In the early days of the establishment of the Taiwan government, such a general actually became the first general from the Whampoa Military Academy to be awarded the rank of second-class general in the army, which was five years earlier than Hu Zongnan, who had always been regarded as Chiang Kai-shek's right-hand man! He is General Yuan Shouqian, who may not be so well-known in the Kuomintang army, but his influence is very far-reaching.
Yuan Shouqian, whose name may not be as resounding as other generals in the history of the Kuomintang, is a story that is wonderful enough. Yuan Shouqian, born in 1903, was a native of Changsha, Hunan, and graduated from the Whampoa Military Academy in his early years, the cradle that trained countless Kuomintang generals. Unlike other military generals, Yuan Shouqian was characterized by his long history of political work and rarely had the opportunity to directly command battles. But despite the fact that he doesn't usually go to the battlefield, his work is extremely crucial, especially in the motivation of morale and the propaganda of the party's policies.
In the 1930s, Yuan Shouqian's career gradually entered the fast lane. In 1932, he became one of the backbone members of the "Fuxing Society", although he was not the legendary "Thirteen Taibao of the Fuxing Society", but in his later work, his performance won more trust and attention than these "Thirteen Taibao". In that turbulent era, political officials played no less important role than front-line commanders, and they played an irreplaceable role in stabilizing the morale of the soldiers and improving morale.
Yuan Shouqian's human touch is also famous. I remember one time, Huang Jie, a younger brother in the first phase of Huangpu, wrote from home that his father was seriously ill and his family was so poor that he couldn't even afford medicine. This made Huang Jie hesitate to drop out of school and go home. After learning of this situation, Yuan Shouqian and his classmate Li Shusen didn't say a word, and took out all their money and gave it to Huang Jie. This money not only saved Huang Jie's father's life, but also deepened the friendship between the three.
Speaking of Li Shusen, this old man who has been on the political work line has a rather bumpy fate. During the Battle of Songhu, he was wounded in battle and broke his right arm, and although he recovered his health, he never returned to the front-line army. turned to political work, and like Yuan Shouqian, he became a behind-the-scenes hero. Li Shusen in his later years in Taiwan, relied on
With the recommendation of Yuan Shouqian and Huang Jie, although they only hung up a few false positions, at least it was no big deal to spend their old age in peace.
Back to Yuan Shouqian, his political career peaked in 1950. In March of that year, he was awarded the rank of second-class general of the army, becoming the first general to receive this honor among the generals who graduated from the Whampoa Military Academy. This decision caused quite a stir at the time, after all, even Chiang Kai-shek's cronies such as Hu Zongnan had not yet received this title. Many people wonder, why did Yuan Shouqian get such an honor?
Actually, the answer is simple. Although Yuan Shouqian was not conspicuous on the battlefield, his work within the party had remarkable results, especially in improving morale and educating party members, which cannot be ignored. After the Kuomintang was defeated and retreated to Taiwan, it was faced with the double crisis of low morale and vacillating party members, and Yuan Shouqian's ability and experience were particularly important. Chiang Kai-shek also realized that in order to stabilize the morale of the army, it was not enough to rely on military commanders, but also needed old SS soldiers like Yuan Shouqian, who could grasp both party building and morale.
Yuan Shouqian's personality traits are also an important reason why he can win this award. His human touch and care for his fellow villagers have also accumulated a lot of contacts and goodwill within the party. These seemingly everyday things can actually play an unexpected role at critical moments. Some people say that politics is the hearts of the people, and Yuan Shouqian is undoubtedly a master in this regard.
The high point of Yuan Shouqian's career is not only to obtain the rank of general, but also to his subsequent performance. In the 1950s, Yuan Shouqian played an important role in the KMT's reconstruction of Taiwan. He not only participated in the formulation of policies, but more importantly, he was always able to grasp the general direction of the party in the process of implementation and ensure that he did not detach himself from the masses in the process of implementation, which was extremely important in Taiwanese society at that time.
Until his old age, Yuan Shouqian was still active in the political arena, although he did not have the sharpness of his youth, but that calmness and wisdom made him a role model for many young political cadres. And political work is no less important in the army than fighting on the battlefield. A good political officer can stabilize the morale of the military, improve morale, and even affect the direction of the war. Although Yuan Shouqian has never galloped on the battlefield, his efforts behind the scenes are an important part that every military enthusiast cannot ignore.