The first national defense minister of new China was Marshal Peng Dehuai, and the second national defense minister was Marshal Lin Biao. Who is the third Minister of Defense? He was also a marshal, and he had fought side by side with Peng Dehuai and Lin Biao.
He was Ye Jianying.
Ye Jianying was a well-known staff marshal and a former chief of staff of the Red Army. After the Start of the Long March of the Red Army, Ye Jianying first served as commander and political commissar of the First Column of the Central Military Commission, and then as deputy commander of the Column of the Central Military Commission, directing the troops to march and fight.
At the beginning of 1935, Deng Ping, senior chief of staff of the Red Third Army, unfortunately died, and Peng Dehuai learned that Ye Jianying was a rare talent, so he sent a telegram to the central authorities and asked Ye Jianying to take over the post of chief of staff of the Red Third Army. The Central Committee considered that the front line was the most fierce fighting and needed competent cadres, so it approved it.
Ye Jianying came to the Red Third Army and made Peng Dehuai the chief of staff. At that time, it could be said that he was ordered to be in a time of crisis. Soon, the Central Committee held a meeting at the drumming field and decided that Chairman Mao, Premier Zhou, and Wang Jiaxiang would form a three-person military group to be responsible for directing the military operations of the whole army.
Ye Jianying also attended the meeting. Before the meeting was over, the enemy planes suddenly came to bomb, and Ye Jianying's eyes were fast, and he grabbed Chairman Mao's hand and ran outside, quickly hiding in the thatched grass at the foot of the mountain. After dodging the bombardment of enemy aircraft, the meeting continued.
The troops wanted to cross the Jinsha River, and Chief of Staff Ye Jianying personally surveyed the terrain and commanded the erection of pontoon bridges. When encountering problems in the process of marching, Ye Jianying always consulted with several section chiefs under his command first, came up with the initial case, and then went to report to Commander Peng Dehuai and make a final decision.
The two future marshals of the republic work very well together. One day, the troops had marched 80 miles, and they were already very tired, and suddenly they had to report that a bridge in front of them had been broken by water. Ye Jianying was also very tired, but the military situation was urgent, so he summoned Li Tianyou, Sun Yi, and several other section chiefs to a meeting overnight.
Ye Jianying wanted to personally take the sappers to repair the bridge, but several section chiefs resolutely refused to let him go, and Ye Jianying gave the task of building the bridge to Sun Yi. Sun Yi rushed over overnight and repaired the bridge to ensure the smooth passage of the army.
The Red Army climbed the snowy mountains, and Ye Jianying asked everyone to prepare garlic, green onions, peppers and other cold materials in advance. Passing through the Tibetan area, Ye Jianying asked the troops not to harass the Tibetan brothers, and he personally went to do the work of the Tibetans.
When the two major Red Army victory divisions met, Ye Jianying was transferred to the chief of staff of the former enemy headquarters and left the Red Third Army. In just a few months of serving in the Red Third Army, Ye Jianying became Peng Dehuai's good assistant and spent the most difficult years.
Ye Jianying was a native of Guangdong, and after the founding of New China, he went south to Guangzhou and served as the commander of the Guangdong Military Region and the commander of the South China Military Region, and in June 1952, Ye Jianying served as the deputy commander and acting commander of the Central and Southern Military Region.
The Central South Military Region was established by the Fourth Field Army, and its commander was Lin Biao. Ye Jianying became Lin Biao's deputy. Because Lin Biao was not in good health, Ye Jianying actually presided over the work of the Central and Southern Military Region. The intense and heavy work made Ye Jianying tired and had to return to Beijing for medical treatment.
After recovering from his illness, Ye Jianying immediately returned to the Central and Southern Military Region, and also served as the acting first secretary of the Central and Southern Bureau and the chairman of the Central and Southern Military and Political Committee. Ye Jianying's work was fruitful. In October 1953, Ye Jianying left Zhongnan and entered Beijing to take up his post.
Whether as Peng Dehuai's chief of staff or as Lin Biao's deputy, Ye Jianying's work is remarkable. In 1955, Ye Jianying was awarded the rank of marshal along with Peng Dehuai, Lin Biao and others.
In 1975, at the first session of the Fourth National People's Congress, the 78-year-old Ye Jianying was appointed minister of national defense, the third defense minister of new China after Peng Dehuai and Lin Biao, and presided over the daily work of the Central Military Commission.
During Ye Jianying's tenure as minister of national defense, three great men, Premier Zhou, Mr. Zhu, and Chairman Mao, died one after another, and the country was in trouble, and in a special historical period, Ye Jianying turned the tide and saved the republic.