In 1955, New China ushered in an important moment for the first conferral of military ranks. This is not only a major measure for army building, but also an affirmation and praise for countless revolutionary heroes. However, at this seemingly solemn moment, an unexpected quarrel took place. The protagonists of the quarrel are the two founding fathers we are familiar with: General Chen Geng and Marshal Peng Dehuai.
Chen Geng, a general known for his humor, has always gotten along well with Peng Dehuai. They fought side by side in the Revolutionary War and experienced countless trials of life and death together. But this time, the two fell into a heated argument over the rank of a young warrior.
Who is the focus of the quarrel? Why such a heated dispute? Why is Chen Geng so persistent? Why is Peng Dehuai tough? In the end, how did this quarrel end? Will all this affect the revolutionary friendship that has been established between the two fathers over the years?
The revolutionary friendship between Chen Geng and Peng Dehuai can be traced back to the late twenties of the last century. At that time, the young Chen Geng had just returned to China after graduating from Sun Yat-sen University in Moscow, and Peng Dehuai had been carrying out revolutionary activities on the Hunan and Jiangxi borders for many years. The two met for the first time in the Jiangxi base area, and they cherished each other because of their common revolutionary ideals.
In 1934, at the beginning of the Long March, both Chen Geng and Peng Dehuai participated in the famous Zunyi Conference. During the meeting, although the two men had differences on some specific issues, they had a high degree of unanimity on correcting the erroneous "leftist" line and saving the general direction of the Chinese revolution. This meeting not only established Mao Zedong's leading position in the party, but also deepened the revolutionary friendship between Chen Geng and Peng Dehuai.
During the Long March, Chen Geng and Peng Dehuai fought side by side many times. In the battle of the four crossings of Chishui, Chen Geng served as the commander of the advance force, while Peng Dehuai was responsible for the command of the main force. The two worked closely together to successfully break through the encirclement of the Kuomintang army and made an important contribution to the victory of the Red Army.
After the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War, Chen Geng and Peng Dehuai went to the anti-Japanese front line in North China together. In 1940, in the famous Battle of the Hundred Regiments, Chen Geng led the Independent Regiment to cooperate with the main force commanded by Peng Dehuai and dealt a heavy blow to the Japanese army. This battle not only shocked the Japan military, but also greatly boosted the anti-Japanese fighting spirit of the people of the whole country.
However, Chen Geng's friendship with Peng Dehuai was not based on a simple revolutionary experience. The two complement each other's personalities, which is an important reason for their friendship to last forever. Peng Dehuai has an upright personality and does not smile, while Chen Geng is known for his humor. Chen Geng often uses his witty words to relieve Peng Dehuai's nervousness at work.
Once, Peng Dehuai was exhausted from continuous battles, so Chen Geng organized a unique "military conference". At the beginning of the meeting, Chen Geng suddenly proposed to fight a "pillow war", and took the lead in picking up the pillow and throwing it at Peng Dehuai. Although Peng Dehuai was a little unhappy at first, he was soon infected by Chen Geng's enthusiasm, and the two actually fought a "pillow fight" back and forth in the room. This special "battle" not only allowed Peng Dehuai to release the pressure, but also shortened the distance between the two.
In daily life, Chen Geng and Peng Dehuai often care about each other. Peng Dehuai often forgets to sleep and eat when he works, so Chen Geng often tries to let Peng Dehuai rest more. Once, Chen Geng found that Peng Dehuai had been working for three days and three nights in a row, so he deliberately put an alarm clock in Peng Dehuai's office and adjusted the time forward by two hours. When Peng Dehuai saw that it was "late", he had to stop work to rest. It wasn't until the next morning that Peng Dehuai found out that he had been "deceived" by Chen Geng, but he was not angry, but felt warm about Chen Geng's heart.
This kind of revolutionary friendship is not only embodied in life and death on the battlefield, but also in the bits and pieces of daily life. It is this relationship of mutual care and mentorship that has made the friendship between Chen Geng and Peng Dehuai stand the test of time and become a good story in the history of the Chinese revolution.
On September 27, 1955, the Ministry of National Defense of the People's Republic of China issued the Order on Conferring Military Ranks to Officers, which marked the beginning of the first official awarding of military ranks in New China. This move is not only a major advance in army building, but also an affirmation and praise for countless revolutionary heroes.
Preparations for the conferment of the title actually began as early as 1954. At that time, the Central Military Commission set up a research group on the military rank system headed by Marshal Peng Dehuai. The task of this group is to study and formulate a military rank system suited to China's national conditions. As one of the members of the group, General Chen Geng also participated in this important work.
The establishment of the rank system was not without its challenges. In the course of the discussions, many differences arose. Some people advocate a complete copy of the Soviet model, while others insist on creating a new system that combines the characteristics of the Chinese revolutionary army. After repeated discussions and weighing, the system of ten ranks of officers from colonel to marshal was finally determined.
In developing specific criteria for the award, the panelists faced additional challenges. How to fairly and reasonably assess the merits of each officer? How to deal with the relationship between qualifications and abilities? These are all questions that need to be carefully considered. Peng Dehuai advocated that military capabilities and contributions should be evaluated strictly, while Chen Geng believed that revolutionary seniority and special contributions should also be taken into account.
In order to ensure the fairness of the awarding of titles, the Rank System Study Group has developed a detailed set of evaluation criteria. This set of standards not only takes into account the military ability and combat experience of officers, but also includes many aspects such as educational background, revolutionary qualifications, and leadership ability. At the same time, in order to avoid the influence of subjective factors, a multi-level review mechanism has also been established.
In this process, both Chen Geng and Peng Dehuai played an important role. Relying on his rich military experience and understanding of the situation at the grassroots level, Chen Geng put forward many practical suggestions. For example, he suggested that mid-level officers should be assessed based more on their actual command ability than just their seniority. This suggestion was supported by Peng Dehuai and was eventually adopted.
Peng Dehuai, with his rigorous style and profound understanding of army building, grasped the general direction of the entire work of awarding titles. He stressed on many occasions that the awarding of titles is not simply a matter of rewarding meritorious deeds but is aimed at laying the foundation for building a modern and standardized people's army. At his insistence, the requirements for the assessment of military theoretical knowledge were added to the criteria for awarding titles, which played an important role in improving the overall quality of the officer corps.
However, in the process of specific implementation, it is inevitable that some special circumstances will be encountered. Although some old revolutionaries had average military capabilities, they made great contributions in the process of revolution; There were also some young officers who had outstanding performance in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, although they were still young. How to deal with these special circumstances has become one of the points of contention between Chen Geng and Peng Dehuai.
In August 1955, the conferment process entered its final stage. Chen Geng and Peng Dehuai, as important members of the rank evaluation committee, began to review each officer's file and evaluation results. It was during this process that the two men had a heated argument over the rank of a young officer.
The young officer's name was Peng Qichao, and he was Peng Dehuai's nephew. Although Peng Qichao was young, he performed well in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea and made many meritorious contributions. According to Chen Geng's preliminary assessment, Peng Qichao should be awarded the rank of captain. However, Peng Dehuai believes that this assessment is too high and does not meet the overall standards of the military rank system.
The dispute quickly turned into a debate over the concept of army building. Chen Geng believes that capable young officers should be encouraged and reused, so that they can inject new vitality into the army. Peng Dehuai, on the other hand, insisted that the established standards must be strictly adhered to, and no exceptions should be made because of personal relationships.
This controversy not only reflects the two fathers' different ideas on army building, but also reflects their respective character traits. Chen Geng has a flexible personality and is good at being flexible; Peng Dehuai is upright and meticulous. It's this difference in personality that turns what might have been a small disagreement at work into a heated argument.
On a hot August afternoon in 1955, the atmosphere in the conference room of the Rank Evaluation Committee was extremely tense. What was supposed to be a routine review meeting turned into a heated debate over the rank of a young officer. The two sides of the dispute were General Chen Geng and Marshal Peng Dehuai, who had always had a close relationship.
The quarrel began with a young officer named Peng Qichao. Although Peng Qichao is not very old, he performed well in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea and made many meritorious contributions. According to Chen Geng's preliminary assessment, Peng Qichao should be awarded the rank of captain. However, when Peng Dehuai saw the results, he immediately objected.
Peng Dehuai believes that although Peng Qichao performed well on the battlefield, his military age and overall experience were not enough to serve as a captain. Peng Dehuai insisted that according to the established evaluation criteria, Peng Qichao could only be awarded the rank of lieutenant at most. He stressed that the fairness of the entire rank system should not be undermined because of personal relationships or special performances.
After Chen Geng heard Peng Dehuai's objection, he immediately stood up to defend his assessment. He pointed out that the evaluation of military ranks should not only be based on age and seniority, but more importantly, on the basis of actual ability and contribution. For example, Chen Geng said: In the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, Peng Qichao successfully completed an important reconnaissance mission under extremely dangerous circumstances and made a key contribution to the victory of the entire campaign. Such a performance fully meets the requirements of the rank of captain.
Peng Dehuai disagreed after hearing this, and he retorted: "Comrade Chen Geng, I know what you said. But the purpose of our military rank system is to build a modern and regular army. If we make an exception at will, what is the point of the whole system? "
Chen Geng was not to be outdone, he asked rhetorically: "Mr. Peng, do you think that our military rank system is to restrict capable young people?" If we fail to discover and reuse qualified personnel in a timely manner, that will be the greatest harm to army building! "
The argument grew more and more intense, and both fathers assumed a posture of not giving an inch. Everyone else in the conference room looked at the two old comrades nervously, not knowing what to do.
At this moment, Peng Dehuai suddenly raised his voice and said the words that surprised everyone: "Chen Geng, I am the Minister of Defense!" "
As soon as these words came out, the conference room instantly fell silent. Everyone held their breath and waited for Chen Geng's reaction.
However, to everyone's surprise, Chen Geng did not back down because of Peng Dehuai's identity. Instead, he responded calmly: "Mr. Peng, you are indeed the Minister of Defense, but this is the Military Rank Evaluation Committee, and we are all equal members." We should be judged according to the system and rules, not by the administrative level. "
Chen Geng's remarks not only show his respect for the system, but also show his courage to adhere to principles. Even in the face of the Minister of Defense, he will not easily give up what he thinks is the right view.
Peng Dehuai was silent for a moment after hearing this, and then said slowly: "Comrade Chen Geng, you are right. We really should do things according to the system. However, I still think that Peng Qichao's assessment needs to be more cautious. "
Chen Geng saw that Peng Dehuai's attitude had eased, and he also adjusted his tone: "Mr. Peng, I fully understand your concerns. How about this way, we can re-examine Peng Qichao's entire file, and at the same time ask other committee members to give their opinions before making a decision, what do you think? "
Peng Dehuai nodded and agreed to Chen Geng's suggestion. In this way, this heated debate came to an end for the time being.
Although the quarrel arose over a specific issue of ranking, it actually reflected the two fathers' different ideas on army building. Chen Geng advocated that more consideration should be given to actual ability and contribution, and young talents should be encouraged and reused. Peng Dehuai, on the other hand, pays more attention to the strict implementation of the system, emphasizing fairness and systematization.
This controversy also shows the character traits of the two fathers. Chen Geng is flexible and good at communication; Peng Dehuai is upright and strict in principle. It's this difference in personality that turns what might have been a small disagreement at work into a heated argument.
Nevertheless, the controversy did not affect the revolutionary friendship between the two. On the contrary, it embodies the two fathers' shared enthusiasm for army building, as well as their fine style of daring to uphold principles and criticize each other. This spirit of democratic discussion and seeking common ground while reserving differences is precisely one of the important reasons why the people's army has been able to make continuous progress and development.
Although the quarrel between Chen Geng and Peng Dehuai was short-lived, it had a profound impact within the army. This controversy not only touched on the specific issue of military rank evaluation, but also touched on the fundamental concept of army building, triggering a series of discussions and reflections.
First of all, this quarrel directly affected the results of Peng Qichao's military rank evaluation. After re-examination and discussion by the Military Rank Evaluation Committee, it was finally decided to give Peng Qichao the rank of lieutenant and at the same time give him a commendation in recognition of his outstanding performance in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea. This decision can be described as a compromise result, which reflects both the encouragement of young officers and the relative stability of the rank system.
Second, the controversy has sparked further discussion and refinement of the military's top brass on the criteria for evaluating military ranks. In the subsequent meetings of the Military Commission, the criteria for evaluating military ranks became one of the important topics. Many high-ranking generals have put forward their own views and suggestions. Some people support Chen Geng's view, arguing that more consideration should be given to actual capabilities and contributions; Some people also agree with Peng Dehuai's position, stressing the need to strictly implement the established standards. After repeated discussions, a more comprehensive and flexible evaluation system was finally formed, which not only ensured the uniformity of the standard, but also gave a certain amount of flexibility.
The controversy also promoted the improvement of the democratic decision-making mechanism within the military. Peng Dehuai's reference to his status as defense minister in the debate has sparked some thoughts. How can we ensure the democratic and scientific nature of decision-making in a hierarchical organization like the military? How do you balance executive power and professional advice? These problems have become important topics in army building. In the subsequent reform of the armed forces, a more perfect collective decision-making mechanism was established, and the role of specialized committees was strengthened to ensure that the opinions of all parties could be fully listened to in major policy decisions.
Among the rank-and-file troops, the controversy also had a definite impact. Although the details were not made public, the general content of the controversy reached the ears of the junior officers. Many young officers were encouraged to see that even a senior general like Chen Geng would argue for young people's development opportunities. To a certain extent, this has enhanced the enthusiasm and enterprising spirit of officers at the grassroots level.
However, the controversy has also had some negative consequences. Some people took the opportunity to spread rumors that there were serious differences between Chen Geng and Peng Dehuai, and that they might even affect the unity of the military. In order to clear up these misunderstandings, Chen Geng and Peng Dehuai had no choice but to make a public statement at a subsequent military conference, stressing that their revolutionary friendship was rock-solid and that their fundamental goals for army building were completely identical.
This public statement has had a very good effect. The warm embrace of the two fathers at the meeting not only dispelled the doubts within the army, but also became a vivid portrayal of the unity and frankness of the army. This scene was reported by the "People's Liberation Army Daily" at that time, and caused a strong response throughout the army.
After this controversy, the relationship between Chen Geng and Peng Dehuai was not only not affected, but became more intimate. They often play chess and chat together in their spare time to exchange views on army building. Peng Dehuai said on many occasions in public that it is precisely because of comrades like Chen Geng who dare to speak out and adhere to principles that can promote the continuous progress of the army.
The controversy also had a positive impact on other senior generals. They saw that even high-ranking and powerful people such as Peng Dehuai were able to accept different opinions with an open mind, and this greatly promoted the democratic atmosphere at the top of the military. Many generals paid more attention to listening to different opinions and encouraging their subordinates to speak up in their subsequent work.
In the follow-up stage of the military rank assessment work, the dispute between Chen Geng and Peng Dehuai was used as a typical case for the training of assessment staff. This case vividly demonstrates how to maintain flexibility while adhering to principles, and how to strictly implement the system without ignoring special circumstances, which provides an important reference for the entire assessment work.
Overall, the controversy, while stemming from a specific issue of ranking, has implications that extend far beyond that. It has promoted the improvement of the criteria for evaluating military ranks, promoted the democratization of the military's decision-making mechanism, and enhanced the enthusiasm of grassroots officers. This controversy became an important event in the history of army building in New China, and provided valuable experience and enlightenment for the subsequent reform and development of the army.
The quarrel between Chen Geng and Peng Dehuai seemed to be just an ordinary work disagreement at the time, but as time went on, its historical significance gradually became apparent. This controversy not only affected the work of evaluating military ranks, but also had a far-reaching impact on the construction and development of the entire army.
First of all, in terms of military rank evaluation, this controversy has promoted the further improvement of evaluation standards. At the end of 1955, the Military Commission convened another meeting to revise the criteria for evaluating military ranks. The new standard adds a clause on "special contributions" on the basis of the original standard. This means that an officer like Peng Qichao, who has performed prominently on the battlefield, can get an extraordinary promotion opportunity under certain conditions. This revision not only reflects Chen Geng's proposition, but also maintains the seriousness of the system that Peng Dehuai insisted on, which can be said to be the crystallization of the wisdom of the two.
Secondly, this controversy had a positive impact on democratic decision-making in the army. At the beginning of 1956, the Central Military Commission promulgated the "Several Regulations on Strengthening the Military's Democratic Construction," which clearly demanded that the opinions of all parties must be fully heard in major policy decisions, and that different voices must not be suppressed at the administrative level. The promulgation of this regulation is directly related to the controversy between Chen Geng and Peng Dehuai.
In the area of grassroots construction, this controversy has also brought about new changes. In the summer of 1956, the Central Military Commission launched the campaign of "respecting and cultivating talents". Units at all levels have organized study and discussion sessions to encourage young officers to work boldly and make innovations. Many veteran comrades who participated in the discussion mentioned Chen Geng's deeds of fighting for the young officers, and this greatly stimulated the enthusiasm of the young officers for their work.
At the beginning of 1957, a new round of organizational restructuring began in the army. In this reshuffle, a number of outstanding young officers were promoted. Among them, including Peng Qichao, who caused controversy back then. Peng Qichao was appointed chief of staff of a regiment and became one of the youngest regiment-level cadres in the army at that time. On the letter of appointment, there are both Chen Geng's signature and Peng Dehuai's instructions, which marks the joint efforts of the two fathers to cultivate military talents.
However, the development of history is always full of twists and turns. At the Lushan Conference in 1959, Peng Dehuai was wrongly criticized for criticizing the "Great Leap Forward". In that special historical period, many people chose Mingzhe to protect themselves, but Chen Geng stepped forward to defend Peng Dehuai. He publicly said at the meeting: "Mr. Peng is right, I completely agree. If I am criticized for telling the truth, then I am willing to be criticized with Mr. Peng. "
Chen Geng's remarks reminded people of the controversy over the evaluation of military ranks four years ago. At that time, despite the disagreement between the two, they were able to discuss rationally and respect each other. It is precisely this spirit of seeking common ground while reserving differences and daring to uphold the truth that the military really needs.
Although Chen Geng's defense did not change Peng Dehuai's fate, his courage and integrity won the respect of the majority of officers and soldiers. In the years that followed, despite Peng Dehuai's adversity, Chen Geng still expressed his support and respect for him in private many times. This kind of revolutionary friendship in which adversity saw true love became a bright spot in that special era.
In 1971, Peng Dehuai, who had been dead for many years, was finally rehabilitated. When the news came, Chen Geng, who was already old, was so excited that he burst into tears. He wrote in his diary: "Comrade Dehuai has finally been vindicated, and this is the victory of the party and the victory of truth. When I think of the past when we debated the evaluation of military ranks, I feel the importance of democracy, openness, and seeking common ground while reserving differences. "
The controversy between Chen Geng and Peng Dehuai, with the passage of time, has become more and more historically significant. It has not only promoted the perfection of the military system and promoted the development of democratic decision-making, but has also set an example for future generations to be frank and seek truth from facts. In the history of new China's army building, this controversy can be called an important turning point.
To this day, this history is often mentioned. In the study and education of party history in the military, the controversy between Chen Geng and Peng Dehuai is often used as a case study to illustrate how to correctly handle differences between comrades and how to maintain unity while adhering to principles. The democratic style, pragmatic spirit, and revolutionary friendship embodied in it have become a precious tradition of the people's army and continue to influence generations of military personnel.