preface
In 1990, when the Gulf War was at a critical juncture, a message was suddenly received saying that a copy of Sun Tzu's Art of War was circulating in the hands of US Marine Corps officers. This news quickly spread throughout the military academia and attracted the attention of the whole world.
So, who translated the book to the United States, and how did the book circulate to the U.S. military command?
Pictured: Chairman Mao
After some investigation, it was found that the original "Sun Tzu Art of War" that was circulated to the United States was not the "Sun Tzu Art of War" from two thousand years ago, but the work of an old Communist in China, that is, Tao Hanzhang's "Introduction to Sun Tzu's Art of War."
Miaobi wrote articles
The name Tao Hanzhang may not be familiar to many people. He was born into a family of scholars and has been familiar with the Four Books and Five Classics since he was a child. Later, after joining the Red Army, Ren Bishi aicai, preserved him as the backbone, and served as the chief of the education section of the second branch of the Anti-Japanese Military and Political University and the chief of education of the North China Military and Political University.
In 1934, when 17-year-old Tao Hanzhang was working as a tactical instructor at the Red Army School of the Xianggan Military Region, he used the military knowledge he had learned when he was with Feng Yuxiang to compile a training syllabus for the Red Army in the Central Soviet Region, "100 Questions on Military Issues.".
Figure 丨 Tao Hanzhang
This book mainly explains many difficult problems in the military in the form of questions and answers, such as how to attack, how to defend, and how to pursue. The book was also loved by the Red Army at the time.
Later, he participated in the Long March of the Red Army, and was sent to the Red 2 Corps Teaching Battalion as a deputy battalion commander, and later promoted to battalion commander.
During this period, Mr. He liked to visit the teaching camp. Between battles, he also likes to play a game of chess with the people around him. When playing chess, I always like to tell stories to others.
Once in Shadaogou, Tao Hanzhang played chess with Mr. He, who asked about Tao Hanzhang's family lineage, and after learning that his grandfather was a small official prefect of the Qing Dynasty, he laughed and said: "The prefect is not a small official, that is an "adult" Yo. ”
Later, the two talked very speculatively, And Mr. He asked Tao Hanzhang how many books he had read, and after Tao Hanzhang answered, Mr. He smiled and said, "Then are you a local tycoon who is a Red Army?" Very nice! ”
Of course, Tao Hanzhang is not from a local tycoon, but was born in Shuxiang Mendi, so Mr. He likes to joke with Tao Hanzhang with "local tycoon".
Picture 丨 He Long
During the Long March, the enemy blocked in front of him, chased after the enemy, and from time to time encountered enemy bombardment, and every day he marched forward while fighting.
All day long, in addition to fighting the enemy, they also have to fight against hunger and cold. Because of the limited conditions, they all wear single shoes and single pants, and in the face of the cold climate, they simply do not care about these.
I really can't walk, so everyone holds hands together, holding hands with each other, even if they walk slowly, they will never stop. Because they know that once they stop, they really can't stand up again.
In his later years, Tao Hanzhang recalled that period of history and sighed: "At that time, it was really difficult, and many times it was hard to support, but it was precisely in this way that we practiced the quality of iron and steel casting." ”
After the end of the Long March, Tao Hanzhang served as the captain and instructor of the Eighth Route Army Headquarters Camp School, and followed the headquarters to the anti-Japanese front in North China to run the school.
Deng Xiaoping, then director of the Political Department of the Eighth Route Army, handed over a letter to Wei Guoqing, the principal of the school, written by Zou Taofen, the head of the bookstore, hoping that the Eighth Route Army would write a book on guerrilla warfare behind enemy lines. In fact, they all understood in their hearts that this was just a "routine" on the Part of the Kuomintang, that is, they hoped that through this relationship, they would ask the Eighth Route Army for military theory books.
Figure 丨 Wei Guoqing
Wei Guoqing then entrusted this task to Tao Hanzhang and said, "This work is the most suitable for you, so let you write it." ”
Tao Hanzhang was ignorant when he first received this task, although the story of each Red Army soldier was enough to write a history of blood and tears, but if the combat experience was written into a book, there was still some difficulty.
Moreover, he was going to write a book of military theory, and the material in his hand really had nothing to refer to except a Soviet pamphlet and some of the reports he had heard from the bystanders before.
But since this task has been entrusted to oneself, it must be completed well. Tao Hanzhang carefully studied all the information that could be checked, and then learned their stories and ideas from the Red Army soldiers around him.
In 1955, Tao Hanzhang was awarded the rank of major general
In the process of creation, Tao Hanzhang drafted more than ten outlines, and finally through his unremitting creation, he first sent the outline and writing to Chongqing, and after getting consent and reply, he began to write chapter by chapter, and after each chapter was written, he sent a chapter.
The strategic diagrams and various tables in the text are all drawn by himself little by little, and then proofread little by little.
In the end, after several months of hard work by Tao Hanzhang, because of the war, each time he sent out the manuscript, it was first sent to Xi'an via Fengling Ferry, and then airlifted to Chongqing, and finally after more than three months of hard work, this 170,000-word military treatise was completed, called "Outline of Guerrilla Tactics", which was divided into 15 chapters.
Figure丨 "Outline of Guerrilla Tactics"
After the manuscript was sent to Chongqing, it was not long before Chongqing sent a very special fee, that is, a bundle of stamps. In fact, in the context of the time, this is not surprising.
Because the currencies of the territories directly under the Kuomintang and the Communist Party of China at that time were not passable, only stamps could pass, so it was used as a messenger of "manuscript fees" for circulating currency.
Later, because he had been busy with the war, he had no time to pay attention to the release of the manuscript, and later when he talked about the manuscript in a chat with a friend, the friend said that he had never seen a lead word in the manuscript.
When Tao Hanzhang heard this, his heart was very uncomfortable. He decided to search with his friends, but after several twists and turns, he finally found an orphan book in the Chongqing Library, and Tao Hanzhang was slightly relieved.
In 1994, at the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Whampoa Military Academy, Tao Hanzhang chatted with a veteran Kuomintang soldier from Taiwan.
Photo 丨 Whampoa Military Academy Anniversary Commemorative Album
Tao Hanzhang listened, opened his eyes and asked, "Do you know what the name of the author of this book is?" ”
"I know, it's called Tao Jianqing." The old soldier replied.
"Oh, Tao Jianqing is me." Tao Hanzhang was also a little excited.
The Kuomintang soldier was stunned, carefully examined the general in front of him, and suddenly stood up straight and saluted Tao Hanzhang. Tao Hanzhang said busily, "Don't dare not dare." This is also a legendary story of the relationship between the two parties and the two armies of the Kuomintang and the Communist Party.
Tao Hanzhang personally deciphered why "Introduction to Sun Tzu's Art of War" was circulated to the United States
But at this time, Tao Hanzhang must not have imagined that by the late 1980s, he would be able to become a "military division" of the US military to command the Gulf War.
It was in the late 1980s, when the U.S. military first attacked Iraq during the Gulf War. The war is raging, and there is no winner or loser. At this time, the Chinese authorities received a message that the US Marine Corps in the Gulf was circulating a copy of China's "Sun Tzu's Art of War."
This also attracted people's attention at the time, how our "Sun Tzu's Art of War" spread to the United States. Later, after some inquiry and investigation, it was found that the "Art of War of Sun Tzu" that was circulated to the United States was not the "Art of War of Sun Tzu" from more than two thousand years ago, but the "Introduction to the Art of War of Sun Tzu" written by Tao Hanzhang.
Figure 丨 "Introduction to Sun Tzu's Art of War"
The book was owned by the Marine Corps at the time, and the book was loved by American generals at the time, and the name Tao Hanzhang was also famous in the United States.
Brzezinski, a senior adviser to the US Congress, wrote a letter to General Tao Hanzhang, saying in his heart: "Even if I have read your book repeatedly and benefited a lot, I think not only will I benefit, but everyone who has read this book will definitely learn a lot." ”
Later, the Secretary of State of the U.S. State of Alabama sent a special envoy to the United States in order to award the title of "Honorary Secretary of State of Alabama" to General Tao Hanzhang.
When talking about the creation of this book, Tao Lao said that this "Introduction" was actually in the fifties and sixties of the last century, when Tao Hanzhang was still working as an instructor at the Nanjing Military Academy, and one day, Marshal Liu Bocheng called him to his side and said that some colleges reflected that they were teaching Soviet things and hoped to have a set of their own methodology.
At that time, they just happened to learn the "Battle Law", and Liu Bocheng felt that at this time, he could tell you about our own "Sun Tzu's Art of War", so he found Tao Hanzhang and hoped that he would be responsible for this matter.
Figure 丨 Liu Bocheng
Tao Hanzhang had actually read "Sun Tzu's Art of War", but it had been a long time ago, and now that he had almost forgotten it, he felt a little embarrassed.
Liu Bocheng saw it and said to him: There are 13 chapters in Sun Tzu's Art of War, but many of them have similar views, which are summarized and divided into six points:
1, wisdom and strategy; 2, the military posture; 3, the odd soldiers and the regular soldiers; 4, the virtual and real; 5, the initiative and flexibility of the use of troops; 6, the use of space.
After listening to Liu Shuai's words, Tao Hanzhang already had a preliminary framework in mind, and later with the help of Marshal Liu Bocheng, Tao Hanzhang wrote "Introduction to Sun Tzu's Art of War" according to these 6 frameworks.
In the 1980s, he was still active in the military teaching arena
There were many twists and turns, numerous revisions, and the final draft was published in 1985.
Once published, the book caused a sensation at home and abroad, and also had a huge impact. Translations soon became available in many countries and were published in dozens of countries around the world.
During the Gulf War, U.S. Marines had almost every hand a copy of Sun Tzu's Introduction to the Art of War. How exactly did the book get into the hands of the U.S. military? Tao Hanzhang later personally solved the mystery.
Figure丨 Gulf War
He said that as soon as the book was published, it was translated into English by a military attaché of our country in the United Nations and published by the Sterling Company in New York. In the beginning, it was actually only some generals who had read the book.
Later, after the outbreak of the Gulf War, the US Department of Defense discovered the "magic" of the book, so they immediately bought hundreds of copies and distributed them to the Marines who participated in the war, one for each hand.
It is also this book that makes the name Tao Hanzhang engraved in the minds of the US military and become a prominent figure. Later, when Tao Lao talked about the book again, he said:
"In fact, I did not write this book alone, Liu Shuai, General Chen Geng, General Su Yu, and Ye Shuai all played a very important role and were all great heroes. But because they were busy militarily, they had no time to take care of it, so I had to come to banmen to get an axe. ”
When Elder Tao said this, he continued with a smile: "In fact, I have always longed for myself to be like other generals and make contributions in one decisive battle after another. But who would have thought that in the end I would not become a general with great achievements, but a military theorist. ”
It was 1947, and the strategic decisive battle of the War of Liberation was about to begin. One day, Luo Ruiqing suddenly found him and said that he was in urgent need of a staff officer, and they felt that Tao Hanzhang was the most suitable candidate. He was in charge of running a senior staff class.
Picture 丨 Liberation War
Tao Hanzhang is actually a little reluctant, this is not his original intention, he wants to become a general who has made contributions to the country, which can be said to be his dream all along.
Therefore, for this suggestion made by Luo Ruiqing, he only said: "I need to consider it." ”
Later, Tao Hanzhang did not take the initiative to find Luo Ruiqing, until the troops needed to carry out rectification training, Luo Ruiqing found Tao Hanzhang again, hoping that he could agree. Tao Hanzhang said, "Did you go to Yang Chengwu about this?" You can talk to him, and if he wants, I'll go. ”
After chatting with Tao Hanzhang, Luo Ruiqing found Yang Chengwu and told him about wanting Tao Hanzhang to be responsible for running the staff class. After Yang Chengwu listened, he was not willing to let Tao Hanzhang go, but now there was indeed a lack of staff talent, and Tao Hanzhang was indeed the best candidate. Finally, he said to Luo Ruiqing: "In this way, Deputy Political Commissar Luo, I will lend you Tao Hanzhang for half a year." ”
Luo Ruiqing said, "Okay, then borrow it for half a year." He said and took out his pen and wrote an IOU.
Picture 丨 Yang Chengwu
In this way, Tao Hanzhang began his teaching career from then on.
During this period, Tao Hanzhang also wrote a book called "Staff Work", which was also the first staff textbook in the history of our army.
Tao Hanzhang was actually reluctant in his heart, but since this is the case now, he must be in his position, seek his position, and do everything well at the moment. He wrote books while teaching.
Sometimes I am so busy that in addition to eating, I am reading and writing books, and I have very little time to sleep. For him, of course, he likes to swim in the sea of books, but he also often feels boring.
Many of his friends said that since he began teaching, the temperament of the whole person was not like the shrewd and capable chief of staff before.
After a period of hard work, this extremely valuable and significant academic work "Staff Work" came out. Once this book was released, it was also deeply loved by the soldiers of the army. Tao Hanzhang also received a reward of 300 yuan.
Figure 丨 In the zhengrong years of running a school behind enemy lines, comrades in arms of the anti-sophomore branch (the first left in the second row is Tao Hanzhang)
At that time, the 300 yuan was different from now, when the allowance of a cadre was only 4 yuan per month.
Of course, Tao Hanzhang was not stingy, taking 300 yuan with Zhu Liangcai, Ye Jianying, and Zhu Laozong to drive to the "Zhuangyuanfang" in Shijiazhuang.
After having a meal together, Zhu Liangcai said that he wanted to drink Moutai wine, but Mr. Zhu said: "Today Tao Hanzhang is a person who has won the Title, and we want to drink the Red Of the Champions!" "This scene is also rare to see in such a war gap.
A life of rest is comfortable and fulfilling
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Tao Hanzhang has been focusing on military research and teaching in Nanjing and the capital, and on the basis of his lifelong military practice, observing and dealing with how to use various arms and weapons under various conditions to rise to the height of military theory and military modernization knowledge is extremely targeted and practical.
His research work is reflected in the written works, which are reasonable, profound and meticulous. Cultivating talented people with both political integrity and ability in our army is of great importance and far-reaching significance.
General Tao Hanzhang, who is 90 years old, is still reading and studying
In his later years, General Tao Hanzhang retired from the position of vice president of the Academy of Military Sciences and served as "honorary president of the Chinese Sun Tzu Art of War Research Association" and "senior adviser of the China Strategic Society", and the pen he held in his hand never stopped.
At this time, he still hoped to make some contributions to the study of military strategic theory in the Chinese People's Liberation Army. In addition, he also has a wish, that is, to go back to his hometown in Jiangxi to see.
As he grew older, Tao Lao's longing for his hometown became more and more intense. As soon as he mentioned the people or things in his hometown, his emotions immediately came up, and he couldn't help but burst into tears.
Pictured: Tao Hanzhang and his wife took a photo when they returned to their hometown
After liberation, Tao Lao will often return to his hometown to see the people, look at the century-old tree at the head of the village, and hope that he can contribute to the construction of his hometown. Therefore, whenever the villagers mention tao lao's name, they will be full of praise. Every time I saw him return to his hometown, I would also beat the gong and drum to welcome him.
On December 16, 2010, General Tao Hanzhang left us forever at the age of 93. But he will always live in the hearts of our descendants.