It's a jaw-dropping scene. As the commander-in-chief of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, why did Zhu Deke visit a Kuomintang officer so respectfully? And who is that high-ranking officer of the national army, who can get such a high-level courtesy from Zhu De?
If we look into the reasons for this, it turns out that we have to start from decades ago. At that time, Zhu De was young and promising, and he had established immortal achievements in the Sichuan-Shaanxi Revolutionary Base Area. And that high-ranking officer of the national army was also born in the Whampoa Military Academy back then, and he made great contributions in the National Revolutionary Army, which can be called a pearl in the national army. The two are of equal strength and have great personal prestige, but they finally chose different paths.
It was not until 1949 that the fate of the two took an earth-shattering turn, when Zhu De became the ultimate winner of the revolutionary war, and the high-ranking Kuomintang official finally abandoned the Kuomintang and joined the Communist camp. So, Zhu De went to visit, and it is not difficult to see that there is some complicated relationship and fate entanglement between the two.
So, what is the relationship between Zhu De and this senior officer of the national army? What kind of storyline did they go through that ultimately led to such a huge reversal of fate? What's even more curious is what happened to this senior officer of the national army, and finally chose to abandon the darkness and turn to the light? Next, let's clear the fog of history one by one and solve the mysteries of all the above.
Chen Mingren's legendary life
Chen Mingren, a shining name in modern Chinese military history, was born in 1900 in Hengshan, Hunan. Since he was a child, his family was poor, but he was intellectually brilliant and studious since he was a child, and in order to pursue his ideals, he was determined to study in the army.
In 1924, Chen Mingren was admitted to the first batch of cadets of the famous Whampoa Military Academy with excellent results, and since then his legendary military career has begun. During his time in Whampoa, he performed brilliantly, and was praised by his teachers as "hard at work and good conduct", and soon assumed the position of second lieutenant platoon commander.
After leaving Whampoa, Chen Mingren joined the National Revolutionary Army led by Chiang Kai-shek, and since then he has shown outstanding military talent in one battle after another. During the First Eastern Crusade in 1925, he was awarded a commendation for the results of more than 100 enemy soldiers. In the Second Eastern Crusade, he conquered the defensive position of a company with a platoon in the Battle of Rongguan, and instantly became famous and was promoted to captain and company commander.
In the subsequent battle against Huizhou City, Chen Mingren's bravery was even more breathtaking. At that time, Chiang Kai-shek's command was seriously wrong, resulting in heavy casualties among the Nationalist army, and Chen Mingren's superior, Commander Liu, was killed. Faced with this dilemma that endangered the overall situation, Chen Mingren suddenly rushed to the city, held high the banner and shouted: "Life is red and black, and there will always be death." In today's battle, you and I can only serve the country with our bodies like Commander Liu! Under his heroic leadership, the Nationalist army finally conquered Huizhou, and Chiang Kai-shek personally came to pay tribute to Chen Mingren and promoted him to the commander of the third battalion.
Entering the Anti-Japanese War period, Chen Mingren became the deputy commander of the 71st Army. In the battle of besieging Songshan, the other divisions of the 71st Army were fiercely counterattacked by the Japanese army, Chen Mingren was not afraid of danger, personally commanded the counterattack, and finally won the victory with his tenacious will, and was promoted to the commander of the 71st Army. What's even more amazing is that later in the battle of Huilongshan, which was heavily besieged, Chen Mingren single-handedly defeated the siege with only the remnants of a thousand people, completely turning the tide of the battle. This thrilling and legendary battle earned him a great reputation among the Allied forces.
After the outbreak of the civil war, Chen Mingren was ordered to lead his army to the northeast, and the protracted bloody battle with Lin Biao's division shocked his name throughout the country. Although the 71st Army was finally severely damaged by the People's Liberation Army, Chen Mingren repeatedly relied on his outstanding command skills to make a thrilling reversal of the battle situation, which almost impressed Lin Biao and was awarded the title of "Famous General of the National Army".
From Huangpu to conquering most of China, Chen Mingren's life can be described as legendary, showing outstanding military command ability and heroic and resolute character. It is precisely such a figure who is worthy of Commander-in-Chief Zhu De's great attention and friendship.
The relationship between Chen Mingren and Zhu De
Dating back to the early 20s of the 20th century, the fates of Zhu De and Chen Mingren had begun to intertwine. At that time, Zhu De joined the peasant movement in the northern Shaanxi base area as a communist, while Chen Mingren successfully graduated from the Whampoa Military Academy and joined the National Revolutionary Army under Chiang Kai-shek. Although the two have different positions, they are both showing their edges in their respective careers.
As early as 1920, Zhu De had created a guerrilla force in northern Shaanxi in an attempt to launch an armed peasant uprising. Although he did not succeed at that time for various reasons, his efforts and beliefs have left a deep impression on the National Revolutionary Army official like Chen Mingren. According to some records, Chen Mingren sincerely appreciated Zhu De's revolutionary spirit of "asking for the people's life and daring to confront the powers," and he developed a certain sense of reverence.
In the following years, the two established their great prestige in the military field in the civil war between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party and the Northern Expedition, respectively. With his outstanding command ability and revolutionary consciousness, Zhu De soon became a strong leadership core of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army. Chen Mingren, on the other hand, was regarded by Chiang Kai-shek as a leader in the National Revolutionary Army for his outstanding military performance and heroic exploits.
In 1928, in the Battle of Wuhan, the Red Fourth Army under Zhu De and the National Revolutionary Army under Chen Mingren had a fateful meeting. After a fierce battle between the two sides, Zhu De's army finally fell into a huge passivity. At the time of the crisis, Zhu De actually personally handed over a letter of surrender to Chen Mingren, hoping that he would be able to recognize the major rights and wrongs and join hands in the revolutionary cause.
Although Chen Mingren did not accept Zhu De's invitation in the end, this undoubtedly shows that Zhu De has a high degree of appreciation and recognition for Chen Mingren's military talent and personality charm. The seeds of such a friendship began to germinate in the hearts of the two.
Time flies, after more than 20 years of precipitation, when the important historical moment of 1949 came, Chen Mingren made an epoch-making decision: he led the troops to launch an uprising in Changsha to abandon the darkness and turn to the light, completely abandoned the Kuomintang, and joined the revolutionary camp of Zhu De and the Communist Party. This uprising caused an uproar across the country like a thunderbolt, and also made Zhu De see Chen Mingren's revolutionary courage and great determination.
It can be said that in the long and tortuous decades, Zhu De and Chen Mingren turned from rivals to close friends, and although they had faced off on the battlefield, they both respected each other's talents and character. Chen Mingren's final turning point made the fates of the two have a thrilling intersection. This is also the important reason why Zhu De made a special trip to visit Chen Mingren in 1949 with such a high level of respect and humility.
Zhu De's personal attitude reason
On September 10, 1949, Chen Mingren arrived in Beiping (today's Beijing) with his troops, and Zhu De and other CCP leaders gave him a very grand reception. First of all, the famous general Nie Rongzhen and others were personally greeted at the station, and then a banquet was held at the communication office. In addition to Zhu De himself, there are also senior generals of the People's Liberation Army such as Liu Bocheng, Chen Yi, Su Yu, and Huang Kecheng.
The next day, Zhu De personally went to visit Chen Mingren's residence. He was cautious all the way, and told his entourage not to disturb Chen Mingren's rest. When he arrived at the door, Zhu De even respectfully saluted a standard military salute, and then shouted loudly: "Report, I am Zhu De, come to visit Commander Chen Mingren!" ＂
This scene was really jaw-dropping, and everyone present felt incredible. As the commander-in-chief of the People's Liberation Army and the core figure of the Communist Party of China, Zhu De has always been strict with self-discipline and humility, but he is particularly affectionate and deferential to Chen Mingren, which makes it difficult to imagine the deep meaning.
In fact, there are three reasons why Zhu De attaches so much importance to Chen Mingren and personally receives him:
First, Zhu De's appreciation for Chen Mingren's heroic deeds. During his long military career, Chen Mingren made countless brilliant military exploits, from Huangpu to conquer most of China, he showed outstanding military command ability and heroic and fearless character. It is this character who is worthy of Zhu De's high hopes.
Second, Zhu De attaches great importance to and cherishes military talents. As a great man of a generation, Zhu De is well aware of the importance of talents to New China. Chen Mingren was a leader in the national army at that time, and it was commendable that such an outstanding military talent would abandon the secret and turn to the light. Therefore, Zhu De naturally wanted to go out in person and accept and cherish such a valuable talent as Chen Mingren with extremely high courtesy.
Third, the personal friendship between the two. As mentioned earlier, Zhu De and Chen Mingren have had a comrade-in-arms friendship for decades. Although the two sides had different positions at the beginning, they both had a heartfelt respect for each other. When Chen Mingren finally made a life decision to join the revolutionary camp, Zhu De naturally had to go all out to friendship and acceptance to show his attention and welcome to this old friend.
Therefore, Zhu De personally visited Chen Mingren and received the wind with such a respectful attitude, not only based on respect for Chen Mingren's heroic deeds, but also based on the importance of outstanding talents and the friendship between the two. This kind of extremely high-standard reception is enough to show Zhu De's special status and importance to Chen Mingren.
On the one hand, Zhu De's approach also fully reflects the policy stance of the Communist Party of China and the new Chinese regime in cherishing talents and recruiting masters. Just as Chen Mingren was later reused and promoted in New China, this kind of enlightened and sagacious political technique was conducive to uniting the people's hearts and all the heroes of the opposition struggle, and adding infinite strength to the cause of New China.
Chen Mingren's reuse in New China
After receiving a high degree of courtesy from Zhu De and other leaders, Chen Mingren really gained a very high status and place of use in New China.
At the end of 1949, the Chinese Revolutionary Military Committee was established, and Chen Mingren was directly appointed as a member, which was the beginning of Chen Mingren's dedication to the military cause of New China. The following year, he became deputy commander of the newly established East China Military Region, assisting in the command of local armed forces and shouldering important military and political missions.
In 1951, in order to make full use of Chen Mingren's military talents, the central government decided to make him the commander of the second column of the Chinese People's Volunteers and accompany the army to the Korean battlefield. In this cruel war, Chen Mingren commanded well, performed many miraculous feats, led the officers and soldiers all the way through the hurdles, and won countless tough battles and victories. Among them, the victory in the Battle of Yunchuanmun and the liberation of Pyongyang City are the most legendary.
The brutality of the battle in Pyongyang can be imagined. At that time, the United Nations troops, with their strong fortifications, tried their best to block the attack of the Chinese People's Volunteers. In order to break through the encirclement, Chen Mingren personally led his officers and men to walk dozens of miles overnight, and suddenly opened heavy fire from a seemingly desperate mountain pass, dealing a fatal blow to the enemy and conquering the city of Pyongyang in an instant. This campaign was highly praised by the central authorities.
After winning the Battle of Pyongyang, Tran Minh Nhin was ordered to continue his march north and continue the battle with other troops. Among them, his heroic deeds are still endless. For example, in the Battle of Linjiangcang, the troops led by Chen Mingren unfortunately fell into the predicament of being attacked from all sides, and there was a shortage of weapons and ammunition on the periphery. At this critical juncture, Chen Mingren commanded the whole army to brave the enemy's artillery fire, engage in hand-to-hand combat with the enemy, and finally broke the enemy's heavy encirclement with a sudden attack.
Another example is the Battle of Nanyang in Shangchuan, the main force led by Chen Mingren was heavily blocked by the American army, and the troops were almost completely annihilated. At this most critical moment, Chen Mingren personally rushed to the front line, holding high the red flag in his hand and roaring: "Warriors! Whether the battle is successful or not today is all up to us! Under his tenacious leadership, the officers and men regained their morale and finally broke through the enemy's encirclement and won the battle.
Chen Mingren's performance of wisdom and courage on the Korean battlefield again and again made him completely establish the image of an immortal hero in the eyes of the generals of the DPRK and China. What is particularly admirable is that even after heavy losses and defeats, he never felt sorry for himself, but became more courageous and resolute until he finally won the battle. This kind of perseverance and fortitude is also the main reason why Chen Mingren is highly valued by the leaders of New China.
In 1953, Chen Mingren was appointed director of the East China Military and Political Commission, and was in charge of the military and political work in the entire East China region. Since then, he has served in various important positions in the Central Military Commission and the State Council until his death. It can be said that Chen Mingren has completely won the trust and support of the leaders of New China, and has become one of the most outstanding and highly regarded generals of the national army since the founding of the People's Republic of China.
The significance of Chen Mingren's life
Looking closely at Chen Mingren's life, it is not difficult for us to find that he can be called a real military strategist and national hero. As a native of Hunan, he has made a long-cherished wish to serve the country since he was young, and his enthusiasm and perseverance to defend the country are admirable.
As early as the 20s, Chen Mingren had already shown outstanding military talent at the Whampoa Military Academy. Not only was he a diligent learner and an excellent achiever, but he was also praised for his bravery in battle. Since then, he has emerged in the National Revolutionary Army and embarked on a legendary journey on the road to the stars step by step.
During the fiery Northern Expedition at that time, Chen Mingren made many military exploits and made countless achievements. He is not afraid of strong enemies, brave and good at fighting, and he is impressive. It was precisely by virtue of this heroic and fearless quality that Chen Mingren was able to continue to make contributions on the battlefield and eventually became a hussar general of the National Revolutionary Army.
However, Chen's life was much more than that. When the great historical changes of 1949 came, as a Kuomintang general, he made the most important choice in his life: he led the troops to revolt and join the Communist camp, completely abandoning the old era and embracing the future of New China.
This choice not only shows Chen Mingren's noble character and firm revolutionary will, but also indicates that he will shoulder heavy responsibilities and continue to write a new legend in the new era. Sure enough, on the Korean battlefield, Chen Mingren commanded the lion and the wisdom and bravery, turned the tide again and again, turned the tide into a disaster, and won countless victories that can be sung and cried.
Even in peacetime, Chen Mingren still worked diligently and continued to fight. He has served in a number of important military and political positions and has made great contributions to the national defense and military construction of New China. Until the last moment of his life, he never left his post, but continued to be conscientious and dedicated.
It can be said that Chen Mingren was loyal and courageous and made outstanding achievements in his life, and he made wise choices at the turning points of the great era on several occasions and won the final victory of the revolution. Whether in the old era or the new era, he has written a brilliant stroke for the cause of the country and the nation with his outstanding military talent and heroic qualities.
From a point of view, Chen Mingren's life is a microcosm of the group of military strategists and generals in New China. They successively experienced the smoke of war and the turbulence of civil war in the old era, and finally followed the party's call to join the revolution and contributed valuable strength to the birth of new China.
Therefore, the legendary life of Chen Mingren and his contemporaries embodies the indomitable spirit of struggle and the heroic and patriotic national integrity. With their actions and deeds, they interpreted the military wisdom, revolutionary will, and patriotic feelings that the generals of New China should have.
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It is precisely with such groups of heroes who can sing and cry that the establishment of New China will be so full of glory. They have witnessed and personally participated in the great historical process of national rejuvenation, and have contributed all their efforts in this process. This is undoubtedly the best commemoration and tribute to them.