Yuanshuai
Yuanshuai | |
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![]() Shoulder boards for the PLA rank yuan shuai (marshal), modelled after those of the marshal of the Soviet Union | |
Country | ![]() |
Service branch | ![]() |
Abolished | 1965 |
Next higher rank | Dayuanshuai ("Grand Marshal") |
Next lower rank | Dajiang ("Grand General") |
Yuanshuai (simplified Chinese:
Song dynasty
[edit]Jin dynasty
[edit]Republic of China
[edit]People's Republic of China
[edit]The rank Marshal of the People's Republic of China (traditional Chinese:
- The candidate must have played a leading role in the establishment of one or more Revolutionary base areas;
- Been a Corps Commander, equivalent or above in the Chinese Red Army;
- Been a Divisional Commander, equivalent or above in the Eighth Route Army or a commander of the New Fourth Army;
- A Field Army Commander, Area Army commander or equivalent in the Chinese Communist Revolution;
- Been at least a National Defence Commission Deputy Commissioner prior to receiving the rank.
In addition, Chairman Mao, upon refusing the rank of Dayuanshuai, decreed that cadres who no longer serve in the PLA should lose eligibility for military ranks. Thus, Deng Xiaoping, Liu Shaoqi and Zhou Enlai declined the rank upon offer. Chen Yi also initially refused the rank in accordance to Mao's decree since he now primarily worked in government rather than the PLA. However, Zhou Enlai insisted he took it,[citation needed] citing that because all of the other nine Marshals came from the Eighth Route Army, if he didn't take the rank, there would be nobody of the Marshal rank to represent the legacy of the New Fourth Army, whilst simultaneously citing Nikolai Bulganin who held the rank of Marshal of the Soviet Union whilst working primarily in government as precedence. Thus, he was given an exception and was awarded the rank.[citation needed] As a result, the recipients of the rank were:
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1. Zhu De
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2. Peng Dehuai
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3. Lin Biao
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4. Liu Bocheng
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5. He Long
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6. Chen Yi
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7. Luo Ronghuan
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8. Xu Xiangqian
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9. Nie Rongzhen
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10. Ye Jianying
Su Yu was left out but he became the most senior of the ten Da Jiang. Many were surprised at this decision but he did not meet the first and second criterion. Seven of the ten Marshals took part in the Nanchang Uprising in various capacities with Zhou Enlai. Of the other three, Peng Dehuai led the Pingjiang Uprising. Xu Xiangqian missed out on Nanchang but participated in the subsequent Guangzhou Uprising with Ye Jianying. The other was Luo Ronghuan, who instead assisted Mao in the Autumn Harvest Uprising. Lin Biao was the youngest and Zhu De was the oldest of the ten Marshals aged 48 and 69 respectively at time of conferment. Luo Ronghuan was the first to die at age 61 in 1963 and Nie Rongzhen was the last to die aged 93 in 1992. Three of the ten Marshals were addressed by their honorific of
See also
[edit]- Marshal of the Soviet Union
- Other pronunciations of the Chinese characters
元帥 - Gensui, the Japanese equivalent
- Wonsu, the Korean equivalent
- Nguyên soái, the Vietnamese equivalent
- Grand yuanshuai (
大元帥 ), a rank higher than yuanshuai- Dayuanshuai in Chinese
- Dai-gensui, the Japanese equivalent
- Taewonsu, the Korean equivalent
- Đại nguyên soái, the Vietnamese equivalent
References
[edit]- ^ Stevens, Keith G. (1975). "CHIEF MARSHAL T'IEN, PATRON OF THE STAGE, OF MUSICIANS AND WRESTLERS—EAST AND SOUTH EAST CHINA". Journal of the Hong Kong Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society. 15: 303–311. ISSN 0085-5774.
External links
[edit]- PLA Figures at PLA Daily at the Wayback Machine (archived February 6, 2012)