16 holes, and the Vietnamese army, which had not confirmed the body, had already told the rumors of shooting General Zhang.
For the Vietnamese army, General Zhang was really a hateful figure, not only blowing the charge of war, but also constantly leading the army to the Vietnamese interior.
Right General Zhang
In this process, it was almost invincible, which made Vietnam, which was constantly victorious in other countries, have self-doubts, and even became afraid of General Zhang Wannian, and the shooting of General Zhang was a great opportunity to restore morale.
Therefore, after penetrating General Zhang's command car, the Vietnamese army did not even confirm the body, and it was already impatient to broadcast the news.
After Commander Chu learned of this news, the first thing he did was to confirm the safety of General Zhang. After General Zhang received the call, he finally relaxed his mind.
General Zhang was blamed for risking his life in order to fight, but this was a necessary preparation on the battlefield in Vietnam, with the command vehicle as close as possible to the forward line.
Not only is it conducive to commanding soldiers, but most importantly, it is possible to understand the battlefield situation at any time, and the complex situation of the Vietnamese battlefield often feels overwhelmed even the US military.
The main reason is because the southern climate is warm, the mountains are forested, and even the grass will grow deeper than other places, such a combat environment is easy to confuse people's eyes, General Zhang will command the car close to the battlefield, is to understand as much as possible the problems of the soldiers in the course of the battle.
The battle on the Banks of the Qiqi River could have ended as soon as possible, but because the attack of other units was not smooth, General Zhang Wannian, who had only two battalions to cross the Qiqi River, was again ordered by Shangfeng to postpone the attack.
However, in the face of the dilemma that the two battalions had already passed, General Zhang had no choice, not only to ensure that the two battalions on the opposite side were not lost, but also to ensure that the other troops attacked at the same time.
Zuo Xu Shiyou
Not only was this time difficult to grasp, but the 127th Division, which had been ordered to stand still, had lost its head. Originally, the Poor Qi River was difficult to cross, so he could only take advantage of the fact that the guards were not ready to sneak away, put two battalions on the opposite side of the river, and cross it one minute later, which increased the chance of them being completely annihilated, so General Zhang Wannian could only choose to confuse the other side while firing cannons, while leading the troops, to cross the Poor Qi River.
Such a large-scale operation could not fail to alarm the Vietnamese army, and all the troops of the 127th Division were on the same battlefield, which was more conducive to preserving strength.
After a day of fierce fighting between General Zhang Wannian and Vietnam, the fraternal forces finally completed the original mission of attack, and the two sides surrounded and eliminated the Vietnamese army, which alarmed the Vietnamese leaders and carried out a national mobilization.
Our army achieved the established results, did not tangle with the Vietnamese army, but chose to retreat, the war is not what we want, but we do not want to be challenged.
During the retreat, the Vietnamese army also wanted to come together and hit our army by surprise, but did not want to be countered by General Zhang Wannian's first army, and continuously set up ambushes on the way back, causing heavy losses to the Vietnamese army.
This war against Vietnam made everyone look at Zhang Wannian with astonishment, and in the eyes of the Vietnamese, Zhang Wannian was a general who wanted to capture alive.
In the eyes of the Americans, General Zhang is the person they want to catch and cannot catch, while in the eyes of the Party Central Committee, Zhang Wannian is the only military expert except for the founding fathers.
4. He was awarded the rank of general and promoted to vice chairman of the Central Military Commission
After returning from the Vietnamese battlefield, Zhang Wannian became the commander of the military region.
General Zhang Wannian
He was awarded the rank of lieutenant general in 1988, and among the veterans who participated in the War of Resistance Against Japan, lieutenant general was a rare existence.
Four years later, Zhang Wannian was once again promoted to chief of the general staff of the Central Military Commission, and began a new round of guidelines for training soldiers in a new situation, actively contributing to the military reform of Chinese characteristics.
In 1993, he was awarded the rank of general, and two years later he became the chairman of the Central Military Commission, actively carried out the work of the Central Military Commission, and implemented Deng Xiaoping's thinking on construction. It shines brightly for the cause of our party's army building and has become a screw in our party's cause.
Until 2015, Zhang Wannian, who died at the age of 87, died in Beijing due to ineffective treatment of illness!