Ye Jianying (1897-1986)

Chinese proletarian revolutionary, politician-statesman and military strategist; one of the founding leaders of the People's Republic of China; one of the founders of the People's Liberation Army. Original name Ye Yiwei, courtesy name Cangbai, native of Jiaying County (now Meixian District), Guangdong Province. He studied at the Yunnan Military Academy in 1919. After graduation, he followed Sun Yat-sen in the democratic revolution, participated in the establishment of Huangpu Military Academy and served as the deputy director of the faculty department. He joined the Northern Expedition War in 1926 and served as chief of staff of the headquarters of the Reserve Corps of the National Revolutionary Army and then as commander of the New Second Division. After the counter-revolutionary coup in April 1927, he served as chief of staff of the Fourth Army of the National Revolutionary Army.

In July 1927, he joined the Communist Party of China. In late July, Wang Jingwei and Zhang Fakui attempted to call He Long and Ye Ting to the Lushan Mountain in the name of a meeting to relieve their military power. But Ye Jianying traveled secretly from Lushan to Jiujiang to discuss countermeasures with Ye and He and made a significant contribution to the Nanchang Uprising. Later, he also served as the head of the Fourth Army's Training Corps and led his troops to Guangzhou. In December, he took part in leading the Guangzhou Uprising and became the deputy commander in chief of the general military headquarters of the rebel army. In 1928, he went to the Communist Labor University in Moscow in USSR and returned to China in 1930. From early 1931, he became a member of the Central Revolutionary Military Commission of the Chinese Soviet Republic Area, he served as chief of staff of the Red First Army, and also principal and political commissar of the Red Army School of Workers and Peasants of China, commander of the Fujian-Jiangxi Military Region and Fujian Military Region.

In February 1934, he was elected member of the Second Central Executive Committee of the Chinese Soviet Republic. In October 1934, he participated in the Long March. From July 1935, he served as chief of staff of the front headquarters of the Red Army, chief of staff of the Right Route Army, chief of staff of the Northwest Revolutionary Military Commission of the Chinese Soviet Republic, and member of the Northwest Revolutionary Military Commission. From December, he became member of the Central Revolutionary Military Commission of the Chinese Soviet People's Republic and deputy chief of staff of the Central Revolutionary Military Commission. After the Xi'an Incident, he assisted Zhou Enlai to work in Xi'an. During the Anti-Japanese War, he successively served as member of the CPC Central Military Commission, Chief of Staff of the Eighth Route Army, member of the Yangtze River Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, member of the Standing Committee of the Southern Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, and chief of staff of the CPC Central Military Commission.

During the War of Liberation, he successively served as representative of the CPC in the Executive Department of the Military Reconciliation Office, the chief of staff of the General Headquarters of the People's Liberation Army, the secretary of the Rear Committee of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, member of the North China Bureau of the Central Committee of the CPC and president and political commissar of the North China Military and Political University, head of the Military Control Committee of Peiping City. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, he successively served as a member of the Central People's Government Committee, member of the People's Revolutionary Military Commission of the Central People's Government, member of the North China Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, first secretary of the South China branch of the CPC Central Committee, commander of the South China military region, chairman of the Guangdong Provincial People's government, chairman of the CPPCC of Guangdong Province, mayor of Guangzhou City, commander and political member of the Guangdong military region.

From 1952, he has successively served as deputy commander of Central South military region, acting commander of Central South military region,Vice-Chairmen and acting chairman of Central South administrative committee, and Deputy Secretary of Central South Bureau of CPC Central Committee. From June to September 1954, he served as theVice-Chairmen of the People's Revolutionary Military Committee of the Central People's Government. From October 1954 to November 1958, he served as the Minister of the Supervision Department of the People's Liberation Army Armed Forces and the Acting Minister of the PLA Training Director. From September 1954, he became member of the Military Commission of the CPC Central Committee. From September 1954, he became member of the Standing Committee of the First, Second and Third National People's Congresses. From October 1949 to October 1956, he was member of the State Overseas Affairs Committee. In September 1955, he was awarded the rank of Marshal of the People's Republic of China, the First-Class Medal of August 1, the First-Class Medal of Independence and Freedom, and the First-Class Medal of Liberation. From November 1957, he served as the president of the Academy of Military Sciences, the president and political commissar of the Academy of Military Sciences, the temporary secretary of the Party Committee, the secretary of the Party Committee, and the first secretary. From November 1958 to September 1962, he concurrently served as dean, temporary Secretary of the Party Committee, and first secretary of the Party Committee of the PLA Higher Military Academy.

In January 1965, he was elected Vice-Chairman of the Fourth National Committee of the CPPCC. From January 1966, he served as long-term Vice-Chairman of the Military Commission of the CPC Central Committee. From May 1966, he served as Secretary of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee and Secretary-General of the Military Commission of the CPC Central Committee. After the beginning of the “Cultural Revolution”, he was severely persecuted. From January 1975 to March 1978, he served as Minister of Defense. From March 1977, he presided again over the daily work of the Military Commission of the CPC Central Committee and concurrently served as Vice-Chairman of the Editing and Publishing Committee of Chairman Mao Zedong's Works. In March 1978, he successively served as Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Fifth National People's Congress and Secretary of the Party Group of the Standing Committee of the Fifth National People's Congress. From June 1983, he became Vice-Chairman of the Central Military Commission of the People's Republic of China. In September 1985, he resigned from the leadership position of the Party. He died in Beijing on October 22, 1986 at the age of 89. His main works are included in Selected Works of Ye Jianying, Selected Military Works of Ye Jianying, etc.