What positions did the Ten Founding Marshals hold during the War of Resistance?
On September 27, 1955, Chairman Mao awarded marshal titles and meritorious medals to the ten founding fathers Zhu De, Peng Dehuai, Lin Biao, Liu Bocheng, He Long, Chen Yi, Luo Ronghuan, Xu Xiangqian, Nie Rongzhen and Ye Jianying in Zhongnanhai, Beijing.
These ten founding marshals could be awarded the rank of marshal, and they must have all held high positions in the war and led and commanded major battles, so what positions did they hold at that time in the 8-year War of Resistance Against Japan? Let's explain them one by one.
First: Marshal Zhu De
After the outbreak of the July 7 Incident, the Red Army accepted the reorganization of the Nationalist Army and appeared as the new identity of the Eighth Route Army of the National Revolutionary Army, referred to as the Eighth Route Army, with Zhu De as the commander-in-chief, under the jurisdiction of the three main divisions.
However, the name of the Eighth Route Army remained for less than a month, and on September 11, 1937, the Eighth Route Army was renamed the 18th Group Army of the National Revolutionary Army and incorporated into the second theater organization of Yan Xishan, and Zhu De was renamed the commander-in-chief of the 18th Group Army. As the Japanese army advanced in the war in North China, Shanxi was under tremendous pressure, and Yan Xishan, as the "King of Shanxi," in the name of the commander of the Second Theater, re-divided the troops belonging to the Second Theater into three major armies, with the Middle East Route Army led by Zhu De, the South Route Army led by Wei Lihuang, and the North Road Army led by Fu Zuoyi.
In March 1939, Zhu De also served as the deputy commander of the Second Theater, not only in charge of the 18th Group Army, but also under the command of Zhu De.
Second: Marshal Peng Dehuai
During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, Peng Dehuai had been Zhu De's deputy, and the two were the perfect partner. When the Red Army was reorganized into the Eighth Route Army, Zhu De served as the commander-in-chief and Peng Dehuai was the deputy commander-in-chief; when the Eighth Route Army was renamed the 18th Group Army, Zhu De served as the commander-in-chief of the group army, and Peng Dehuai was the deputy commander-in-chief of the group army.
In June 1945, when the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression entered the counter-offensive stage, Peng Dehuai also served as vice chairman of the Central Military Commission and chief of the general staff, comprehensively assisting Chairman Mao and Zhu Laozong in launching counter-offensive operations against Japan.
Third: Marshal Lin Biao
Since the establishment of the Eighth Route Army, Lin Biao served as the commander of the 115th Division, one of the three main divisions of the Eighth Route Army, and commanded the Battle of Pingxingguan with Nie Rongzhen, achieving the first great victory of the Chinese army on the North China Battlefield to take the initiative to attack the Japanese army, breaking the myth that "the Japanese army is invincible".
Unfortunately, Lin Biao did not look forward to it for a long time in the anti-Japanese battlefield. On March 2, 1938, when Lin Biao and his division direct subordinates were preparing to open up a base area in the Lüliang area, they were mistakenly wounded by the sentries of Yan Xishan's 19th Army because they were wearing captured Japanese coats and riding on foreign horses, and left their leadership positions until the outbreak of the Liberation War.
Fourth: Marshal Liu Bocheng
During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, Liu Bocheng was also the chief officer of the three main divisions of the Eighth Route Army, serving as the commander of the 129th Division. In the battle against the enemy, Liu Bocheng gave full play to his unique command ability of the "god of war" and led and commanded a series of beautiful battles, such as the night attack on Yangmingbao, the ambush battle in Qiquan Village, the ambush battle at ShentouLing, and the ambush battle in Xiangtangpu, which were all very classic ambush battles, which dealt a heavy blow to the Japanese army.
Fifth: Marshal He Long
After the outbreak of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, He Long served as the commander of the 120th Division, one of the three main divisions of the Eighth Route Army, and led his troops to carry out a struggle against the enemy in the northwestern Jin Dynasty. In June 1942, He Long served as the commander of the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia and Jinsui Joint Defense Forces, undertaking the important task of defending Yan'an and making outstanding contributions to the construction of the two base areas of Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia and Jinsui.
Sixth: Marshal Chen Yi
As a marshal who did not participate in the Long March, Chen Yi was not from the Eighth Route Army, but from the New Fourth Army. Under the command of the New Fourth Army under the leadership of Commander Ye Ting, Chen Yi served as the commander of the first detachment, and later successively served as the commander-in-chief of the Jiangnan Headquarters of the New Fourth Army and led the southern Jiangsu troops to fight against Japan; then he was transferred to the commander-in-chief of the Northern Jiangsu Command, creating the Soviet-Chinese Anti-Japanese Base Area.
It is regrettable that the Nationalist army launched the Anhui Incident in 1941, and the leading organs of the New Fourth Army were severely damaged, and Chen Yi was appointed as the commander of the New Fourth Army and reorganized the troops of the New Fourth Army.
Seventh: Marshal Luo Ronghuan
At the beginning of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, Luo Ronghuan served as the director of the political department of the 115th Division under Lin Biao. Later, Lin Biao withdrew from the leadership post due to injury, and Chen Guang, the brigade commander of the 343rd Brigade, acted as the division commander, Luo Ronghuan was promoted to the political commissar of the 115th Division, and the two led their troops to Shandong, where Luo Ronghuan quickly developed a solid base area, and in August 1941, he became the secretary of the Shandong Military and Political Committee and became the leader of the Shandong Anti-Japanese Base Area.
In 1943, after the Shandong Column was transformed into the Shandong Military Region, it co-operated with the 115th Division of the Eighth Route Army, and Luo Ronghuan not only served as the commander and political commissar of the Shandong Military Region, but also served as the acting division commander and political commissar of the 115th Division of the Eighth Route Army, and also concurrently served as the secretary of the Shandong Branch of the CPC, comprehensively leading the party, government, and army work in the revolutionary base areas of Shandong.
Eighth: Marshal Xu Qianqian
At the beginning of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, Xu Xiangqian was the partner of Liu Bocheng, commander of the 129th Division of the Eighth Route Army, served as the deputy commander of the division, and led his troops to Shandong to serve as the commander of the 1st Column of the Eighth Route Army, but he did not hold office for a long time, and returned to Yan'an, where he was a partner in 1942 as a partner for Commander He Long and served as deputy commander and chief of staff of the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia-Jinsui United Defense Army.
Ninth: Marshal Nie Rongzhen
In the early days of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, Nie Rongzhen was the partner of Lin Biao, commander of the 115th Division of the Eighth Route Army, and served as deputy division commander and political commissar. After the Japanese army occupied Taiyuan, Nie Rongzhen led his troops to create the first anti-Japanese base area behind enemy lines in the Wutai Mountains, serving as commander and political commissar of the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region, which effectively contained the Japanese army in North China.
Tenth place: Marshal Ye Jianying
In the early days of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, although Ye Jianying was appointed chief of staff of the Eighth Route Army, he did not stay at the headquarters of the Eighth Route Army all the time, but followed Zhou Enlai to the Kuomintang region as a representative of the Eighth Route Army in Nanjing; in the middle of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, Ye Jianying returned to Yan'an and served as chief of staff of the Central Military Commission and chief of staff of the 18th Group Army, assisting Chairman Mao and Zhu De in commanding the war against Japan.
Unlike Marshals such as Liu Bocheng, Nie Rongzhen, and Luo Ronghuan, Ye Jianying rarely commanded battles on the front-line battlefield.
Therefore, it can be seen from the above that throughout the period of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, Zhu De and Peng Dehuai, as commanders of the Eighth Route Army, were responsible for making overall plans and leading the whole army in fighting against the enemy.
