The founding of the People's Republic of China went through a period of very cruel wars and difficulties, but in this cruel war, countless heroes emerged with dedication and sacrifice.
General Zhang Zongxun was appointed as a military commander at the age of 22 with his heroic and fearless tenacity, and then served as the deputy commander of Yiye before liberation.
However, at the award ceremony after the founding of the People's Republic of China, Zhang Zongxun was finally only awarded the rank of general and lost the general. So what caused Zhang Zongxun to miss the general, and what are the historical stories in him?
Sowing the flame of revolution
Zhang Zongxun was born in 1908 in an ordinary small mountain village in Weinan, Shaanxi. From the time he was born, the elders of the family had high hopes for him.
So when he reached the age of going to school, Zhang Zongxun entered the school under the arrangement of his family to learn Xi cultural knowledge. Soon after, the revolutionary movements and wars that broke out throughout the country planted the flame of revolution in Zhang Zongxun's heart early.
Therefore, when the school continued to propagate new ideas and Marxism, Zhang Zongxun was determined to contribute his strength to New China at the right time.
In 1924, at the age of 16, Zhang Zongxun began to join the Chinese Socialist Youth League, and in 1926, he was successfully admitted to the Whampoa Military Academy to study Xi professional military knowledge.
In 1927, Zhang Zongxun officially joined the Communist Party of China and devoted himself to the cause of the Chinese revolution. After the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War, he held many important positions and also showed outstanding leadership and military skills.
In the early days of the Sino-Japanese War, Zhang Zongxun was appointed commander of a guerrilla detachment. He led his troops to conduct guerrilla warfare on the anti-Japanese front and adopted flexible and mobile tactics, causing great distress to the enemy.
With the development of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, Zhang Zongxun's leadership ability and military combat methods in the army became more and more proficient, and he was even promoted to an important general in the Red Army by virtue of his strong military exploits.
Subsequently, Zhang Zongxun was appointed by the central government to go to North China and served as the deputy commander of Yiye. In this position, he actively organized anti-Japanese forces, planned and commanded a number of successful military operations, and effectively countered the Japanese offensive.
But why did Zhang Zongxun, who had great achievements in war, not receive the rank of general when he was awarded the title in 1955?
Defeat in the attack on Datong
Since Zhang Zongxun became a figure of great concern among the central leaders for his ability to conquer and fight well, he has assumed important command rights in many wars, especially Datong, which is a strategic place, and it is a treasure land that our army has to take.
However, at this time, Datong happened to be under the jurisdiction of Yan Xishan, the Kuomintang army, and the Kuomintang and the Communist Party also happened to be in a state of armistice, so easily sending troops to Datong would completely break the domestic peace.
Faced with this situation, Zhang Zongxun could only follow the instructions of the central government and keep a close eye on Datong's every move. It was not until Chiang Kai-shek took the lead in breaking the terms of the armistice agreement, which led to the outbreak of civil war, that the Party Central Committee decided to take Datong.
After all, the successful capture of Datong can not only give our army a good place, but also relieve the unfavorable situation in Zhangjiakou, which can really be described as killing two birds with one stone.
So Zhang Zongxun led his troops to officially start his plan to attack Datong. However, the plan was perfect, but the reality was cruel, and when Zhang Zongxun was in full swing preparing to attack Datong, the Kuomintang also carried out a series of defensive plans.
In order to better stabilize the existing situation, Yan Xishan personally contacted Chiang Kai-shek, the top general of the Kuomintang, to ask for assistance.
For Chiang Kai-shek, he naturally knew the important role of Datong's geographical location, so he urgently deployed Fu Zuoyi, who was very close to Datong, to send troops to support.
However, Zhang Zongxun's battle plan did not fully take into account the actual situation of the Kuomintang and Fu Zuoyi's support.
Coupled with his eagerness to attack and his failure to do adequate reconnaissance and intelligence work, this led to the fact that our army was in a passive situation when the enemy was well prepared.
In addition, the enemy's stubborn resistance and unfavorable terrain conditions also had a significant impact on Zhang Zongxun's offensive plan. In particular, the terrain of the Datong area is complicated, and this has brought tremendous challenges to our army's military operations, resulting in heavy casualties for our army.
In the face of the enemy's stubborn resistance and the harsh battlefield environment, Zhang Zongxun could only choose to retreat in order to better preserve the strength of his troops, which also caused the defeat of the Datong War and the predicament of Zhangjiakou.
The Battle of Datong ended in the defeat of our army, and Zhang Zongxun, as one of the main commanders, was also punished.
However, despite his defeat at the Battle of Datong, Zhang Zongxun did not give up, and he re-proved his ability in the subsequent battles and achieved a major victory.
Although the Battle of Datong was a painful experience for Zhang Zongxun, it was also an important opportunity for him to grow and improve.
Through this defeat, he recognized his shortcomings and continued to improve himself in the subsequent battles, eventually becoming an excellent military commander.
For Zhang Zongxun, this battle was not only a strategic defeat, but also a personal blow. As a general, he knew the importance of winning the war.
Missed the rank of general
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, those generals who constantly sacrificed and struggled for the new China won due honors and status based on their military exploits and their resumes and performances in the war.
As a revolutionary who joined the revolutionary team very early and made great achievements, it is reasonable to be awarded the rank of general is more than enough, but in the end, because of the defeat in the Datong War, he finally missed this honor.
In short, the Battle of Datong was undoubtedly a huge challenge and test for Zhang Zongxun. Although he lost the rank of general, this does not negate his contribution and heroic struggle in the War of Resistance against Japan.
Defeat in war does not mean personal defeat, every general will encounter difficulties and setbacks, the key is how to learn from them and rise again.
Despite losing the rank of general, he remained a highly respected and admired general, and his story has become an important part of history, reminding us that in war, victory and defeat often coexist, and the key is perseverance and struggle.
In general, in the Battle of Datong, Zhang Zongxun lost the rank of general, which is a regrettable thing. In any case, the setbacks in the Battle of Datong sounded the alarm for Zhang Zongxun and also provided us with valuable lessons.
In future wars, we need to pay more attention to the scientific nature of military planning and command, strengthen coordination and cooperation among armed forces, and enhance commanders' decision-making ability and adaptability. Only in this way can we achieve better victories on the battlefield.