Dong Biwu facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dong Biwu
董必武
Chairman of the People's Republic of China Acting
In office 24 February 1972 – 17 January 1975
Preceded by	Liu Shaoqi
Succeeded by	Zhu De (as Chairman of the SCNPC)
2nd Vice Chairman of the People's Republic of China
In office 27 April 1959 – 17 January 1975 Served alongside Soong Ching-ling
President	Liu Shaoqi vacant (after 1968)
Preceded by	Zhu De
Succeeded by	Ulanhu (1983)
Secretary of the Central Control Commission of the Communist Party of China
In office March 1955 – April 1968
Preceded by	Zhu De
Succeeded by	Chen Yun
President of the Supreme People's Court
In office 1954–1959
Preceded by	Shen Junru
Succeeded by	Xie Juezai
Personal details
Born	(1886-03-05)5 March 1886 Huanggang, Hubei, Qing Dynasty
Died	2 April 1975(1975-04-02) (aged 89) Beijing, People's Republic of China
Political party	Communist Party of China (1921–1975)

Dong Biwu (Chinese: 董必武; Wade–Giles: Tung Pi-wu; 5 March 1886 – 2 April 1975) was an important Chinese revolutionary and politician. He helped found the Communist Party of China and later served as the acting leader of China from 1972 to 1975. He was also one of the few people present at both the start of the Communist Party and the founding of the People's Republic of China.

Early Life and Education

Dong Biwu was born in Huanggang, a city in Hubei province, China, in 1886. His family owned land, and he received a traditional education. In 1911, he joined a group called the Tongmenghui, which aimed to overthrow the old imperial system. He took part in the Wuchang Uprising, a key event that led to the end of the Qing Dynasty.

After this, he went to Japan in 1913 to study law at Nihon University. While there, he joined Sun Yat-sen's new Chinese Revolutionary Party. This party later became known as the Kuomintang. In 1915, Dong Biwu returned to China and helped organize resistance against the government of Yuan Shikai. This led to him being put in prison for six months. After his release, he went back to Japan to finish his law studies.

Between 1919 and 1920, Dong Biwu lived in Shanghai. Here, he learned about Marxism from a group of thinkers who were interested in Communism. He then returned to Hubei and helped set up a local Communist group. In 1921, he attended the very first meeting of the 1st National Congress of the Communist Party of China. He represented the city of Wuhan at this historic event. Interestingly, Dong Biwu and Mao Zedong were the only two people who were at both this founding meeting and the ceremony that created the People's Republic of China 28 years later.

Revolutionary Period

For several years in the 1920s, Dong Biwu was a member of both the Kuomintang and the Communist Party. However, as tensions grew between the two parties, he decided to fully support the Communists in 1927. After the Nanchang Uprising, he had to go into hiding. He first stayed in Kyoto, Japan, for eight months, and then traveled to the Soviet Union.

In the Soviet Union, he studied at the International Lenin School and the Moscow Sun Yat-sen University from 1928 to 1931. When he came back to China in 1932, he became active in the Jiangxi Soviet, a Communist base area. There, he worked as the Political Director of the Red Army Academy and the President of the Party School. During this time, Dong Biwu supported Mao Zedong in his struggle for leadership within the party.

He also took part in the famous Long March, a long and difficult journey by the Red Army. After arriving in Yan'an, another Communist base, he continued his work leading schools. During this period, Dong Biwu became known as one of the Five Elders of Yan'an. These were respected older leaders who played a big role in the Communist movement.

During the war against Japan, Dong Biwu spent time in Wuhan and Chongqing. He acted as a link between the Communist Party and the Nationalist government because of his past connections with the Kuomintang. In 1945, he traveled to San Francisco to attend the founding meeting of the United Nations. He was the only representative from the Communist Party in the Chinese group. The party wanted him to make friends with other countries and improve their standing in the world. After the conference, Dong Biwu spent several months traveling in the United States to achieve these goals. Towards the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1948, after important victories in the north, Dong Biwu was made Chairman of the North China People's Government.

Founding the People's Republic of China

After the People's Republic of China was founded in 1949, Dong Biwu held several important positions. He was the Director of the Finance and Economic Committee, which managed the country's money and economy. In 1954, he became the President of the Supreme People's Court, which is China's highest court.

Because of his experience in international relations, Dong Biwu was chosen to lead a group to Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union in 1958. He was away from Beijing for two months. When he returned, he accepted responsibility for any problems found in the Supreme People's Court during his absence.

In early 1959, Dong Biwu was appointed Vice President of China along with Soong Ching-ling. He held this position until his death. Later that same year, Dong Biwu defended Peng Dehuai, a general who was being criticized at a meeting called the Lushan Conference. Even though he stood up for Peng Dehuai, Dong Biwu managed to stay in good favor with Mao Zedong.

Dong Biwu also remained safe during the Cultural Revolution, a time of great political unrest in China. Even though he came from a well-off family, he became more important and visible during these difficult years. He took over many diplomatic duties that were previously handled by Liu Shaoqi, who had been removed from power. Historians believe this happened because Dong Biwu had a special and good relationship with Mao Zedong ever since they first met at the founding of the Communist Party in 1921.

After the fall of Lin Biao, another important leader, Dong Biwu became the acting President of China. He served in this role from February 1972 to January 1975. At that time, the position of president was removed. The Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, who was then Zhu De, became the formal head of state. Dong Biwu was then elected Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the People's National Congress.

Dong Biwu passed away in Beijing on 2 April 1975, at the age of 89. His official obituary described him as a founder of the Communist Party of China, a great Marxist, and a key figure in creating the People's Republic of China. It also called him a founder of China's socialist legal system.

In 1991, a statue of Dong Biwu was put up in Hongshan Guangchang, a central square in Wuhan. The Hubei Provincial Museum also has a collection of his personal belongings.

Images for kids

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  Statue of Dong Biwu in Wuhan

See also

In Spanish: Dong Biwu para niños