In 1952, the whole army ushered in the rating, which was a sign of the regularization of the army.
Whether it is a rating or a title, it is related to personal interests, and the rating is a comprehensive consideration of factors such as qualifications, positions, and achievements. Seniority does not necessarily mean that the position is high, and the rating of the position is not high will inevitably be affected.
At that time, Wang Zhitao, deputy commander of the East China Air Defense Force Command and Shanghai Air Defense Command, was rated as a regular army level, but he thought that his unit was at the corps level and he was the deputy commander, so he should correspond to the deputy corps.
The military rank is mainly based on the position held during the war, as well as the record of the war.
For example, during the War of Liberation, if he served as a military commander or military political commissar, he would generally be rated as a regular army or a quasi-corps level. The reason for the difference is that not only the positions during the Liberation War should be considered, but also the positions and achievements during the Agrarian Revolution and the War of Resistance Against Japan.
If the positions in the Agrarian Revolution, the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, and the War of Liberation are very high, they can be rated as quasi-corps level, such as Zheng Weishan, Liang Xingchu, Wu Kehua, Fang Qiang, and Yao Zhe. For example, the record in the agrarian revolution and the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression is okay, but during the Liberation War, it is more common to be promoted to column commander and army commander late, and to be rated at the regular army level. Such as Wei Jie, Zhou Xihan, Liu Changyi, Zhang Yixiang, Zhang Caiqian, etc.
Wang Zhitao returned to China in 1933 to participate in the revolution, and served in military education for a long time, holding regimental and battalion-level positions during the Agrarian Revolution, brigade-level positions during the Anti-Japanese Period, deputy chief of staff of the Jichareliao Military Region during the Liberation War, and chief of education of the Northeast Aviation School. From the position during the Liberation War, it is a regular military position.
In 1950, he was transferred from chief of staff of the Air Force Training Department to deputy commander of the Shanghai Air Defense Command, with Guo Huaruo as commander.
In 1951, the Air Defense Force Command of the East China Military Region and the Shanghai Air Defense Command, Guo Huaruo served as commander and he served as deputy commander.
In terms of unit level, the East China Air Defense Force is at the level of a regular corps, and when it is rated according to its own deputy commander, it should be rated as a deputy corps, but it is actually rated as a regular army. At the time of the rating, he was being examined in Beijing, although he later found out. Whether he thinks it has anything to do with it is unknown.
It is normal for him to have this question, because he does not know what the rating is based on, perhaps in his opinion, it is the current position to rate. In fact, the rating is not based on the current position, but on the position before the founding of the People's Republic of China.
Generally, those who have served as corps commanders and political commissars are rated as regular corps level, deputy commanders and deputy political commissars of the corps are rated as deputy corps level, veteran army commanders and political commissars are rated as quasi-corps level or regular army level, and deputy military positions are generally at the deputy army level.
Wang Zhitao thought that he should be rated at the deputy corps level, but at that time he did not know that Guo Huaruo, who was also the commander of the East China Air Defense Force, was only at the deputy corps level.
Guo Huaruo joined the party in 1925, went to study in the Soviet Union in 1927, returned to China in 1929 for revolution, and served as the acting chief of staff of the 1st Front Army. In 1932, he began to engage in military work, and he worked for 14 years, serving as the president of the branch of Kang University during the Anti-Japanese War, the director of education of the Military Academy, the principal of the artillery school, and so on. During the Liberation War, he served as the deputy commander of the column, the political commissar, and the political commissar of the corps.
Although he served as the political commissar of the corps, considering that he had worked in the rear for a long time, his front-line record was not large, and his rating was lowered by half a level. Not only him, but also Mo Wenhua (political commissar of the 13th Corps), Wei Guoqing (political commissar of the 9th Corps), Li Tianhuan (20th Corps), Zhang Zhen (Chief of Staff of Sanye), Yan Kuyao (Chief of Staff of Yiye) and so on. They have worked in the rear for a long time in the past, or assisted in the work of military commanders, and the short time they have been independently directing operations has somewhat influenced the rating.
Guo Huaruo's qualifications are deeper than Wang Zhitao's, and both of them have been engaged in military education for a long time, and Guo Huaruo's position is high. During the Liberation War, both of them were on the front line, Wang Zhitao was only the chief of staff of the Eastern Hebei Military Region, and the deputy chief of staff of the Jichareliao Military Region, serving as a military officer in the second-line troops. And Guo Huaruo went to the combat unit to serve as the chief military and political officer, the deputy commander of the column, the political commissar, the political commissar of the corps, and so on.
Since then, Cheng Jun has succeeded Guo Huaruo, and the rating is also at the deputy corps level. However, Cheng Jun served as the deputy commander of the Corps during the Liberation War, and it is normal for him to be rated as a deputy corps.
Cheng Jun's position during the agrarian revolution was not high, it was only a regimental position, but he was in the position of a front-line commander during the agrarian revolution, the War of Resistance against Japan, and the War of Liberation. He served as a company commander, regiment commander, brigade commander, and commander of a military division. During the Liberation War, he served as the commander of the 7th Division of the New Fourth Army, the commander of the Huaye 7th Column, and the deputy commander and commander of the Corps.
From the above, it can be reflected that the rating does not look at the current position, but mainly on the past position and performance, and the regular corps-level units are not only held at the regular corps-level level.