Foreword:
Cheng Zihua, one of the 16 corps commanders of our army, is also the only general who has not been awarded. After the reorganization of the whole army, our army formed 16 corps, of which 15 corps commanders have obtained military ranks, but Cheng Zihua has become a special case. Before we can see why Cheng Zihua did not receive a military rank, we need to have an in-depth understanding of his military career and personal experience.
1. Cheng Zihua's military career.
Cheng Zihua is a native of Yuncheng, Shanxi, born in 1905. Like Xu Shiyou, Lu Zhengcao, Yang Jingyu and other peers, he grew up in the land of Sanjin, and this land has always been a place where famous generals have been produced. Cheng Zihua's military career began at the end of 1926, when he was admitted to the sixth phase of Huangpu (Wuhan Branch) and became an officer during the Northern Expedition.
After the failure of the Guangzhou Uprising, Cheng Zihua, like ***, insisted on guerrilla warfare. He served as a detachment leader of the Red 5th Army during the Daye Riot and performed well. During the Agrarian Revolution, Cheng Zihua served as a regiment commander and division commander, and also joined the Red 25th Army as a special commissioner and participated in the Long March. During the Anti-Japanese War, he served as deputy commander and acting commander of the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region, and accumulated rich experience for our army in the war.
2. The secret of the Battle of Miyun.
The claim that Cheng Zihua did not receive the rank is about his mistakes in the Battle of Miyun. The battle took place in the final stage of the Armageddon, and the Red 25th Army led by Cheng Zihua rushed to the western part of Beijing to intercept the retreat of the 35th Army of Fu Zuoyi's troops. However, he launched an attack near Miyun without authorization, causing Fu Zuoyi's troops to be alert and almost let the 35th Army retreat to Beiping. Although Zheng Weishan intercepted the enemy in time, this mistake caused dissatisfaction among the ***, believing that Cheng Zihua's action was almost lost due to a small loss.
However, this explanation is not entirely defensible. In the same battle, other generals such as Yang Dezhi and ** also made mistakes, but they did not lose their ranks. Therefore, Cheng Zihua's failure to obtain the military rank is more likely due to his need to govern Shanxi and serve the people wholeheartedly after the founding of New China, rather than a single campaign mistake.
3. There are three categories of uncrowned generals.
In the early days of the founding of the People's Republic of China, there were a large number of generals who did not receive military ranks, which were mainly divided into three categories. The first type is the generals of the ruling side, such as Cheng Zihua, after the 500,000 troops of Siye under the command of General Lin crossed the river, he was appointed by the chairman and served as the leader of his hometown Shanxi. The second category is generals who have been transferred from the army to industrial ministries, including figures who hold various positions of deputy ministers. The third category is ambassador-level generals, which include generals who participate in battles, such as Wu Xiuquan, **, etc.
Fourth, the contribution of the uncrowned general.
Although Cheng Zihua did not receive military ranks, he, like other uncrowned generals, made great contributions to the construction and development of New China. During the Liberation War, Cheng Zihua served as the deputy political commissar of the Northeast Democratic Alliance Army and the commander of the Dongye 2nd Corps, showing outstanding military talent. With the transfer of a large number of cadres from the army to the localities, these uncrowned generals became the backbone of the construction of New China, participated in the construction of cities and rural areas, and contributed to the people's happy life.
In general, Cheng Zihua did not receive the military rank because he was in charge of Shanxi after the founding of New China and fully served the needs of the people's construction, not simply because of a mistake in a campaign. This situation also reflects the historical background of the time and the urgent need for national construction, and the uncrowned generals played an important role in their respective posts. Their contributions, like the stars on the shoulders of awarding generals, shine brightly for the rise of New China.
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