In September 1955, the Chinese People's Liberation Army held the first large-scale investiture ceremony in history, and more than 1,000 outstanding founding generals emerged. However, seven of the generals were downgraded, causing widespread concern. Who exactly received this rare demotion treatment, and for what reason did each of the generals receive such treatment?
The first general to be demoted was Xiao Ke. During the Red Army, Xiao Ke served as the commander of the Red 6th Army Corps and the deputy commander-in-chief of the Red Second Front. During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the War of Liberation, he served as the deputy commander of the 120th Division of the Eighth Route Army and the chief of staff of the Fourth Field respectively. Although, with his rich military experience, he should have received at least the rank of general, but in the end he was only awarded the rank of general.
The second general to be demoted was Xu Liqing. He was a native of Jinzhai in Anhui Province and joined the Red Army at the age of 19. During the Liberation War, he served as the political commissar of the First Corps of the First Field Corps, and in 1952 he was designated as a regular corps. However, in 1955, all of them were given the rank of general. Surprisingly, Xu Liqing was in charge of the military rank assessment at that time, and in order to avoid suspicion, he took the initiative to request a reduction in his military rank, and finally obtained the rank of lieutenant general.
The third general to be demoted was He Jinnian. He was born in Anding, Shaanxi, and served as the commander of the Red 27th Army in northern Shaanxi during the Red Army. However, due to the influence of the high post, when the classification was made in 1952, He Jinnian was classified as a deputy corps level. Compared with other deputy corps ranks, He Jinnian was only awarded the rank of major general in the end, becoming one of the demoted generals.
The fourth general to be demoted is Xie Fang. He was a native of Siping, Jilin Province, and served as the chief of staff of the 120th Brigade of the 358th Division of the Eighth Route Army during the Anti-Japanese War. Although in 1952 it was given the rank of Quasi-Corps, which is generally awarded the rank of Lieutenant General, due to the lack of seniority during the Red Army, the Liberation Party was eventually awarded the rank of Major General.
The fifth general to be demoted was Yin Xianbing. He was a native of Hanchuan, Hubei, and served as the regimental chief of staff during the Red Army. Although, according to his qualifications, the 1955 Grand Conferral should have been at least the starting point for Major General, due to mistakes made during the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, he was eventually awarded the rank of Colonel.
The sixth general to be demoted was Xiao Feng. He was a native of Taihe, Jiangxi, and served as the political commissar of the Third Regiment of the 1st Red Division during the Red Army. Although his experience suggested that he should have been awarded the rank of major general, due to the effects of the defeat at the Battle of Kinmen, he was eventually awarded the rank of colonel, only to be promoted to major general only six years later.
The last general to be demoted was Wang Changjiang. He is a native of Boye County, Hebei Province, and held many important positions during the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the War of Liberation. However, due to a spy incident, Wang Changjiang was demoted and finally awarded the rank of colonel in 1955.
Behind the relegation of these seven generals, each has a different reason. Some have been affected by high-level political turmoil, some have voluntarily been demoted to avoid suspicion, and some have been severely punished for individual mistakes. This history revealed some untold stories within our army at that time, and gave people a deeper understanding of the changes of that era.
This article exhaustively records the events in which seven generals were demoted in the large-scale investiture ceremony held by the Chinese People's Liberation Army in 1955, revealing some hidden stories within our army at that time. These seven generals, Xiao Ke, Xu Liqing, He Jinnian, Xie Fang, Yin Xianbing, Xiao Feng, and Wang Changjiang, were all meritorious generals during the Liberation War.
First of all, Shaw's relegation is remarkable. As a veteran general during the Red Army, he performed well in all campaigns. However, in the end, only the rank of general was awarded. This may have reflected the influence of the political struggle within the army at that time, or it may have something to do with his special experiences during the War of Liberation.
Secondly, Xu Liqing has attracted much attention for voluntarily reducing his military rank. As the person in charge of the military rank evaluation, he lowered his rank in order to avoid suspicion, and eventually received the rank of lieutenant general. This spirit of self-sacrifice is admirable and shows the pursuit of political clarity at the time.
He Jinnian's relegation was affected by Gao Gang. At the time of the grading in 1952, due to the aftermath of the Gaogang incident, he was classified as a deputy corps and was eventually awarded only the rank of major general. This highlighted the far-reaching impact of the political situation on the top level of the military at that time, and also exposed the huge interference of the Gaogang incident on the evaluation of generals.
The solution was demoted due to the lack of seniority during the Red Army period. Although he had outstanding performances in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the War of Liberation, he was only awarded the rank of major general because his experience was not as good as that of other generals. This, as the author puts it, reveals the importance attached to the experience of the Red Army.
Yoon's downgrade stemmed from his mistakes in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea. Although he performed well during the Liberation War, he was eventually awarded the rank of colonel due to individual mistakes. This underscored the extreme importance attached to discipline in the Red Army at the time.
Xiao Feng's relegation was caused by the defeat in the Battle of Kinmen. This once again shows that the leadership of the army is highly concerned about the results of the battle, and the generals who have lost are punished accordingly.
Finally, Wang's demotion is closely related to a spy incident. This demotion, motivated by trust in subordinates, reflected the political climate at the time that interfered with individual decision-making.
Overall, the demotion of these seven generals was both a microcosm of individual fate and a huge shock to the military from the political turmoil at the time. Through this article, readers can gain an insight into the political situation within the Chinese People's Liberation Army in 1955, as well as the unique historical background of that era.
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