The change of the PLA's title system is a history that has attracted much attention. In September 1955, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) carried out the first all-army awarding of titles, with the founding general below the general, the lieutenant general and major general below the general, and then the rank of colonel. The rank of the general is 4 ranks higher than that of the colonel, and the corresponding position is also very different. Unusually, however, in 1958, a colonel had a public clash with the founding general Tan Zheng. So, what's going on here?
Tan Zheng was the secretary general of the Military Commission of the Red 4th Army in the early days of the Red Army, and he can be said to be the "pen" when he was in Jinggangshan. As a result, he has very deep seniority in the military. At the time of the Liberation War, he was already the deputy political commissar and director of the Political Department of the Fourth Field Army. In terms of political work, Tan Zheng may be second only to Marshal *** in the entire PLA.
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Tan Zheng's status rose even higher, not only obtained the rank of general in 1955, but also served as the director of the General Political Department of the whole army, becoming a political work chief who was loved and respected by officers and soldiers. And the colonel who challenged Tan Zheng was named Xu Jiefan. His fame and status in the army are worse than Tan Zhengyao, but those who are familiar with military history know that Xu Jiefan is also a very determined figure. Founding Marshal **, the wife before Ye Qun was Zhang Mei, "a flower in northern Shaanxi".
The two have a daughter named Lin Xiaolin, who is still alive today. However, ** and Zhang Mei divorced in the forties of the last century due to emotional discord, and Zhang Mei has been single since the founding of the People's Republic of China. During the Anti-Japanese War, Xu Jiefan and Zhang Mei both worked and lived in the Soviet Union, and left a good impression of each other (Xu Jiefan's original wife died in 1950). In the fifties, the two gradually developed a romantic relationship, and in 1956 they became husband and wife, and their relationship was very strong after marriage.
This incident caused quite a stir, because Zhang Mei was the ex-wife of the founding marshal, and the status of ** at that time was very lofty, and it took great courage to dare to marry such a woman, and ordinary generals might not dare to do it. But Xu Jiefan didn't care and insisted on pursuing his own happiness. Therefore, in 1958, Xu Jiefan, who had a resolute personality, dared to clash with the founding general Tan Zheng in public.
At that time, it was the climax of the army's "anti-dogmatism," and Tan Zheng, as director of the General Political Department, shouldered important work responsibilities. Most of the major military academies and universities across the country have fallen into the turmoil of dogmatism, and the Kazakh military industry where Xu Jiefan teaches is no exception. At that time, he was a department head in the military academy, responsible for training armored cadres. When General Tan Zheng went to Kazakhstan to give guidance to the military industry, he criticized some dogmatic phenomena in the school.
Because of his straightforward temperament, Xu Jiefan couldn't listen to it, so he immediately stood up and refuted, even if the colleagues around him dissuaded him, it was to no avail. As the controversy intensified, Xu Jiefan even slapped the table and confronted General Tan Zheng face to face, resulting in an unhappy end of the meeting. Colleagues in the Kazakh military industry unanimously agreed that Xu Jiefan had offended not a fuel-efficient lamp, and that a colonel dared to contradict the director of the General Political Department of the whole army, and his political future might be frustrated as a result. However, Xu Jiefan is not afraid, and this is where his character lies.
Although General Tan Zheng was angry afterwards, he did not take substantive action against Xu Jiefan. People have to sigh that General Tan Zheng's mind and demeanor are really extraordinary. As a leader in political work, he accumulated a wealth of experience in revolutionary work, and was well aware of the links that existed and some of the problems that arose in the context of a particular era, especially in the context of Sino-Soviet relations. Xu Jiefan was recognized for his upright character and powerful arguments, and Tan Zheng also judged in his heart.
Therefore, Tan Zheng did not mention this matter again, and the "table slapping turmoil" of the Kazakh military industry gradually subsided. Xu Jiefan's ability and character were increasingly recognized, and the organization further promoted him. Due to his solid knowledge of military theory and broad vision, he was transferred to Xi'an to carry out the construction of the Armored Forces Engineering Academy, where he served as deputy director, eventually being promoted to major general in 1961. Tan Zheng's magnanimity allowed Xu Jiefan to avoid the consequences, but his fiery temper eventually got him into trouble.
In the sixties and seventies, he was subjected to scrutiny and scrutiny, and went through difficult times, eventually passing away in 1983 at the age of 82, although his reputation was restored. It is worth mentioning that in addition to the conflict with Tan Zheng, at the enlarged meeting of the Military Commission after the Lushan Conference in 1959, he also spoke for *** and strongly supported the old general. During the period of resisting US aggression and aiding Korea, Xu Jiefan was the director of the office of *** and admired this old boss very much.
At that time, many generals and senior cadres did not have the courage to speak for *** at the meeting, but Xu Jiefan dared to stand up and could be described as a real man.