Peng Dehuai


Peng Dehuai

or

P'eng Teh-huai

(both: pŭng` dŭ`hwī`), 1898–1974, Communist Chinese general and political leader. He held various command positions in the Red Army, and in 1934–35 he joined with Mao ZedongMao Zedong
or Mao Tse-tung
, 1893–1976, founder of the People's Republic of China. Mao was one of the most prominent Communist theoreticians and his ideas on revolutionary struggle and guerrilla warfare have been extremely influential, especially among Third
..... Click the link for more information.  and Zhu DeZhu De
or Chu Teh
, 1886–1976, Chinese Communist soldier and leader. He was graduated (1911) from the Yunnan military academy and served in various positions with armies loyal to Sun Yat-sen. Stationed in Sichuan prov., he was a warlord from 1916 to 1920.
..... Click the link for more information.  in the long marchlong march,
Chin., Changzheng, the journey of c.6,000 mi (9,660 km) undertaken by the Red Army of China in 1934–35. When their Jiangxi prov. Soviet base was encircled by the Nationalist army of Chiang Kai-shek, some 90,000 men and women broke through the siege (Oct.
..... Click the link for more information. . He became well known as the originator, with Mao, of the tactics of guerrilla warfare. In the Korean War Peng commanded the Chinese Communist troops. He was minister of defense from 1954 to 1959, when, after criticizing the Great Leap ForwardGreat Leap Forward,
1957–60, Chinese economic plan aimed at revitalizing all sectors of the economy. Initiated by Mao Zedong, the plan emphasized decentralized, labor-intensive industrialization, typified by the construction of thousands of backyard steel furnaces in place
..... Click the link for more information. , he was replaced by Lin BiaoLin Biao
or Lin Piao
, 1908–71, Chinese Communist general and political leader. Lin was trained at Whampoa Academy, and during the Northern Expedition he rose to company commander in the Kuomintang army.
..... Click the link for more information. . He served (1959–65) as vice premier. Peng's rivalry with Mao made him an early target of the cultural revolution, and in 1967 he disappeared from public view after being arrested and losing his governmental posts.