In that magnificent history, in addition to those familiar names, there is also a little-known figure who has also written a legendary chapter - he is none other than a national army general who participated in the arduous process of the Long March, Zhang Zhenhan. Unlike expatriates such as Li De, Hung Shui and Wu Ting, or staunch fighters of the Communist Party, Zhang Zhenhan became a remarkable presence in the Red Army's Long March with his special background and experience.
Zhang Zhenhan, the proud son of Tongshan County, Xuzhou, was born in this ancient land in 1893. His childhood may be described as "going through ups and downs". When he was three years old, his father died of illness, leaving him and his mother to live together. His mother was tenacious and did not choose to remarry, but relied on hard labor such as pulpping laundry and collecting shoe soles to raise him as an adult.
Despite her poor family, Zhang's mother knew the importance of education, and she tried her best to save money in the hope that her son would be able to enter a private school. Although this effort could not last long, Zhang Zhenhan absorbed a wealth of knowledge in his short time of study, which laid a solid foundation for his future life path.
Fate always seems to favor those who are prepared. When he was 15 years old, Zhang Zhenhan met a distant relative who had been in the army for many years. After a brief conversation with him, the distant relative discovered something special about him and thought he had the potential to get ahead. So, this distant relative generously sponsored him to enter the Beiyang Accelerated Martial Arts Academy to study. After the establishment of the Republic of China, he successfully entered the Baoding Army Military Academy and became a cadet of the third phase of the artillery department.
During his days in the military academy, Zhang Zhenhan studied with many talented students, many of whom became the mainstays of the national army in the future, such as Bai Chongxi, He Jian, and Zhang Zhizhong. After graduating, many of his classmates chose to go south to join the National Revolutionary Army, while Zhang Zhenhan joined Xu Shuzheng and followed him to recover Outer Mongolia. However, this glorious period did not last long, and Zhang Zhenhan was nearly killed in a mission, but fortunately escaped and switched to Zhang Zongchang's troops.
During the Second Northern Expedition, Xu Yuanquan under Zhang Zongchang was bought by Chiang Kai-shek and joined the National Revolutionary Army instead. Zhang Zhenhan also became a member of Chiang Kai-shek's command. Although he only served as the commander of the 48th Division at this time, his classmates and friends had already made a name for themselves in the national army. Under their recommendation, Zhang Zhenhan was gradually appreciated by Chiang Kai-shek, and in less than three years he was promoted to lieutenant general and commander of the 41st Division.
At that time, the 41st Division was stationed in Changsha. By chance, Zhang Zhenhan was invited to participate in the Provincial Student Games and met his future wife, Deng Juexian. The Deng family is a famous local family, and they were not optimistic about this marriage at first. However, Zhang Zhenhan did not give up, he came to the door many times to propose relatives and entrusted local magnates to match. In the end, his sincerity touched the Deng family, and the two tied the knot.
In the midsummer of 1935, the 41st Division was ordered to participate in the "encirclement and suppression" operation of the Red Army. Due to the commander's self-esteem, he encountered a well-planned ambush by the Red Army at Goupi Ridge in Xianfeng, and the troops were quickly divided into three parts. After three days of fierce fighting, Zhang Zhenhan failed to break through the siege, and his soldiers and horses suffered heavy losses, and finally only the headquarters and the special service battalion responsible for guarding remained. The Red 51st Regiment, under the leadership of Wang Zhen, launched a decisive attack, and the special service battalion suffered heavy losses in artillery fire. Subsequently, the Red Army transferred a mountain cannon, and after four deafening cannon shots, almost all the personnel of the headquarters were wiped out, and Zhang Zhenhan himself was wounded and captured.
After being captured, Zhang Zhenhan's heart was full of trepidation, and he remembered the harsh treatment of another captured general, Zhang Huizan, by the Red Army a few years ago. However, the Red Army surprised him by not only treating his wounds, but also treating him well. In particular, Mr. He personally talked to him and made it clear that as long as he was willing to atone for his crimes, he could be exempted from capital crimes and living crimes. This sincerity gradually moved Zhang Zhenhan, and he began to actively cooperate with the actions of the Red Army.
At one point, the Red Army launched the tactics of encircling and sending reinforcements in Longshan County, but the enemy's reinforcements were delayed. Mr. He decided to launch a general attack, but the attack needed artillery support. Although the mountain artillery was there, the artillery company commander Liu Bin was seriously injured, and no one could adjust the gun position. Zhang Zhenhan, who heard about the incident, offered to help. After his visual inspection and adjustment, the artillery fire accurately hit the target, and two enemy pillboxes were blown up. Mr. He was full of praise for this and praised Zhang Zhenhan for his outstanding achievements for the Red Army.
With the growth of the Red Army, the Red Second and Sixth Army Corps decided to establish the Red Army School. Zhang Zhenhan was invited to serve as a military instructor in the advanced class. When he walked into the classroom, he found that the students in the audience were all senior cadres of the Red Army, even including famous generals such as Xiao Ke. Zhang Zhenhan was deeply moved by such treatment. His teaching style is very popular with the students, and he is able to explain complex military theories in a simple way. In particular, his explanation of mortars and mountain artillery benefited the trainees a lot. At first, some students had reservations about this former "national army" general as an instructor, but after listening to the lecture, they all admired him so much.
In the late autumn of 1935, the Second and Sixth Army Corps of the Red Army embarked on an arduous Long March. In this historic journey, a special figure also moved forward with the army, that is, Zhang Zhenhan, the former general of the national army. Although according to the convention, only corps-level cadres were treated as mounts, out of respect and care for him, the Red Army still provided him with a mule, horse and groom, a detail that made Zhang Zhenhan deeply feel the Red Army's magnanimity and humane care.
On the Long March, although Zhang Zhenhan could no longer lead troops to fight, he contributed to the Red Army with his expertise and experience. When crossing the Qingshui River and the Jinsha River, it was under his guidance that the Red Army successfully erected simple bridges or pontoon bridges and smoothly crossed the moats. When he found that the Red Army was short of supplies, with the approval of Mr. He, he secretly contacted his family and asked for assistance. His wife, Deng Juexian, was not only much more relieved after learning of her husband's current situation, but also sold her property to buy materials in accordance with her husband's instructions, and delivered them to the Red Army through complicated channels. This action not only solved the urgent needs of the Red Army, but also demonstrated the deep friendship between Zhang Zhenhan and his wife for the Red Army.
After arriving in northern Shaanxi, Zhang Zhenhan was received by the leaders, and his status and contribution were further recognized. After the establishment of Yan'an Kang Da, he once again took the podium to impart military knowledge to the senior generals of the Red Army. After the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War, the Kuomintang and the Communist Party cooperated, and the leaders persuaded him to return to the national army and contribute to the anti-Japanese national united front. Although his position in the national army is no longer what it used to be, he still secretly carried out the tasks assigned by our party in the capacity of a lieutenant general and senior staff member, and rescued many progressives.
During the War of Liberation, Zhang Zhenhan and his wife moved to Shanghai and began to rebel against the military and political leaders of the national army. The uprisings of Tang Shengzhi, Pei Changhui, Yu Xuezhong and others are inseparable from the direct contributions of their couples. After the liberation of Changsha, Zhang Zhenhan chose to stay in Hunan and continue to contribute to local construction, and later served as the deputy mayor of Changsha City and a member of the Standing Committee of the Hunan Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. On May 26, 1967, this former general of the National Army and later a friend of the Red Army died in Changsha at the age of 74. His life spanned two camps, witnessed the historical changes of China, and wrote a legend with his own actions.