Among the star-studded revolutionary generals, Liu Yalou's name is undoubtedly dazzling, and his military exploits and deeds are widely known. However, among the many heroes, the name Tan Zheng may not be so loud, but if you dig deeper into his experience, you will find that his presence is just as important, and even in some ways, his qualifications are even more than Liu Yalou.
In the fiery years of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, Tan Zheng served as the deputy director of the General Political Department of the Eighth Route Army. This position is very high in the Eighth Route Army, second only to Director Wang Jiaxiang. At that time, due to physical reasons, Wang Jiaxiang was often bedridden and could not personally handle a large number of cumbersome government affairs. As a result, this heavy responsibility fell on Tan Zheng's shoulders.
Tan Zheng not only shoulders the responsibility of handling government affairs, but also is the draftsman of important documents of the Eighth Route Army. Whenever there was an important message that needed to be drafted, or when it was necessary to draft some morale-boosting articles, Tan Zheng always did not hesitate to pick up the pen and write hard. His writing is both powerful and delicate, and was deeply appreciated by Mao Zedong.
Once, Tan Zheng wrote an article, and Mao Zedong praised it after reading it, and he smiled and said: "Tan Zheng, talk about politics." This sentence is not only a high evaluation of Tan Zheng's work, but also an affirmation of his talent. Tan Zheng was not only able to handle government affairs, but also to express his views and ideas in writing, and this comprehensive ability made him unique in the Eighth Route Army.
In Yan'an, the holy land of the revolution, Mao Zedong and Tan Zheng had a deep friendship, and the two often got together to chat, as if they had endless words. Mao Zedong was particularly fond of chatting with Tan Zheng, who was not only sharp in mind and insightful, but also able to accurately understand his intentions and strategies.
Tan Zheng once recalled that during his days in Yan'an, many major decisions in the army were finalized in a casual chat with Mao Zedong. For example, the key decision to reinstate the political commissar system was made during an after-dinner chat. Mao Zedong elaborated on the need to restore the system, and Tan Zheng listened attentively and recorded the main points of Mao's speech in detail.
In addition, there were also major issues such as supporting the army and loving the people and opposing the militaristic style of the troops, which also gradually took shape in the chat between Mao Zedong and Tan Zheng. The specific implementation plans for these tasks were drafted and promoted by Tan Zheng. With his excellent organization and coordination skills and deep understanding of military politics, Tan Zheng translated Mao Zedong's intentions into a practical plan of action, and made important contributions to the construction and development of the revolutionary army.
Therefore, in comparison, Liu Yalou is indeed slightly inferior in terms of qualifications. Especially during the Red Army period, Liu Yalou served as division commander and division political commissar in the Red First Army, and he and Tan Zheng can be said to be equal in terms of position. However, Liu Yalou did not participate in the Autumn Harvest Uprising, nor did he serve as Mao Zedong's secretary, so his contacts and exchanges with Mao Zedong were naturally not as frequent and in-depth as Tan Zheng.
In the stormy days of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the two outstanding generals Tan Zheng and Liu Yalou each embarked on different paths. Tan Zheng shone in the anti-Japanese war work in China, and he won wide acclaim within the party and the army for his keen political sense and outstanding leadership skills. He was not only brave and good at fighting on the battlefield, but also had unique views and methods in political work, and became a banner of the anti-Japanese base area.
Although Liu Yalou was also an outstanding general, he spent most of his time in the Soviet Union during the Anti-Japanese War. During his studies in the Soviet Union, he studied military theory and strategy and tactics in depth, laying a solid foundation for his later military career. However, due to his absence from most of the Anti-Japanese War, his popularity and influence in China were relatively low.
In terms of status within the party, Tan Zheng occupies a significant advantage. At the Seventh National Congress of the Communist Party of China, he was honorably elected as an alternate member, which was an affirmation of his outstanding performance in the Party and in the War of Resistance over the years. Liu Yalou is slightly inferior in this regard, although he also holds a certain position in the party, but compared with Tan Zheng, his status in the party is obviously inferior.
And Liu Yalou's starry light was still after the end of the Siping Campaign. At that time, the situation in the Northeast became extremely tense. The Northeast Democratic Alliance Army, which was originally full of momentum, was unfortunately defeated in this battle, and the situation took a sharp turn for the worse. In order to preserve their strength, the troops decided to temporarily withdraw and retreat to Shulan, Jilin for rest.
That night, the moonlight was like water, sprinkling every corner of the camp. Li Zuopeng, chief of the staff office, Su Jing, He Jingzhi and several other comrades-in-arms sat around and lit a bonfire, ready to drink to kill their sorrows. They roasted the fire and drank the spirits bitterly, as if under the anesthesia of alcohol, they could temporarily forget the blood and cruelty of the battlefield.
However, just as they were drunk, the quiet night was broken by the sound of hurried footsteps. Mr. Lin, the commander who was known for his severity, broke into their circle with a black face. His eyes widened, he glanced around the people who were drinking, and then he reached out and flipped the table over, the wine splashing and the fire flickering.
"What time is it, you are still here drunk and dreaming of death!" Mr. Lin scolded loudly. Li Zuopeng and the others were so frightened that their faces turned pale and they didn't dare to squeak. After this incident, Li Zuopeng was transferred from the headquarters to the 1st Column as deputy commander and chief of staff. This means that the post of Chief of Staff at Headquarters is vacant and needs to be replaced.
At this moment, Luo Ronghuan stood up. He knew very well that General Lin had extremely high requirements for the chief of staff, and that he must be a person with both strategic vision and excellent command ability. So, he recommended Liu Yalou to Mr. Lin in a timely manner. In this way, Liu Yalou became the 103 of Dongye and became a famous general in the world.
In the spring of early 1948, the Higashino Command ushered in an important change. At that time, the atmosphere in the headquarters was serious and tense, and everyone was well aware of how important the upcoming battle was. In order to convey orders more efficiently and accurately, the command decided to abandon the traditional naming system and adopt a numerical code system. In this way, instructions can be conveyed quickly and accurately, even on the battlefield where war is raging.
Mr. Lin, the core figure who enjoyed high prestige in the headquarters, was given the code name 101. This figure is not only a recognition of his status, but also an affirmation of his dedication to the revolutionary cause over the years. Whenever someone mentions "101", everyone knows that it is an honorific title for Mr. Lin and the soul of the headquarters.
Immediately after Mr. Lin was Luo Ronghuan, who got the code name 102. Next is Liu Yalou, who was given the code name 103. And Tan Zheng, as a think tank in the headquarters, was given the code name 104.
But the size of the digital code does not represent their true status in the Higashino Command. Take Lu Zhengcao and Zhou Baozhong as examples, although they do not have numerical codenames, their positions are the deputy commanders of Dongye, and their status is significantly higher than that of Liu Yalou. Therefore, we cannot simply judge the ranking of these generals based on numerical codes.
If you look at it in combination with the positions in the army and the party, Tan Zheng should still be ranked third. Although he is not as well-known as Liu Yalou, his contributions in the army are obvious to all. Tan Zheng is not only brave and good at fighting on the battlefield, but also has a high status in the party, and his contributions and dedication cannot be measured by numbers.
However, although Tan Zheng ranks higher than Liu Yalou in the army, his sense of presence is not as good as Liu Yalou. This is not because his ability and contribution are not as good as Liu Yalou, but because of his character. Tan Zheng is an elegant, generous, and humble person, who always puts the interests of the collective first, and is often willing to give up his personal honor and status for the sake of the overall situation. Such a character has won him widespread respect and praise in the army, but it also makes him slightly inferior to Liu Yalou in terms of presence.
The issue of the signature of the telegram was originally a small detail, but it involved a good story between Tan Zheng and Liu Yalou. At that time, the order of signature of the telegrams was "Lin Luo Tan Liu", according to the rank of the person. But Liu Yalou has a straightforward personality and acts decisively, he doesn't care about so many rules. Every time a telegram was drafted, it usually had to go through the hands of the chief of staff, so Liu Yalou casually changed his signature to "Lin Luo Liu Tan".
When Tan Zheng heard about this, he didn't get angry, but just said lightly: "Don't sign my name on the telegram in the future." What he said made Liu Yalou a little embarrassed. Since then, the signature of the telegram has been changed to "Lin Luo Liu", and Tan Zheng's name has disappeared like this.
Some people are upset about Tan Zheng and feel that it is unfair to do so: "It makes sense for the director of the Political Department to be placed after the chief of staff, but he can't help but sign it!" But Tan Zheng just smiled when he heard it, and said, "Do you know the story of the peace with each other?" It turns out that Tan Zheng is such a person who does not fight or grab and takes the overall situation into account.
Time passed quickly, and in 1949, Dongye was reorganized into the Fourth Field Army, Tan Zheng was appointed director of the Political Department and deputy political commissar, and Liu Yalou was changed from chief of staff to commander of the 14th Corps. From this time on, Tan Zheng's position in the army has surpassed Liu Yalou. Despite this, the relationship between the two men remained cordial, as had been shown in the case of the issue of the signature of the cable.
Tan Zheng is a kind and elegant person, and treats people generously. He doesn't worry about things like some people, but always puts the big picture first. In the army, he has an excellent reputation, and both his superiors and subordinates respect him. This character and quality of his have also left a strong mark on history.
At the 1955 ceremony, Tan Zheng was awarded the rank of general, and he ranked fifth among generals, behind Su Yu, Xu Haidong, Huang Kecheng and Chen Geng. And Liu Yalou, although he is also a highly decorated general, in this award, he was awarded the rank of general, one level lower than Tan Zheng.
After the ceremony, Tan Zheng was appointed director of the General Political Department, while Liu Yalou became commander of the Air Force. These two generals have played a pivotal role in the construction of New China, and like two optimus primes, they have held up a broad sky for the development of New China.
The ranking of "Lin Luo Liu Tan" mentioned in the telegram does not actually reflect their position in high or low positions, nor does it prove that Liu Yalou's status in Dongye is higher than Tan Zheng, or that his merits surpass Tan Zheng. This ranking is more of a symbol of their importance and influence in the military.
Tan Zheng and Liu Yalou, these two meritorious generals, although they have left a strong mark in the development of New China, their personalities and talents are clearly different. Tan Zheng is known for his thoughtfulness and steadiness, while Liu Yalou is known for his decisiveness and bravery. They have shown extraordinary talents in different fields and have made indelible contributions to the development of New China.
In general, Tan Zheng and Liu Yalou are both outstanding figures in the history of New China, and their contributions and achievements deserve our memory and admiration. Although they differ in position and ranking, this does not affect their status in the hearts of the people. On the contrary, these differences highlight their personalities and talents, giving us a fuller picture of what these decorated generals really looked like.