During the War of Liberation, the People's Liberation Army was divided into four major field armies. Among them, although the number of commanders of the main force of the Second Field Army was not as large as that of the Third and Fourth Field Armies, none of them received the rank of major general. What is the reason behind this? Let's find out.
Overview of the rank of the commander of the main force of the three fields and four fields
When it comes to the main force commander of the three fields and four fields, it can be said that he is a good player everywhere. When the Sanye Army was reorganized in 1949, there were 15 main commanders, of whom 12 received the rank of lieutenant general and 3 received the rank of major general. The remaining 3 main army commanders were born as rebel generals and did not receive military ranks.
In contrast, the main army commander lineup of the Siye army can be described as star-studded. According to statistics, there are 6 main commanders of the Siye Army who have obtained the rank of general, namely Han Xianchu, Li Tianyou, Liu Zhen, Deng Hua, Huang Yongsheng and Hong Xuezhi. These six generals can be described as the pinnacle of merit in the War of Liberation. Among them, Han Xianchu was the commander of the Siye army, leading the army all the way through the pass and finally conquering Chongqing, which can be said to have made great achievements.
In addition to the generals, there are also 4 main army commanders of the Siye Army who have obtained the rank of lieutenant general, they are Wu Kehua, Wan Yi, Zhan Caifang and Liang Xingchu. The other two are with the rank of major general, namely He Jinnian, commander of the 48th Army, and Zhong Wei, commander of the 49th Army.
At the same time, there were also three main commanders of the rebel generals in the Siye Army who did not receive military ranks, they were Chen Mingren, commander of the 55th Army, Zeng Zesheng, commander of the 50th Army, Zhang Zhen, commander of the 51st Army, Wang Jinxiu, commander of the 52nd Army, and Peng Jieru, commander of the 53rd Army.
On the whole, the lineup of the main army commanders of the three fields and the four fields can be described as a gathering of heroes, including generals, lieutenant generals, and major generals. They made outstanding achievements in the War of Liberation, and it can be said that they have made outstanding contributions. Therefore, it is common for people to obtain the corresponding military rank after the reorganization of the whole army.
However, in stark contrast to the three fields and four fields, it is the main force commander lineup of the Second Field Army. Although the number of commanders of the main force of the Second Field Army was not as large as that of the Third Field and the Fourth Army, none of them were in the rank of major general. This was a unique phenomenon at the time.
So, what kind of people are the main force commanders of the Erye Army? Why did they collectively attain the rank of lieutenant general, but none of them were major generals? What are the deep-seated reasons behind this? Let us go through them one by one.
The commander of the main force of the second field has made outstanding achievements
Although the main commanders of the Second Field Army only received the rank of lieutenant general in the end, this does not mean that their combat achievements are inferior to the main commanders of other field armies. In fact, in the lineup of the main army commanders of the second field, it can be said that there are many heroes, and there is no need to say much about their outstanding achievements.
Among them, the most famous are the two generals Du Yide and Wang Jinshan. During the Liberation War, the two jointly led the sixth column of the Central Plains Field Army and made great contributions to the capture of the Central Plains. In 1949, when the whole army was reorganized, Du Yide and Wang Jinshan were appointed as the commanders of the 10th Army and the 12th Army of the Second Field Army respectively, becoming the first commanders of the Second Field Army.
Du Yide is a tiger general, and in the Central Plains Liberation War, his name is known to everyone. Legend has it that he led the column to attack back then, and the enemy was terrified as soon as he heard the word "Du Zong". And General Wang Jinshan is Du Yide's right-hand man, the two can be described as a heart-to-heart iron man, who has always been extremely brave and well-commanded on the battlefield.
In addition to Du Yide and Wang Jinshan, General Zeng Shaoshan of the Second Field Army is also an iron-blooded general with rich combat experience. During the period of resisting US aggression and aiding Korea, Zeng Shaoshan served as the commander of the 12th Army of the Volunteer Army, and together with Wang Jinshan, the deputy commander of the Corps at that time, fought against the Western powers and fought for the dignity and interests of the motherland.
Looking at the two generals Zhou Xihan and Li Chengfang, they can be described as the two tiger generals of Chen Geng's corps. In a series of battles such as crossing the river, chasing and destroying in the south, and liberating Yunnan, the two tiger generals made great achievements. Among them, Zhou Xihan was the first to cross the Yangtze River and fired the first shot of the battle of crossing the Yangtze River.
As for General Qin Jiwei, he was the first commander of the famous "Chitose Army" in the revolutionary ranks. In the Battle of Shangganling, Qin Jiwei commanded well and fought bravely, not only showing the military prestige of the people's army and the country, but also showing the highest command level of our army. The victory in this battle can be described as a great achievement made by Qin Jiwei.
In general, the main army commander lineup of the Erye army is all iron-blooded generals with outstanding achievements. They made indelible contributions to the final victory of the War of Liberation. Although they only received the rank of lieutenant general in the end, their heroic deeds and military exploits are immortal.
The special experience of the main army commander of the second field
In addition to their outstanding performance on the battlefield, the main commanders of the Erye Army also have some unique experiences and backgrounds that make them stand out from their peers.
Among them, Wang Bingzhang and Zhang Guohua, two generals, were born in famous families and have extraordinary family backgrounds. The two of them were originally subordinate to the Fifth Corps under General Yang Yong, and they were the two main generals in the liberation of the southwest region.
General Wang Bingzhang was born in a famous family in Sichuan, and his family has been an official for generations. He has read poetry and books since he was a child, and he has read a wide range of books, which can be described as both civil and military. General Zhang Guohua is a native of Hengyang, Hunan, and his ancestors had a prominent military career.
In the final stage of the Liberation War, Wang Bingzhang and Zhang Guohua played an important role. As the People's Liberation Army gradually liberated the southwestern provinces, Zhang Guohua led the 18th Army all the way to the west, and finally conquered Tibet, making great contributions to the liberation of the Western Plateau.
Another unique main army commander is Yin Xianbing, commander of the 16th Army. It stands to reason that with Yin Xianbing's outstanding performance during the war years, he could have obtained the rank of lieutenant general. However, due to some mistakes in his personal life, Yin Xianbing only received the rank of colonel in the end, and he passed by Jiangxing.
Such an encounter was unique in the army at that time. However, Yin Xianbing did not give up on himself because of this, on the contrary, he was still conscientious and diligent in the later period of his military career, and interpreted the ethics and morality of a revolutionary soldier with his actions.
In addition to the above, the other main commanders of the Erye army also have unique experiences. Some of them came from poor backgrounds and worked hard in the army for many years before they were able to get ahead; some joined the revolutionary ranks from an early age and fought all the way to victory; and some served in enemy camps and later awakened to the revolutionary truth and threw themselves into the revolutionary cause.
It is precisely because of these unique experiences and backgrounds that the main commanders of the Erye army are so different. With their actions and deeds, they have interpreted the demeanor of a generation of revolutionary soldiers and made indelible contributions to the cause of liberation.
The political position of the main commander of the second field
In addition to their heroic performance and unique experience on the battlefield, the commanders of the main forces of the Second Field also have an extraordinary status and prestige in politics.
Among them, most of the main commanders of the Second Field Army were veteran revolutionaries who joined the revolutionary ranks from a young age and worked hard to overthrow the old system and establish a new China. Among them, there are many famous guerrillas like Du Yide and Wang Jinshan, who were active in the Central Plains in their early years.
On the long road of revolution, these main army commanders can be said to have endured all kinds of hardships and forged countless revolutionary friendships. By the final stage of the War of Liberation, they were already the backbone of the party and the army, and enjoyed high prestige and status within the party.
Taking Du Yide and Wang Jinshan as examples, they were not only the first commanders of the Second Field Army, but also revolutionary cadres entrusted by the Party Central Committee. In the Central Plains Liberation War, the orders of the two of them were equivalent to the orders of the Party Central Committee, which shows their important position in the party.
And the main army commander like Zeng Shaoshan made great contributions in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea. After the war, he not only received the rank of lieutenant general, but was also reused by the Party Central Committee and held important positions. This also reflects Zeng Shaoshan's important weight in the party.
In addition to the above-mentioned troops, the other main commanders of the Erye Army are also the backbone of the party and the army, and have a certain prestige and status within the party. Some of them held important positions, while others were underground party workers who made indelible contributions to the revolutionary cause.
It is precisely because of the special status of the main army commanders of the Second Field Army within the Party that they will receive special consideration and arrangements from the Party Central Committee in the distribution of military ranks. Although they only ended up with the rank of lieutenant general, this does not mean that their status and prestige will suffer.
On the contrary, it is precisely by virtue of their unique position within the party that the commanders of the main forces of the Second Field can play a greater role in the army and contribute their own strength to the construction of new China. They have interpreted the ethics and character of a generation of revolutionary soldiers with their actions, and have set a glorious example for future generations.
The underlying reasons for the distribution of ranks in the second field
Through the above analysis, we may be able to get a glimpse of some of the deep reasons and considerations behind the distribution of the rank of the commander of the main force of the Second Field.
First of all, this unique phenomenon may be related to some special considerations of the Party Central Committee at that time. We know that in the final stage of the War of Liberation, the Party Central Committee always attached great importance to the unity of the armed forces and prevented the repetition of the history of warlordism.
As one of the main forces of the PLA, the Erye Army has many famous generals like Du Yide and Wang Jinshan in its main army commanders. If they had attained the rank of general or major general, would it have intensified the struggle for power in the army and thus affected the stability of the army? This may have been an important factor for the Party Central Committee at that time.
Therefore, perhaps for the purpose of maintaining the unity of the army, the Party Central Committee deliberately designated the rank of the commander of the main force of the Second Field Army as lieutenant general, so as to prevent their status from being too high and causing unnecessary contradictions.
On the other hand, Liu Bocheng, Deng Xiaoping, and others, the leaders of the Erye Army, may also have their own considerations. As party elders, they are well aware of the dangers of warlord secession, and naturally they do not want a new power struggle in the army.
Therefore, perhaps for the purpose of maintaining the unity of the army, they took the initiative to suggest that the rank of the commander of the main force of the Second Field be set as lieutenant general, so as to avoid unnecessary contradictions caused by their excessively high status.
Moreover, the main commanders of the second field may have their own ideas. As veteran revolutionaries of the party, they know very well that military personnel should absolutely obey the party's leadership and must not be arrogant and cause a power struggle in the military.
Therefore, perhaps out of loyalty to the party and the revolutionary cause, they voluntarily gave up the rank of general or major general and chose the rank of lieutenant general. This not only demonstrated their absolute loyalty to the party, but also demonstrated their integrity and character as revolutionary soldiers.
In general, this unique phenomenon of the distribution of the rank of the commander of the main force of the Second Field may reflect some special historical circumstances and considerations during the Liberation War. Whether it is for the sake of maintaining the unity of the military, or to avoid the historical repetition of warlord secession, or for the consideration of the leaders of the Second Field and the main army commanders themselves, it is worthy of further discussion and consideration.