In that turbulent era, a person's fate can be described as ups and downs and confusing. Zhang Tao was originally the commander of the Red 17th Army of the Communist People's Army, and he had made great military exploits and was once listed as a "bandit leader" wanted by the enemy. But after a losing battle, he defected to the Kuomintang out of fear and became the battalion commander of the enemy army. Just when everyone thought that he would be severely punished, after the founding of New China, he became the village chief and lived the life of an ordinary person.
How did all this happen? Why was the organization so tolerant of him? What happened to Zhang Tao in the years after the mutiny? How did he finally regain acceptance from the people? What was the reason behind it? Let's find out.
1. Zhang Tao's experience of joining the Red Army
Zhang Tao was born in a poor peasant family in Qiyang, Hunan Province, and experienced the hardships of life since he was a child. In order to earn a living, he left his hometown early and joined a local warlord army, the Tang Shengzhi Division. As an ordinary soldier, Zhang Tao initially fought only to make ends meet, and knew nothing about revolutionary ideals.
In 1926, the Kuomintang launched the famous Northern Expedition, and Tang Shengzhi's department was also incorporated into the Northern Expeditionary Army. In the battle to conquer Wuhan, Zhang Tao won the appreciation of his superiors with his extraordinary courage and combat effectiveness, and made great contributions.
After the end of the Northern Expedition, Zhang Tao was absorbed into the National Revolutionary Army, received new training in the army, and became acquainted with the later founding general Huang Kecheng.
Huang Kecheng was an upright soldier with a rigorous style, and his revolutionary consciousness and firm belief had a great influence on Zhang Tao. In 1930, after Huang Kecheng led his troops to revolt and join the Red Army, Zhang Tao also resolutely followed his footsteps and threw himself into the revolutionary torrent. From then on, Zhang Tao began his career in the Red Army.
At first, Zhang Tao was just an ordinary Red Army soldier, serving as a captain in the Red 5th Army. But his heroism in the Battle of Changsha took note of his potential and he was soon promoted to deputy commander of the Red 16th Army. In 1933, in order to meet the needs of the struggle situation, the Red Army reorganized the troops, and Zhang Tao was appointed commander of the newly formed Red 17th Army, becoming the supreme commander of the main army. This is undoubtedly an affirmation and reuse of his military talents.
2. Zhang Tao's performance in the Red Army
Zhang Tao's performance in the Red Army can be described as outstanding, and he was quickly reused and promoted by his superiors by virtue of his extraordinary courage and combat effectiveness.
In 1930, after Zhang Tao joined the Red Army with the Huang Kecheng Uprising, he was initially just an ordinary soldier and served as the captain of the Red 5th Army. But in the battle of besieging Changsha, Zhang Tao charged ahead, fought bravely, and made great achievements.
Although he was accidentally injured, his performance also made the organization see his potential.
After recovering from his injuries, Zhang Tao was left in Pingjiang as the leader of the guerrilla brigade and actively participated in the local armed struggle. In 1932, he was appointed deputy commander of the newly formed Red 16th Army and became a deputy army-level cadre. Soon after, when the Third Independent Division was reorganized in the southeastern Hubei Soviet Region, Zhang Tao was reappointed as the commander of the division, and concurrently served as the commander-in-chief of the command branch and the principal of the Red Army branch, wearing many hats.
This is undoubtedly a full affirmation and reuse of Zhang Tao's military talent. As the supreme commander of a main force, Zhang Tao undertook the heavy responsibility of leading the troops into battle, and the organization placed high hopes on him.
In 1933, in order to meet the needs of the struggle situation, Zhang Tao served as the commander of the newly formed Red 17th Army. The Red 17th Army was formed by the combination of the Third Independent Division of the Red Army of the Hunan-Hubei-Jiangxi Military Region, the Northern Jiangxi Independent Division and the Hebei Command, with a total strength of more than 3,000 people, and was an elite force.
Zhang Tao led the Red 17th Army in the fifth anti-"encirclement and suppression" operation, and at the beginning of the successive battles, morale was high. But when marching to Wang Wenyi, he suffered a great defeat because of his contempt for the enemy. The main force of the Red 17th Army was completely lost, and only more than 600 people were left to break out of the encirclement.
This defeat caused Zhang Tao to be dismissed from the organization and had to enter the stage of suspension and reflection. At this time, he heard that a wave of suppression and expansion had been set off within the Red Army, and outstanding generals had been wrongfully killed, such as Ye Jinbo, deputy political commissar of the Red 17th Army, who was secretly executed on charges of "collaborating with the enemy."
Zhang Tao was deeply shocked, fearing that he would also suffer this fate, so he made the decision to flee. He began to wander around Henan, and later defected to the Kuomintang army and became a battalion commander.
During the period of the Red Army, Zhang Tao made great achievements and was once listed as a "bandit leader" wanted by the enemy. But he eventually defected to the enemy out of fear and ended his career in the Red Army.
3. The reasons and process of Zhang Tao's rebellion
Zhang Tao's decision to defect to the enemy army was a shocking turning point. Why did this commander of the Red Army, who had made great achievements in war and was regarded by the enemy as a "bandit leader", make such an incredible choice?
In 1934, Zhang Tao led the Red 17th Army to win successive battles in the fifth anti-"encirclement and suppression" operation, and its morale was high. But just as the march reached Wang Wenyi, the Red 17th Army suffered a great defeat because it underestimated the enemy's strength.
There were more than 3,000 people in the whole army, and the main force was basically wiped out, and only more than 600 people were left to break through with difficulty.
This fiasco dealt a heavy blow to Zhang Tao. As a military commander, he could not escape the blame, and was soon removed from his post and suspended for reflection. At this time, Zhang Tao was accidentally injured and admitted to the hospital, waiting for further treatment of him by the organization.
However, a chilling news came to Zhang Tao. It turned out that within the Red Army at that time, under the influence of the Soviet Union's anti-rebellion movement, a wave of anti-rebellion expansion was set off. Many outstanding generals were wrongfully killed, including Ye Jinbo, deputy political commissar and chief of staff of the Red 17th Army.
Ye Jinbo was reported as a "collaborator" because he had a brother who served in the Nationalist Government, and was secretly executed after being examined. Zhang Tao knew only a thing or two about this, and mistakenly thought that Ye Jinbo was punished purely for losing the battle, which made him shake the revolutionary cause.
What's more, Zhang Tao was afraid that he would also suffer this fate. In extreme fear, he made a shocking decision to flee to the enemy. Zhang Tao began to wander around Henan, and later joined the Kuomintang army and became a battalion commander.
In this way, the former commander of the Red Army betrayed the revolutionary cause and took refuge in the enemy's camp. During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, although Zhang Tao wanted to return to the battlefield to kill the enemy, due to his past experience, he did not dare to take the initiative to contact the party organization, so he could only continue to stay in the Kuomintang army.
It was not until the victory of the Anti-Japanese War in 1945 that the Kuomintang army was defeated and retreated, and Zhang Tao chose to break away from the Kuomintang and silently returned to his hometown of Qiyang, Hunan. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, he took the initiative to surrender to the local party organization and explained his experience.
Fourth, the handling after the founding of the People's Republic of China
After the victory of the Liberation War, Zhang Tao's fate took a major turn. As the commander of the Red Army, who had defected to the enemy, he should have been severely punished, but the organization unexpectedly opened up to him.
After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War in 1945 and the defeat of the Kuomintang, Zhang Tao saw the general trend clearly, resolutely broke away from the Kuomintang army, and silently returned to his hometown Qiyang, Hunan.
Soon after the founding of the People's Republic of China, local party organizations launched a large-scale political review of the military and civilians who had participated in the war of liberation.
Zhang Tao knew that he could not escape the eyes of the organization, and after some struggle, he took the initiative to find the local party organization and truthfully explained his experience. The local party organization immediately launched an investigation against him, and found that although he defected and defected to the enemy during the Anti-Japanese War, he never divulged any party secrets and did not harm party comrades.
On the other hand, Zhang Tao turned himself in with a sincere attitude and showed his determination to repent. Taking these factors into consideration, the local party organization decided to give Zhang Tao a chance, and instead of directly making him an enemy, the situation was reported to the higher organization.
The news quickly reached the ears of Zhang Tao's old superior, Huang Kecheng. Huang Kecheng recalled Zhang Tao's performance during the Red Army, although there was a stain of rebellion, but after all, he had made great achievements. More importantly, Zhang Tao did not commit any act that jeopardized the revolutionary cause after he surrendered to the enemy.
Out of these considerations, Huang Kecheng specifically instructed Zhang Tao not to pursue his past, and let him live in his hometown as an ordinary person. The organization's tolerance of Zhang Tao stems from his affirmation of his time in the Red Army and recognition of his later performance.
After returning to his hometown, Zhang Tao actively participated in the agrarian revolution led by the party. He had the experience of leading the masses to "fight local tyrants and divide the land" when he was in the Red Army, and now he is more comfortable in learning and mastering the land reform policy.
With Zhang Tao's help and drive, his village quickly completed the land reform work, and was praised by his superiors. As a result, Zhang Tao accumulated a certain prestige in the village, and was later unanimously elected as the village head by the villagers.
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During this period, Zhang Tao applied to rejoin the Communist Party, but the organization finally did not agree to his application considering his historical mistake of "not taking the initiative to contact and return to the team in Henan during the Anti-Japanese War". However, Huang Kecheng has always been concerned about Zhang Tao's development, and pointed out to the local government to take good care of him, and Zhang Tao even received a pension after retirement.