Liu Bocheng facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Marshal Liu Bocheng
刘伯承
Liu Bocheng in his Marshal uniform
Personal details
Born	4 December 1892 Kaixian, Sichuan, Qing Empire
Died	7 October 1986 (aged 93) Beijing, China
Awards	Order of Bayi (First Class Medal) Order of Independence and Freedom (First Class Medal) Order of Liberation (First Class Medal)
Nicknames	Chinese Mars, One-Eyed Dragon
Military service
Allegiance	People's Republic of China
Branch/service	People's Liberation Army
Years of service	1912 – October 7, 1986
Rank	Marshal of People's Republic of China
Commands	division commander, Eighth Route Army, Commander-in-Chief, Central China Field Army
Battles/wars	Northern Expedition, Long March, Hundred Regiments Offensive, Chinese Civil War, Sino-Indian War

Liu Bocheng (simplified Chinese: 刘伯承; traditional Chinese: 劉伯承; pinyin: Liú Bóchéng; Wade–Giles: Liu Po-ch'eng; December 4, 1892 – October 7, 1986) was a very important Chinese military leader. He became a Marshal in the People's Liberation Army (PLA).

Liu Bocheng is known as one of China's greatest military thinkers. People called him the 'Chinese Mars' because he was a brilliant general. He was also nicknamed 'The One-eyed Dragon' after he lost an eye in battle. He helped create the People's Liberation Army.

Early life and military training

Liu Bocheng was born into a farming family in Kaixian, Sichuan. This area is now under the Three Gorges Dam lake. He was inspired by Sun Yat-sen's ideas to build a strong, democratic China.

In 1911, Liu joined the Boy Scouts to support the Xinhai Revolution. This revolution aimed to overthrow the old empire. The next year, he went to the Chongqing Military Academy. He then joined the army to fight against Yuan Shikai, who wanted to become emperor. In 1914, Liu joined Sun Yat-sen's political party. He gained a lot of experience fighting in battles.

During one battle, he captured 10,000 enemy soldiers. Because of this, he was promoted to lead a brigade. In 1916, he lost his right eye during a fight in Fengdu county, Sichuan. This is how he got his famous nickname, "One-Eyed Dragon."

In 1923, Liu became a commanding general in Sichuan. He fought against different warlords, who were local military leaders. During this time, he met Zhu De, who would later become a close friend and comrade in the Red Army. He also met early Communists like Yang Angong and Wu Yuzhang. This was his first real introduction to the ideas of Communism.

In May 1926, Liu joined the Chinese Communist Party (CPC). He was made military commissioner of Chongqing. In December 1926, he helped lead an uprising in Luzhou and Nanchong. This uprising fought against local warlords and supported the Northern Expedition.

In 1927, Liu was appointed an army corps commander. He saw the split between the Kuomintang (KMT) and the CPC. After joining the CPC, Liu helped lead the Nanchang Uprising with other important leaders like Zhu De and Zhou Enlai. This uprising was a declaration of war against the KMT.

During the uprising, Liu became the first chief of staff of the new Chinese Red Army. After some defeats, Liu went to Moscow in 1927. He learned Russian and studied at the famous M. V. Frunze Military Academy. There, he learned about modern military tactics used by Western armies. He even translated a Russian military textbook into Chinese. He also wrote about Sun Tzu's Art of War.

Leading the CPC Army

In 1930, Liu returned to China. He was appointed to the Central Military Committee of the CPC. In 1931, the CPC had to move from cities to the countryside. Liu was sent to their main base in Jiangxi. In 1932, he became the president of the Red Army Military Academy. By October, he was promoted to Chief of Staff of the Red Army. He helped Zhu De and Zhou Enlai fight against Chiang Kai-shek's KMT forces.

During this time, some leaders, like Bo Gu and Otto Braun, took control of the military. They had also studied in Moscow, so Liu found common ground with them. However, Liu sometimes disagreed with other Communist leaders, including Mao Zedong and Peng Dehuai.

Liu's disagreements with Mao were partly because Liu preferred traditional military tactics, while Mao liked guerrilla warfare. Liu later disagreed with Bo and Braun when the Red Army started losing battles. The Red Army faced a strong KMT army and suffered many losses. The CPC had to leave their base, which started the famous Long March.

During the Long March, Liu was again made Chief of the General Staff of the Red Army. He led the army across the Wu River and took control of Zunyi. In January 1935, the important Zunyi Conference was held there. At this meeting, Liu and most leaders supported Mao.

After the conference, Mao, Zhou, and Wang Jiaxiang took over military command. Liu helped Mao and Zhu cross the Red Water River four times. Liu also led troops to secure the route across the Jinsha River. In May, Liu became commander of the advance army. He worked with Nie Rongzhen to secure paths for the troops. When his army entered areas with different ethnic groups, Liu made friends with a leader of the local Yi group. This helped reduce conflict with the CPC. Liu then led the 1st Division of the Red Army across the Dadu River. Chiang Kai-shek had hoped to trap and destroy the CPC armies there.

When Mao's 1st Red Army joined with Zhang Guotao’s 4th Red Army, Liu remained Chief of Staff. Liu continued to support Mao during disagreements between Mao and Zhang. By the time they reached Yan'an, Mao was clearly the main leader.

War with Japan

(L-R): Li Da, Deng Xiaoping, Liu Bocheng and Cai Shufan in NRA uniform

In 1936, after the Xi'an Incident, Chiang Kai-shek agreed to work with the CPC to fight against Japanese invaders. On July 7, 1937, after the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, a big war between China and Japan began. The CPC armies were reorganized into the 8th Route Army. Liu was made commander of the 129th Division, one of its three divisions. This is when he began working closely with Deng Xiaoping, who was his political officer.

Their teamwork and friendship lasted for over 50 years. Liu's military skills and Deng's political talents worked perfectly together. They were known as a great team.

Liu, Deng, and Deputy Commander Xu Xiangqian led their troops to Shanxi. They fought many successful battles against the Japanese army. They set up the Jin–Ji–Yu Base Area, which covered parts of Shanxi, Hebei, and Henan. In 1940, Liu led his division in the Hundred Regiments Campaign. This was a major effort to break the Japanese blockade on CPC bases. Liu combined regular soldiers with local militias. He used both direct attacks and guerrilla tactics to fight the Japanese. The Japanese were so frustrated that they tried to harm Liu. They sadly succeeded in killing Liu's first daughter, who was in kindergarten. The Japanese hoped this would distract Liu, but it only made him more determined.

In 1943, Liu was called back to Yan'an for a political movement. He showed his loyalty to Mao. In 1945, Liu attended the 7th National Congress of the CPC in Yan'an. He helped plan for the fight against the Japanese and the upcoming civil war with the KMT.

Chinese Civil War

After the war with Japan ended, the Chinese people wanted peace. Chiang Kai-shek invited Mao to Chongqing for peace talks. However, fighting continued. Liu and Deng led campaigns in Shanxi and Hebei. They defeated many KMT troops. These battles helped the CPC gain control of Manchuria. Under pressure, Chiang signed a peace agreement with Mao in October 1945.

But the peace did not last, and civil war began in 1946. Liu and Deng led several campaigns that weakened the KMT armies. In 1947, Mao decided to send part of his army into KMT-controlled areas. This would ease the burden on CPC territories and threaten the KMT directly. He ordered Liu and Deng to lead 100,000 soldiers across the Yellow River and march over 1,000 kilometers into central China. This was a risky move, but Mao believed it was necessary.

Liu's army faced elite KMT forces. Liu launched the Southwestern Shandong Campaign, defeating many KMT troops. Under this cover, Liu's army quickly moved south into the Dabie Mountain areas. Liu's armies suffered losses, but they survived further attacks. Far from their main base, with little support, Liu led his soldiers to become self-sufficient. He rebuilt his army's strength back to 100,000 soldiers. Mao was very impressed. Liu's success forced the KMT to move many brigades to fight him. This disrupted Chiang Kai-shek's plans and helped other Communist forces. Mao's risky plan worked because of Liu's clever strategies.

Liu continued his success. He worked with armies led by Chen Yi and Su Yu, and another army led by Chen Geng. They defeated many KMT troops led by important generals. After ten months, Liu and Deng had greatly expanded the CPC's control in central China. This forced the KMT armies to defend rather than attack. In November 1948, Liu, Deng, Chen, Su, and Tan Zhenlin formed a military committee. They commanded the huge Huai Hai Campaign. In this important battle, over 500,000 KMT soldiers were defeated.

In April 1949, peace talks between the CPC and KMT failed. Liu led his armies across the Yangtze River. They conquered large areas of Anhui, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, and Fujian. They also took over Nanjing, which was the KMT's capital. Liu was briefly the mayor of Nanjing. With help from He Long, Liu and Deng launched new campaigns. They conquered vast areas in Southwestern China, including their own hometowns in Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan, and Xikang.

After the People's Republic of China was formed

On October 1, 1949, Mao announced the creation of the People’s Republic of China. Liu stood next to Mao during the ceremony. This was a high point in his military career. In January 1950, Liu was appointed chairman of the Southwestern Division of the Central People's Government. During his time as governor, Liu helped stop crime and restore order. He also worked on economic development.

Towards the end of 1950, Liu was moved to Nanjing. He became president of the Military Academy of the PLA. This was seen as a step down for Liu. One idea is that Liu never fully gained Mao's trust. Liu knew that in Chinese history, generals who helped start a new dynasty were sometimes harmed by the new emperor. To avoid this, he tried to stay away from politics. He used his military training in the Soviet Union as a reason to focus on the academy. Mao approved his request.

Liu was very dedicated to his new job. He used what he learned in the Soviet Union to improve the academy. He helped translate many military textbooks from other countries. He taught students about major battles from ancient times to World War II. He helped the PLA become a modern army. In 1954, Liu was made vice-chairman of the Central Military Committee. In 1955, Liu became a field marshal, ranking 4th among the 10 field marshals of the PLA.

In 1956, after Nikita Khrushchev criticized Joseph Stalin, Mao wanted to prevent similar issues in China. Mao wanted the CPC to learn from other countries carefully. Liu, who supported learning from abroad, became a target. Some of his officers were criticized. Liu had to make public apologies. Under this pressure, his health worsened, and he lost sight in his remaining eye. He eventually resigned as president of the academy.

In 1959, Liu moved to Beijing and lived a more private life. He was elected to important political positions, but he did not participate much in politics. He often said it was due to his health problems. This helped him avoid later political struggles led by Mao.

By the time of the Cultural Revolution, Liu was completely blind. However, he survived the political turmoil. He saw his long-time friend Deng Xiaoping return to power. He supported Deng in his efforts to reform and open up China to the world. This was a policy Liu himself had supported decades earlier at the academy.

In 1982, Liu retired because of his worsening health. This helped Deng encourage other older leaders to retire, making way for younger leaders. On October 7, 1986, Liu Bocheng died in Beijing at 94 years old. He was honored for his contributions and cleared of any past criticisms.

Anecdotes

During a battle in 1916, Liu was shot in the head. The bullet went through his right temple and out his right eye. A German surgeon performed surgery to remove his eyeball. Liu insisted on having the surgery without anesthesia to protect his brain nerves. After the surgery, Liu told the surgeon he counted 72 cuts. The doctor was very impressed by Liu's bravery and called him the "Chinese Mars".

Deng Xiaoping's famous saying, "Whether it is a black cat or a white cat, as long as it can catch the rat, it is a good cat," actually came from Liu. Liu often said, "Whether it is a black cat or a yellow cat, as long as it can catch the rat, it is a good cat." He meant that the goal of war is to win, no matter what strategies you use.

Liu and Deng's friendship grew stronger after the Communist Party took power. They both had concerns about some of Mao Zedong's policies. When Liu faced criticism in the late 1950s, Deng supported him. Similarly, Liu supported Deng's economic ideas in the early 1960s.

Deng Xiaoping's entire family attended Liu's funeral. This shows how close their families were in traditional Chinese culture. Liu had wanted a small funeral at the hospital where he died. However, so many military and political leaders wanted to attend that the funeral was moved to a larger hall.

Legacy

Liu Bocheng earned his reputation and title through his amazing military skills and character. He helped the CPC armies become experts in regular battles, frontal attacks, and sieges. Liu was also the first to bring modern military strategies and tactics from other countries to the CPC army. He made military training more scientific and artistic. All of his efforts helped change how people saw the CPC army. It went from being a guerrilla force of peasants to a highly skilled modern military.

See also

• List of generals of the People's Republic of China