Welcome to Shiyuan History Column No. 3289. At the beginning of 1975, Comrade Li Desheng, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and vice chairman of the CPC Central Committee, voluntarily applied for his resignation, and Chairman Mao's approval was: Yes, he would still serve as a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee. In other words, Li Desheng has changed from a cadre at the national level to a deputy state level. Friends who are familiar with party and military history know that Li Desheng was a "political star" in the sixties and seventies of the last century and was highly regarded by the chairman. Why did he choose to voluntarily resign at his peak? That doesn't seem to make sense.
The first is Li Desheng's own reasons. He was old and kind, and Chairman Mao trusted him very much. Li Desheng's military qualifications were not comparable to many high-ranking generals at that time, and he only obtained the rank of major general in 55 years. Being able to leapfrog the rank and be promoted, becoming director of the General Political Department of the whole army in 1970, and later concurrently serving as commander of the Beijing Military Region, was something that many people did not expect, including Li Desheng himself. For this kind of rocket-like promotion, Li Desheng himself was not particularly enthusiastic, and it was out of an attitude of loyalty to Chairman Mao and responsibility for his work that he had always stuck to his post, and he was under tremendous pressure in those years. Not everyone envies the peak of power, at least Li Desheng is not this kind of person, and later took the initiative to resign out of his heart.
The second reason is objective. In 1973, the Central Military Commission transferred the commanders of the eight major military regions, with General Chen Xilian of the former Shenyang Military Region going to Beijing, while Li Desheng was transferred to Shenyang to work. Since he is no longer in Beijing, it is not convenient to be directly responsible for the relevant leadership work, and to a certain extent, he is equivalent to just a suspended member of the Politburo Standing Committee and vice chairman of the Central Committee. Since this is the case, choosing to voluntarily resign from his post will be more conducive to organizing personnel and work arrangements, and Li Desheng, who is in a high spirit, took the initiative to propose it to the central authorities.
The third reason is that the "September 13 Incident" occurred in 1971. After that, some gradually gained the upper hand in the political situation, and became more and more aggressive. Li Desheng was originally a rising star, in a relatively isolated position in the central government, and was subjected to many difficulties and false accusations, and even forced to make a review. Under such circumstances, taking the initiative to resign from a position at the national level is also a way to retreat and avoid further suppression and persecution. Chairman Mao's approval of his resignation was also a protective measure for Li Desheng. The intention of the leader can be seen from retaining his status as a member of the Politburo and still holding a vice-national post.
The last reason is that Li Desheng is a man of great wisdom. When he was commander of the Beijing Military Region, he was already very clear about his duties through Chairman Mao's many personnel arrangements. At that time, the general Siye was too powerful in the army, and Li Desheng, who was born in Erye, came to Beijing from Anhui to help Chairman Mao balance the forces of all parties and make the internal structure of the military more healthy and reasonable. Before Li Desheng rose to power, most of the members of the Central Military Commission's working group were generals of the former Four Ye system, mainly controlled by Huang Yongsheng, Wu Faxian, and others.
Li Desheng's arrival has been very helpful in changing this situation, and he has indeed done a lot of useful work, and the chairman is generally satisfied. After the "September 13 Incident" in 1971, Li Desheng led the working group to complete the inventory work, stabilize the army, and make great contributions. His historical mission has been completed, and it is the time to retreat in a hurry, and Li Desheng's approach is very wise.
Understanding the general situation, taking the overall situation into account, and knowing the advance and retreat are the remarkable characteristics of Li Desheng, and are also an important reason why Chairman Mao favors him. Since then, Li Desheng's military and political career has also been quite complete, and he has not encountered major waves, and he obtained the rank of general in 1988. In 2011, the legendary General Li Desheng passed away peacefully at the age of 95.
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