In the autumn of 1965, the third-line construction base in the southwest was covered with yellow sand and dust.
At this time, Peng Dehuai, who was nearly 70 years old, went to the construction site every day to inspect the construction site, regardless of the harsh environment. He cared about the well-being of the workers and showed great tenacity and determination in the face of the harsh weather.
What is the reason why Peng Dehuai once again devoted himself to such a difficult task after many years of leisure at home?
Peng Dehuai's position this time is the third deputy director of the Third Line Construction Committee of the Great Southwest. Above him, there are three bosses, who are they?
Peng Dehuai and the Great Southwest
In 1965, the Central Committee decided to send Peng Dehuai to the southwest to serve as the third deputy director of the Third Line Construction Committee. There are complex social factors behind this appointment. Let's start with Peng Dehuai's life.
Peng Dehuai was born in 1898 in a peasant family in Xiangtan, Hunan. He grew up poor, but he was strong-willed and determined to change his fate.
In 1928, Peng Dehuai joined the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army and quickly grew into an outstanding military commander. During the Red Army, he won the respect of the whole army and became one of the core leaders of the Red Army by virtue of his outstanding military talent and firm revolutionary conviction.
During the Anti-Japanese War, Peng Dehuai served as the deputy commander-in-chief of the Eighth Route Army, participated in many key battles, and played an important role in resisting the Japanese invaders.
In 1945, after the victory of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, Peng Dehuai continued to hold important positions in the War of Liberation, commanded the People's Liberation Army to achieve many major victories, and made great contributions to the establishment of New China.
After the founding of New China, Peng Dehuai was appointed commander of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army and led the army to Korea.
On the Korean battlefield, with his outstanding command skills and tenacious style, he led the Chinese Volunteers to a series of victories, which greatly enhanced China's status on the international stage.
After returning to China in 1954, Peng Dehuai served as Minister of National Defense and Vice Premier of the State Council, responsible for the modernization of the People's Liberation Army.
He made every effort to promote the regularization and modernization of the armed forces and made significant contributions to the cause of national defense.
However, the Lushan Conference in 1959 brought a major turning point in Peng's political career.
At the Lushan Conference, Peng Dehuai was accused of being the leader of an "anti-party group" for criticizing the Great Leap Forward policy.
As a result of this incident, he was removed from all military posts and gradually marginalized.
Despite this, Peng Dehuai retained his posts as a member of the Politburo and vice premier of the State Council, but he was depressed and gradually faded out of the political scene.
Peng Dehuai moved away from Zhongnanhai and moved into Wujia Garden, a northwestern suburb of Beijing.
Here, he lived a simple life, planting vegetables, flowers, and fish to relieve the bitterness in his heart. Although life is peaceful, Peng Dehuai has not forgotten his responsibility and concern for the country. He has repeatedly proposed to go to the countryside to conduct field investigations and contribute to the country with practical actions.
In 1965, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China again appointed Peng Dehuai to a new position, and asked him to go to the southwest to serve as the third deputy director of the third-line construction committee.
This is because in the mid-1960s, Sino-Soviet relations were becoming increasingly tense and the international situation was changing. The Central Committee decided to carry out large-scale defense and industrial construction in the southwestern region in order to counter the possible threat of war.
The construction of the third line is regarded as an important guarantee of national security, and Peng Dehuai's military background and leadership skills make him the perfect candidate for this important task.
Peng Dehuai was initially unenthusiastic about the new appointment. Peng Zhen, the mayor of Beijing, was instructed to communicate with Peng Dehuai, hoping to persuade him to accept the task.
Peng Zhen directly expressed the decision of the central government, but Peng Dehuai believed that he had no experience in industrial construction and had a special status, so he was worried that he would not be able to do it. He politely rejected Peng Zhen's proposal, but the central government did not give up.
On September 23, Chairman Mao personally had an in-depth conversation with Peng Dehuai.
Chairman Mao understood the reasoning and moved with emotion, emphasized the importance of the three-line construction to national security, and expressed the trust of the central government in Peng Dehuai. Chairman Mao's firm attitude finally persuaded Peng Dehuai, and he decided to accept the appointment and contribute to the country again.
Peng Dehuai finally accepted the appointment of the central government and decided to go to the southwest to serve as the third deputy director of the third-line construction committee. Although he still had doubts in his heart, he chose to obey the organization's arrangement, showing loyalty and a sense of responsibility to the country. Peng Dehuai's decision marks a new turning point in his life and injects new impetus into the construction of the third line.
The third-line construction is a large-scale national defense industrial construction plan that China began in the mid-60s of the 20th century, and the main purpose is to build a number of national defense, scientific research and industrial bases in the southwest, northwest and other strategic hinterlands.
Due to the deterioration of Sino-Soviet relations at that time, the central government considered the northern border region to be difficult to defend, so it was decided to transfer some important defense industry and scientific research institutions to relatively safe inland areas.
The southwest region has a complex geographical environment, inconvenient transportation and backward infrastructure. To carry out large-scale construction here, many difficulties need to be overcome.
In order to promote the construction of the third line, the central government set up the Southwest Third Line Construction Committee and appointed a number of experienced leading cadres to coordinate this huge project.
Third-place boss
Peng Dehuai served as the third deputy director of the third-line construction committee, and his three superiors were director Li Jingquan, first deputy director Cheng Zihua and second deputy director Yan Xiufeng.
Li Jingquan served as the political commissar of the division during the Red Army in his early years, and after the liberation, he worked in Sichuan for a long time, serving as chairman of the Sichuan Provincial People's Government and first secretary of the Sichuan Provincial CPC Committee.
Cheng Zihua was the commander of the Red 25th Army, and fought side by side with Nie Rongzhen in the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Base Area during the Anti-Japanese War, and also had outstanding performances in the War of Liberation.
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, he worked in the Finance and Trade Office of the State Council, the Ministry of Commerce, the State Construction Commission and other departments, and had rich experience in economic construction.
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Yan Xiufeng was transferred to Sichuan and served as deputy director of the West Sichuan Administration and secretary general of the Sichuan Provincial People's Government.
In the autumn of 1965, Peng Dehuai set off for the southwest. He practiced himself, went deep into the front line of construction, worked with the workers, and inspected the mineral production in various places.
Peng Dehuai's work in the southwest has achieved some results, but challenges remain. His determination and actions became an important force in the construction of the third front.
Peng Dehuai's work schedule in the southwest is tight.
I wake up before dawn every day, have a short meal, and rush to various construction sites. Panzhihua, Chengdu, Chongqing and other places have left his footprints. No matter how bad the weather was, he insisted on personally inspecting the construction site and carefully inquiring about the progress of the construction site and the working conditions of the workers.
Panzhihua Iron Mine is one of the core projects of the third-line construction.
Peng Dehuai found at the site that the traffic conditions in the mining area were extremely difficult, and the transportation equipment was old, which affected the progress of the project. He made a decisive decision to increase machinery and equipment, and to optimize transport routes, which significantly improved work efficiency.
During an inspection, Peng Dehuai personally led an engineering team to survey the terrain and find the best transportation route. He personally directed the workers to build temporary roads to ensure that heavy equipment could reach the mine.
Under his leadership, the problem of transportation in the mining area was solved, and the production schedule was greatly accelerated.
Peng Dehuai is not only concerned about the progress of the project, but also about the living conditions of the workers. He found that many of the workers lived in simple shacks, with a single diet and poor hygiene. He immediately organized a team to improve the workers' living conditions, build simple dormitories, and ensure that the workers had clean drinking water and adequate food.
The construction of the Chengdu-Kunming Railway is one of the most challenging tasks in the construction of the third line. The mountains along the railway line are high and the valleys are deep, the geological conditions are complex, and it rains all year round, so the construction is extremely difficult. Peng Dehuai led the engineering team to overcome many difficulties and use limited resources to carry out the construction.
During an inspection, Peng Dehuai found that the excavation of a section of the tunnel was progressing very slowly, and the workers were hampered by a lack of experience and equipment. He immediately summoned experts for technical guidance, and personally led the workers to improve the construction method, and finally successfully broke through the difficulties of the tunnel.
Cooperation with three bosses
Peng Dehuai worked closely with his three bosses. Together, they discuss the work plan and develop a detailed construction plan. At each meeting, Peng Dehuai will put forward constructive suggestions and actively participate in discussions to ensure the smooth progress of various tasks.
Winter is coming, and the climate in the southwest has become even harsher. Heavy snow has blocked the mountains, traffic has been disrupted, and supplies have been tightened.
Peng Dehuai organized the team to formulate an emergency plan to ensure that the project was carried out uninterrupted in the severe cold. He personally led the team to clear the roads, ensure smooth transportation, and arrange material reserves to ensure that the workers had sufficient material support in the cold winter.
In the spring of 1966, the central government sent an inspection team to inspect the progress of the construction of the third line. Peng Dehuai personally received and led the delegation to visit various construction sites.
He gave a detailed report on the progress of the project and the existing problems, which was highly praised by the inspection team. The delegation affirmed Peng Dehuai's work and promised to further support the construction of the third line.
The construction of Panzhihua Iron and Steel Plant is an important milestone in the construction of the third line. With the joint efforts of Peng Dehuai and the workers, the steel plant was finally put into operation.
On the same day, Peng Dehuai personally pressed the start button and witnessed the first furnace of molten steel. At this moment, the workers at the scene cheered and burst into tears. Peng Dehuai stood silently aside, staring at the fiery molten steel, as if he saw the hope for the country's future.
At the end of 1966, through the efforts of countless workers and engineers, the Chengdu-Kunming Railway was finally completed.
Peng Dehuai attended the opening ceremony, and he took the first train through the mountains and witnessed this historic moment. Villagers along the way gathered on both sides of the railway and waved to the train, and Peng Dehuai also smiled and waved to them in response.
Peng Dehuai's contribution to the construction of the third line is indelible. He has proven that he can contribute to the country in any environment. During his days in the southwest, he led the workers to overcome countless difficulties and laid a solid foundation for the country's industrialization and national defense construction.
In 1967, with the gradual completion of the construction of the third line, Peng Dehuai's task also came to an end.
With his deep affection for the workers and fond memories of the southwest, he left this land where he had struggled. Although his body is no longer young, he is still full of love for his country and hope for the future.
Peng Dehuai's trip to the third-line construction is an important experience and contribution in his life. With his practical actions, he showed his loyalty and sense of responsibility to the country.
His efforts and dedication have not only made important contributions to the country's industrialization and national defense construction, but also left valuable spiritual wealth for future generations. This history will forever be engraved in the hearts of the Chinese people and become a force that inspires future generations to keep moving forward.
Resources:
Peng Dehuai in the Third Line (1995). Beijing Film Studio.