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Text | Zhu Xiaoyue loves Kanyu
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In the Ningdu Uprising in 1931, Lu Zimei, the former Kuomintang company commander, resolutely switched to the Chinese Communist Party, quickly became the core force of the Red Fifth Army Corps, and was promoted to the commander of the International Division of the Young Communist Party. To his surprise, his new superior, Xiao Hua, the political commissar of the division, turned out to be a young man who was only 17 years old. Where can this young leader lead them? Let's find out. Next, Xiao Zhu will take you into this story.
Born in 1916 in Xingguo County, Jiangxi Province, Xiao Hua grew up in a revolutionary family where his parents were secret Communist Party members and an important local party liaison station. In such an environment, revolutionary thoughts and actions became the subject of Xiao Hua's childhood contact, which profoundly influenced his growth path.
In the spring of 1929, Mao Zedong arrived in Xingguo County, Jiangxi Province, with the third column of the Red Fourth Army, and Xiao Hua witnessed the revolutionary leader for the first time. Mao Zedong founded a "Agrarian Revolutionary Cadre Training Class" aimed at training revolutionary cadres at the Weijiang Academy in Xingguo City. In this training, although Xiao Hua was the youngest of all the trainees, his unique insights and enthusiasm for learning left a deep impression on the instructors.
Xiao Hua not only quickly mastered the course content, but also actively participated in discussions and practical activities, showing political sensitivity and organizational skills beyond his peers. This led him to be appointed secretary of the Shaogong Xingguo County Party Committee shortly after the end of his training, in December 1930, at the age of 13. In this position, Xiao Hua demonstrated his outstanding leadership and mobilization skills, not only visiting villages to mobilize young people to join the Communist Youth League, but also using the league members as the core force to form the Young Pioneers.
His work focused on strengthening the class consciousness and organizational discipline of the youth, and through organizing a variety of educational activities and group discussions, the youth league members could better understand the policies and goals of the Communist Party's agrarian revolution. Under Xiao Hua's leadership, the Communist Youth League organization in Xingguo County expanded rapidly, and the Young Pioneers also became an important local revolutionary force.
These achievements of Xiao Hua attracted the attention of Mao Zedong. Mao Zedong made a special mention of Xiao Hua's performance at the conference, praising him not only for his excellent organizational skills, but also for his ability to deeply understand and disseminate the party's theories, and as a strong candidate for the core of future revolutionary leadership. This recognition greatly enhanced Xiao Hua's status in the party and laid a solid foundation for his subsequent revolutionary activities.
In the spring of 1931, the Kuomintang company commander Lu Zimei felt that the oppression of the people and the corruption within the party were unbearable, and resolutely decided to follow his inner beliefs. He decisively turned his back on the Kuomintang in the "Ningdu Uprising", resolutely chose the Chinese Communist Party, and was quickly promoted to a battalion commander of the Red Fifth Army. With her extraordinary courage and outstanding fighting skills, Lu Zimei quickly rose to prominence in the Red Army, and her leadership skills were recognized by her colleagues.
In the Red Army, Lu Zimei won the deep respect and trust of the soldiers because of his superb tactical use and deep concern for his subordinates. In less than two years, he was promoted to commander of the 45th Regiment of the International Division of the Young Communist Party. On the day Lu Zimei was promoted, the division headquarters sent a notice asking him to have a pre-appointment conversation with Political Commissar Xiao Hua to ensure that he was fully aware of and prepared for his future duties. The notice indicated that he was to arrive at the division headquarters by 5 p.m. that day.
Lu Zimei set off immediately after receiving the notice, and he rode a fast horse, galloped on the winding mountain road, and finally arrived at the division headquarters before the appointed time. This was the first time he had come to the division headquarters, and everything here was new and unfamiliar. After the sentry of the division headquarters confirmed Lu Zimei's identity, they took him into the duty room of the division headquarters and went to inform the arrival of Political Commissar Xiao Hua.
A young commissar entered the room with a gentle smile. When Lu Zimei saw him, he was a little surprised in his heart, because he never thought that Xiao Hua would be so young. Xiao Hua smiled and said to him: "I am 17 years old this year. His words revealed confidence and calmness, which made Lu Zimei feel a sense of respect for Xiao Hua in her heart. Xiao Hua saw that Lu Zimei looked a little confused, so he patted him on the shoulder with a smile and poured him a glass of water to welcome. Lu Zimei felt Xiao Hua's sincerity and youthful vitality, which made him even more convinced that his choice to join the Communist Party and fight for the right path was correct.
In 1937, with the full-scale outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War, Xiao Hua was appointed deputy director of the Political Department of the Fifth Division of the Eighth Route Army, responsible for the political work and morale improvement of the troops. In the battle of Pingxingguan in the same year, Xiao Hua demonstrated his excellent tactical understanding and political mobilization ability, and made a key contribution to the victory of the battle.
In November 1937, Xiao Hua was further appointed political commissar of the 343rd Brigade of the 5th Division, working closely with the brigade commander Chen Guang. Together, they commanded a series of key battles, including fierce battles at Quang Duong, Yitang Town, Wucheng, and Jinggou. In these battles, Xiao Hua not only ensured the strategic and tactical execution of the battle, but more importantly, he strengthened the soldiers' will to fight and their belief in the goal of fighting against Japan.
Xiao Hua paid attention to the political education and psychological state of the soldiers in the battle, and improved the soldiers' understanding of the purpose of the war and their own role by organizing political study and discussion. His method has effectively enhanced the cohesion and combat effectiveness of the troops, enabling them to continue to fight under difficult conditions.
Especially in the battle of Jinggou, Xiao Hua adopted flexible guerrilla tactics and planned a surprise attack with Brigade Commander Chen Guang, causing heavy losses to the Japanese army. At the post-war summary meeting, Xiao Hua emphasized his determination to persevere in the War of Resistance to the end, and his remarks greatly boosted the morale of the soldiers and strengthened their belief in the War of Resistance.
Through this series of battles, Xiao Hua's leadership and tactical wisdom have been fully demonstrated, and he has also won praise from his superiors and colleagues. His performance on the battlefield not only deepened the troops' trust in him, but also enhanced the combat effectiveness of the entire Fifth Division. Xiao Hua's political and military talents made indelible contributions to China's cause of resistance against Japanese aggression at these critical moments in the War of Resistance Against Japan.
In September 1955, General Xiao Hua was only 39 years old and received the rank of general issued by the Central Military Commission. He was awarded the Order of Eighty-One of the First Class, the Order of Independence and Freedom of the First Class and the Order of Liberation of the First Class, three of the highest honours for his outstanding military and political contributions. These achievements made General Xiao Hua the youngest of the 57 founding generals.
In the establishment and development of New China, General Xiao Hua not only displayed outstanding military talents, but also had profound insight into politics and strategy, and Xiao Hua also played a key role in the modernization and structural adjustment of the New China Army. He reformed the education and training system within the army in order to improve the combat effectiveness and technical level of soldiers. His efforts have greatly enhanced the overall effectiveness and combat capability of the armed forces.
These contributions of General Xiao Hua have not only been recognized in the military field, but he has also shown extraordinary ability in promoting national policy and participating in international affairs. He has represented China in many international conferences and made positive contributions to enhancing the status of New China on the international stage. These achievements show that General Xiao Hua is a true all-rounder, and his talents and efforts have played a key role in the modernization of the country and the promotion of its international status.
In 1968, General Xiao Hua, then deputy secretary general of the Central Military Commission, suddenly faded from public view, and was not heard from again until seven years later. In 1977, the top brass abruptly appointed him as the new political commissar of the Lanzhou Military Region, a decision that attracted attention both inside and outside the military region. Xian Henghan, the former political commissar of the Lanzhou Military Region, has served in this position for more than 20 years and has won the trust and respect of the troops.
Soon after Xiao Hua arrived, he showed extraordinary work ability and leadership style. Xiao Hua put forward new ideas and reform measures for the internal management and strategic layout of the military region, which was quickly recognized by the central authorities and high-level leaders. During this period, the Lanzhou Military Region was at a critical moment in need of reform and innovation.
Only two months later, the central authorities made a major decision on Xian Henghan, formally dismissing him from all posts in the Gansu Province and Lanzhou Military Regions. This decision is undoubtedly a huge blow to Xian Henghan, and it also means that the military region will usher in a series of new policies and guiding ideologies. General Xiao Hua's rapid promotion and consequent readjustment of his post not only reflect the high degree of recognition of his ability by the central authorities, but also show the urgent need to readjust the military's top leadership in the new historical period.
Xiao Hua's leadership style is very different from Xian's. He has paid more attention to innovation at the strategic level, emphasizing the strict implementation of discipline internally, and promoting coordination and cooperation with other military regions externally, thereby enhancing the combat effectiveness of the entire military region. Although these measures were initially incomprehensible and opposed by some officers and men, Xiao Hua gradually won the respect of the troops by virtue of his profound political sensitivity and military experience.
Under the leadership of Xian Henghan, the Lanzhou Military Region experienced many border frictions and conflicts, and his strategy was mainly conservative defense. After Xiao Hua took office, he actively implemented a series of measures to strengthen border security and improve rapid response capability, which not only improved the military region's ability to deal with emergencies, but also paved the way for his prestige in the army to increase.
Xiao Hua's career as a political commissar, especially his profound influence on the military region and his reform measures, marked the beginning of a new era. He not only changed the mode of operation of the Lanzhou Military Region, but also introduced new concepts in strategic thinking and military practice, all of which laid a solid foundation for his historical position in military circles. Under his leadership, the Lanzhou Military Region gradually became a more modern and powerful military group, which played an important role in maintaining the country's border security.
On August 12, 1985, China lost a great leader, General Xiao Hua, at the age of 69. His death marked the end of a heroic figure who had fought all his life for national liberation and national development.
General Xiao Hua's life is a life of selfless dedication to the country and the people, and a life of dedication to promoting the cause of global peace. His efforts not only influenced China's revolution and construction, but also contributed to world peace. He has always put the interests of the people first, and has shown extraordinary leadership and firm conviction in both the war-torn years and the construction of peace-ridden years.
Although the death of General Xiao Hua is deeply mourned, his legacy will always be remembered. Although his life has ended, his contributions to the construction of socialism, the modernization of the country, and the promotion of international peace will continue to inspire generations to come.