Preface:
In 1957, at the enlarged meeting of the Chinese Military Commission, a fierce debate broke out among senior military generals. The core topic of the meeting was to discuss the priority development and proportion of each service and arms, and put forward their own views.
At this meeting, Wang Hongkun, deputy commander of the Navy and founding admiral, unexpectedly got on the bar with Zhang Aiping, deputy chief of the general staff and also a founding general.
Zhang Aiping looked angry, suddenly stood up from the stool, pointed at Wang Hongkun and said bluntly: "You only care about your own interests, and do not consider the overall situation at all!" ”
Wang Hongkun even stood up and pointed at Zhang Aiping and said, "Who is your backstage?" Dare to speak so hard! ”。
Why did Wang Hongkun and Zhang Aiping quarrel so fiercely?
General Zhang Aiping
In 1910, he was born in a peasant family in Zhangjiagou, Luojiangkou Town, Sichuan Province. His biological parents had high hopes for him and fully supported him to study in private school.
Zhang Aiping was admitted to Dazhou Middle School with his excellent grades, which can be said to have laid the foundation for him to become a member of the Communist Party in the future.
In Dazhou Middle School, he not only accumulated a wealth of knowledge, but also received a party education.
This experience not only allowed him to accumulate rich cultural knowledge, but also exposed him to advanced revolutionary ideas, further strengthening his determination to go to Whampoa Military Academy.
In 1928, Zhang Aiping successfully became a member of the Communist Party of China and joined the Communist Party of China, an organization full of revolutionary enthusiasm and ideals and beliefs.
However, her revolutionary road was not easy, and she encountered many difficulties and challenges in the years that followed.
Because of her Communist Party status, Zhang Aiping became a target of hostile forces in the revolutionary struggle and was arrested and imprisoned twice.
While in prison, the enemy tortured him in an attempt to force him to leak information about the party.
No matter what kind of torture and pain she faced, Zhang Aiping did not betray the party's cause and stuck to her beliefs.
During the Liberation War, Xu Shiyou, as Zhang Aiping's boss, had a quarrel with Zhang Aiping. The quarrel stemmed from the strategic decision to liberate Dachen Island, and Xu Shiyou and Zhang Aiping held different views on the issue.
After Chairman Mao heard this, he said that Zhang Aiping was capable and capable, but it was easy to offend, and Ye Jianying also said that Zhang Aiping's body was "covered with thorns" and was not afraid of offending people.
In a conversation with Chairman Mao, Zhang Aiping deeply understood the importance of study. He realized that only by constantly learning and enriching himself could he better contribute to the development of the country and the War of Resistance.
Therefore, he volunteered to study at the Red Army University and stayed on to teach in order to accumulate strength for the all-out war of resistance.
In the process of studying and teaching at the Red Army University, Zhang Aiping was sharpened by more in-depth theoretical education and practical experience. Through his studies, he improved his military literacy and leadership skills, laying a solid foundation for his future career.
At the same time, Zhang Aiping's love for the navy also became his characteristic. He was well aware of the importance of the navy in modern warfare and was determined to promote the construction of the Chinese navy. He worked hard to overcome many difficulties, including solving personnel problems and ship building challenges.
Zhang Aiping played a huge role in naval construction.
A heated argument between the two founding generals
In 1957, in order to build a modern army and strengthen national defense forces, Marshal Peng Dehuai convened an enlarged meeting of the Central Military Commission in Beijing.
At the meeting, Zhang Aiping, as a representative of the Navy, analyzed the development of the Navy and put forward her own views.
At the meeting, Zhang Aiping evaluated the development of the three armed services from the perspective of the whole.
He believes that the development of the army is the most important, because the army plays a decisive role in the war and is the main force in defending national security.
Secondly, he believes that the development of the Air Force, which has the ability to maneuver quickly and strike strategically in modern warfare, is also of great significance.
Finally, he considered the development of the Navy relatively minor because the Navy's operational field was relatively narrow and had a relatively small impact on the overall war force.
Wang Hongkun, deputy commander of the navy, immediately retorted, arguing that a strong navy should be built.
Zhang was well aware of the needs of naval development, including the purchase of large ships such as destroyers, frigates and submarines.
However, he also knew that the country's strength was limited and it was impossible to invest all the money in naval construction.
Wang Hongkun's view is based on historical war experience, and he emphasizes that building a strong navy can effectively protect national security and prevent threats at sea.
Citing recent history, he pointed out that enemies often attack by sea, so building a strong navy is a summary of historical experience.
However, Zhang Aiping paid more attention to the current situation around the country, and he put forward the view of giving priority to the development of the army.
He believed that even if the sea was threatened, the state could still rely on the army to destroy the enemy.
He paid attention to the diversity and comprehensiveness of warfare and advocated the development of military services according to the actual conditions of the country.
Due to the divergence of views between the two sides, the two generals had a fierce quarrel in the discussion.
General Zhang Aiping's sentence: "You are short-sighted. ”
And General Wang Hongkun heard this and said angrily: "Who is your backstage!" Talk so hard! ”
When Zhang Aiping heard Wang Hongkun's questioning, she instantly realized that her words might not be accurate and comprehensive enough. He took a deep breath and explained his point of view to Wang Hongkun again in a soft voice.
He noted that although the importance of the navy in history cannot be ignored, now is not the best time to develop it.
He explained that the current situation at home and abroad is complex and changeable, and the country is facing many challenges and development tasks. Under the condition of limited resources, priority must be given to solving the problems of national economic construction and improvement of people's lives.
The atmosphere at the meeting became tense, and other attendees stepped forward to persuade the sudden quarrel. Under the dissuasion of the senior generals, Wang Hongkun and Zhang Aiping's emotions were calmed down a little.
Afterwards, General Zhang Aiping and General Wang Hongkun communicated humbly and eliminated the gap between them. They are well aware of the importance of unity and are willing to contribute their own strength to the development of New China.
At this meeting, although the dispute between Wang Hongkun and Zhang Aiping caused a lot of waves at that time, it was finally calmed down through communication and exchanges between the two sides.
Epilogue:
In the course of this debate, senior generals engaged in heated discussions based on the overall interests of the country and with national security and prosperity as the core.
Based on their respective views, they fully expressed their opinions and concerns, providing multifaceted thinking for the direction and focus of military development.
However, the final reconciliation reflects the sense of responsibility and the big picture of the senior generals. In the course of their debates, they understood that the security and prosperity of countries require a military force that is integrated, balanced and coordinated.
They recognize that both the army and the navy serve the overall security and development of the country.