Before reading this article, I sincerely invite you to click the "Follow" button, so that you can continue to push such articles in the future, and it is also convenient for you to discuss and share, your support is the driving force for us to insist on creating~
Text | Zhu Xiaoyue loves Kanyu
Edit | Zhu Xiaoyue loves Kanyu
In the course of China's revolution and the founding of the People's Republic of China, there have always been some iron-clad figures who regard the country as their home and the people as their hearts. Senior General Chen Geng is one of them. His life was full of ups and downs, and it was closely linked to the fate of the country. Faced with the order to be forced to take a back seat, his disobedience and confusion were obvious. Why was he forced to leave his post when the "Kazakh military industry" had not yet been completed and when the country needed him the most? Why was this general, whom Premier Zhou greatly admired, suspended from his post and relegated to the second line at a critical moment? What is the reason behind this? Let Xiao Zhu take you into this story.
On February 27, 1903, Chen Geng was born in a military family in Xiangxiang, Hunan, and was exposed to the military environment since he was a child, and at the age of 13, he chose to put down his books and stepped into the military career. His fate was closely linked to the military, and this innate military temperament became more and more evident in his later life journey.
In 1922, he joined the Communist Party of China and became a revolutionary who fought for his ideals. Two years later, he entered the gate of the Whampoa Military Academy and became one of the first batch of students. In this newly established military academy, Chen Geng not only learned military skills, but was also known as the "Three Heroes of Whampoa" together with He Jinhan and Jiang Xianyun, and this honor not only represents their excellence in military skills, but also symbolizes their high recognition of their ideological and political qualities. Chiang Kai-shek, in particular, had a special favor and attention to Chen Geng.
In November 1924, Chen Geng graduated from the Whampoa Military Academy, and then in 1925, he stayed at the school as the company commander of the second enlisted student company, and then became the deputy captain of the third batch of undergraduates. At the turn of the spring and summer of 1925, he participated in the campaign to quell the rebellions of Yang Ximin and Liu Zhenhuan, demonstrating his outstanding military talent and firm revolutionary stance. Then, on June 23 of the same year, he participated in the battle against the British and French forces, and this series of military operations not only exercised his military command ability, but also deepened his sense of responsibility for the country and the nation.
In the autumn of 1934, Chen Geng was appointed as the leader of the Red Army Cadre Corps and began his legendary journey in the Long March. In October of this year, he led a group of cadres to participate in this great historical march. In the spring of 1935, it was on May 1 that Chen Geng showed his outstanding military acumen and led the Red Army cadres to skillfully cross the Jinsha River and successfully achieve a breakthrough in Kyaukpingdu, a feat that added a strong stroke to the Red Army's Long March.
With the deepening of the Long March, in August 1935, the Red Army Cadre Corps was merged with the Red Army University of the Red Fourth Front Army, and Chen Geng's responsibilities also changed, and he was transferred to the Red First Army to hold important positions. In September of the same year, with the reunion of the 1st and 3rd Red Army Corps in Hadapu, Gansu and reorganized into the Shaanxi-Gansu Detachment, Chen Geng was appointed as the captain of the 13th Brigade. Chen Geng's military command ability has been fully brought into play.
In October 1935, when the Central Red Army arrived in Wuqi Town in northern Shaanxi, Chen Geng was appointed as the commander of the 13th Regiment of the Red Army. This change in role marked a further increase in his status and influence in the Red Army. In November of the same year, Chen Geng once again showed his bravery in the battle of Zhiluo Town, which was also the third time he was wounded in the battle, and a bullet pierced his left thumb.
By the end of 1935, Chen Geng was entrusted with heavier responsibilities and served as the commander of the First Division of the Red Army. During this period, he not only showed extraordinary talent in military affairs, but also showed extraordinary qualities in organization and leadership. Chen Geng's experience was not only the highlight of his personal military career, but also an indelible part of the history of the Red Army's Long March, reflecting his infinite loyalty and great sacrifice to the revolutionary cause.
In the autumn of 1937, with the official renaming of the Red Army to the Eighth Route Army, Chen Geng was appointed as the brigade commander of the 129th Brigade of the 386th Division of the Eighth Route Army. In this new position, Chen Geng quickly demonstrated his military talents, leading the troops to participate in many key battles against the Japanese army, including the glorious battles in Kagura Village, Huangyadi, Shentouling, Xiangtangpu and other places, showing the heroic spirit of the Eighth Route Army to dare to fight tough battles.
By 1938, the Japanese army had gathered more than 30,000 soldiers and attacked the Eighth Route Army's base in southeast Shanxi Province in nine ways, with the goal of eliminating the Eighth Route Army and occupying the Yellow River crossing in one fell swoop. In the face of the strong pressure of the Japanese army, the Eighth Route Army did not choose to face it head-on, but adopted flexible guerrilla tactics, attacking everywhere to deal a heavy blow to the Japanese army, causing it to fall into chaos and return empty-handed repeatedly, and finally had to choose to retreat.
Early one morning in April 1938, the 386th Brigade led by Chen Geng found a large number of Japanese baggage teams and retreating troops near Changle Village in Wuxiang County, who were crowding the road and moving slowly. Chen Geng decisively ordered the attack, and the morale of the troops was high, and the brave charge instantly disrupted the ranks of the Japanese army and plunged it into unprecedented chaos. This raid dealt a heavy blow to the Japanese army, which considered itself invincible, with heavy casualties.
In this battle, the Eighth Route Army killed and injured more than 2,200 Japanese soldiers, which became a glorious record of the largest number of Japanese troops eliminated by our army in a single battle during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. This was not only a major blow to the morale of the Japanese army, but also a great encouragement to the morale of our army. Chen Geng's wise command and the heroic fighting of the soldiers of the 386th Brigade contributed an important force to the victory of the War of Resistance Against Japan.
At the critical moment of the Liberation War, Chen Geng played an extremely key role in the Huaihai Campaign. The troops under his command shouldered extremely difficult tasks in the operation to encircle the Huang Wei group. In the face of the complex and ever-changing battlefield situation, Chen Geng used his superb tactical thinking and excellent leadership skills to successfully control his own casualties to a very low level of less than 20 people, but under his skillful command, he was able to defeat the enemy's 85th Division and its two regiments.
After the Huaihai Campaign, the Battle of Crossing the River became another highlight moment in Chen Geng's military career. With the successful conclusion of the battle of crossing the river, Chen Geng did not stop for a moment, and quickly threw himself into the fierce battle of the Guangdong-Guizhou Border Campaign. In this large-scale battle, the People's Liberation Army annihilated a total of 168,000 Kuomintang troops, and the corps commanded by Chen Geng contributed to the brilliant achievement of destroying 70,000 enemies alone. This remarkable achievement not only demonstrated the strong combat effectiveness of Chen Geng's troops, but also demonstrated his excellent tactical vision and efficient command ability as a commander.
In successive battles, Chen Geng's troops continued to grow, and they showed remarkable combat effectiveness in each battle. Behind this is Chen Geng's meticulous planning and strict implementation of the troops' training, as well as his keen insight and flexibility to adapt to changes on the battlefield. It is precisely these that enabled Chen Geng and his troops to achieve remarkable results in every key battle of the Liberation War and made indelible contributions to the cause of liberation.
In 1943, Chen Geng ended his front-line combat mission, returned to Yan'an, the holy land of revolution, became a member of the Yan'an Rectification Movement, and actively participated in this movement aimed at strengthening party building and correcting unhealthy tendencies within the party, and in 1945, at the "Seventh National Congress" of the Communist Party of China, Chen Geng was elected as an alternate member of the Central Committee with his outstanding performance and loyalty to the party, which marked the further improvement of his status in the party.
After Japan announced its unconditional surrender, Chen Geng did not have a moment to rest, and hurried back to the Taiyue base area, shouldering the heavy task of rebuilding and commanding the commander of the Taiyue Column of the newly formed Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Field Army. He quickly organized his troops and participated in the Battle of Shangdang, a key battle aimed at countering the Kuomintang army's offensive into Communist-held areas. In this battle, Chen Geng demonstrated his outstanding military command ability, not only successfully stopping the invasion of the Kuomintang army, but also capturing the enemy's 19th Army commander Shi Zebo alive in the battle, which further enhanced the influence and appeal of the Communist Party in the people.
Chen Geng's performance in this series of activities is not only a manifestation of his personal military talent and leadership, but also a demonstration of his unswerving loyalty and courageous spirit to the cause of the Communist Party. These contributions made important contributions to the further unification of the whole country and the completion of the new democratic revolution by the Communist Party of China after the victory of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.
On December 19, 1957, shortly after returning from a visit to the Soviet Union, Chen Geng suddenly suffered a heart attack, which shocked everyone, because Chen Geng has always been known for his strong physique. Fortunately, thanks to prompt and effective medical treatment, Chen Geng's condition was brought under control in time. In a hospital in Beijing, he spent three months recuperating in bed.
During the rest period, Chen Geng's enthusiastic heart did not calm down. Three months later, he began to express to his doctor a strong desire to return to work. Although the doctors initially had reservations about this, believing that Chen Geng should continue to recuperate to ensure his health, Chen Geng's unremitting persuasion and even hard work on the day finally impressed the doctors. After getting the approval of the central leadership, the doctors finally relented and allowed Chen Geng to try to devote a little time to his work every day.
This experience not only reflects Chen Geng's incomparable dedication and love for his work, but also shows his perseverance in the face of difficulties and challenges. His story inspires people to stay optimistic even in the face of adversity and face every challenge of life positively.
In 1959, General Chen Geng suffered another heart attack and had to be hospitalized. Although he narrowly escaped this time, the central leadership decided not to let him continue to take on the heavy responsibility. Although the general was strong-willed and wanted to continue to serve the country, Marshal Peng Dehuai insisted that he lay down his duties and concentrate on recuperation, considering his health. Faced with this decision, although the general was unwilling, he had no choice but to accept it.
He sought Premier Zhou's support and hoped to remain at work. But Mr. Zhou, the old leader who usually supports him, also resolutely disagrees this time out of concern for his health. The valiant general had to accept the arrangement of fate and retreated to the second line. Although he was forced to leave his beloved job, his loyalty to his country and love for his work never waned.
On March 16, 1961, this general, who had dedicated his life to the country and the people, passed away heroically. His death has deeply saddened countless people, but his deeds and spirit will always be remembered in people's hearts. He was not only a military hero, but also an educator who made great contributions to the cause of military education on the mainland. In particular, the Military Engineering Academy he founded in Harbin has trained a large number of military and technical personnel for the mainland and laid a solid foundation for the development of national defense science and technology.
The life of this general is the supreme hymn to perseverance and dedication. At the end of his life, he remained concerned about the future of his country and nation. His spirit and achievements will forever inspire future generations to continue to contribute to the development of the country and the nation.
(References: "General Chen Geng", "Selected Military Writings of Chen Geng", "The Eighth Route Army's Anti-Japanese War Secret Files are All Public", "The Legend of the New Fourth Army of the Eighth Route Army")