Luo Ronghuan
Encyclopedia
Luo Ronghuan was a Chinese communist
military leader.
Province. He joined the Chinese Communist Youth League
in April 1927 and the Chinese Communist Party
later that year. During the Long March
he served as the security chief for the Chinese Red Army
.
After World War II, Luo served as the political commissar
of Lin Biao
in Manchuria
during the Chinese civil war. Unbeknownst to outsiders, Luo's contribution to the communist victory in Manchuria and hence to a great degree, in the mainland China was far greater than what was previously publicized, and in fact, greater than that of Lin Biao. The reason is that people often overlooked Luo's political contribution by concentrating on Lin Biao's military victories. However, Lin Biao, or any other communist commanders would never be able to achieve any military victory if there is not any strong and stable political support from the troops and the general populace. This is where Luo's importance proved to be critical: Luo's skillful political work ensured the troops' loyalty and popular support of the communists.
After the end of World War II, the communists demilitarized more than a million of its troops. However, the communist demilitarization was far from the peaceful demilitarization of the nationalist counterparts, and in fact, the communist demilitarization was part of Mao Zedong
's class struggle in which most of these demilitarized troops and cadres were persecuted. The reason of persecution of the troops and cadres within their own rank was simple: despite their dedication to communism, those troops and cadres were from well to do family backgrounds. As a result, the communists were not only in danger losing the popular support, but also face alienation and defection within its own ranks. Luo was instrumental in stopping the widespread persecution and thus saved the communists in Manchuria from losing the popular support, as well as supports within its own ranks, thus strengthened the communists, ensured Lin Biao's later military victories, and Luo did all of these against Mao's wishes. It was not after witnessing Luo's success did Mao started to praise Luo's effort.
As a result of Luo's success, the defection and desertion among communists in the entire Manchuria only numbered around 60,000, while in other communist controlled region such as in Shandong alone, the defection and desertion numbered more than 300,000 according to Mao's own admission, and the communist force in Shandong was much smaller than that of Manchuria. Luo's bravery of rejecting persecution of Mao's class struggle ideology had saved Chinese communists in Manchuria from certain failure.
After the formation of the People's Republic of China in 1949 he became Chief of Staff of the People's Liberation Army
. He was made a marshal in 1955.
Luo was the member of the 7th CPC Central Committee and 8th CPC Politburo. When Luo died in 1963, Both Mao and Lin Biao attended his funeral, his funeral was one of the only two funerals Marshal Lin Biao attended to, the other being the funeral of his former chief of staff and commander-in-chief of the PLA
air force General Liu Yalou
.
Communist Party of China
The Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China...
military leader.
Biography
Luo was born in a village in Hengshan County, HunanHunan
' is a province of South-Central China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting...
Province. He joined the Chinese Communist Youth League
Communist Youth League
The Communist Youth League of China also known as the China Youth League is a youth movement of the People's Republic of China for youth between the ages of fourteen and twenty-eight, run by Communist Party of China. The league is organized on the party pattern. Its leader is its First Secretary...
in April 1927 and the Chinese Communist Party
Communist Party of China
The Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China...
later that year. During the Long March
Long March
The Long March was a massive military retreat undertaken by the Red Army of the Communist Party of China, the forerunner of the People's Liberation Army, to evade the pursuit of the Kuomintang army. There was not one Long March, but a series of marches, as various Communist armies in the south...
he served as the security chief for the Chinese Red Army
People's Liberation Army
The People's Liberation Army is the unified military organization of all land, sea, strategic missile and air forces of the People's Republic of China. The PLA was established on August 1, 1927 — celebrated annually as "PLA Day" — as the military arm of the Communist Party of China...
.
After World War II, Luo served as the political commissar
Political commissar
The political commissar is the supervisory political officer responsible for the political education and organisation, and loyalty to the government of the military...
of Lin Biao
Lin Biao
Lin Biao was a major Chinese Communist military leader who was pivotal in the communist victory in the Chinese Civil War, especially in Northeastern China...
in Manchuria
Manchuria
Manchuria is a historical name given to a large geographic region in northeast Asia. Depending on the definition of its extent, Manchuria usually falls entirely within the People's Republic of China, or is sometimes divided between China and Russia. The region is commonly referred to as Northeast...
during the Chinese civil war. Unbeknownst to outsiders, Luo's contribution to the communist victory in Manchuria and hence to a great degree, in the mainland China was far greater than what was previously publicized, and in fact, greater than that of Lin Biao. The reason is that people often overlooked Luo's political contribution by concentrating on Lin Biao's military victories. However, Lin Biao, or any other communist commanders would never be able to achieve any military victory if there is not any strong and stable political support from the troops and the general populace. This is where Luo's importance proved to be critical: Luo's skillful political work ensured the troops' loyalty and popular support of the communists.
After the end of World War II, the communists demilitarized more than a million of its troops. However, the communist demilitarization was far from the peaceful demilitarization of the nationalist counterparts, and in fact, the communist demilitarization was part of Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong, also transliterated as Mao Tse-tung , and commonly referred to as Chairman Mao , was a Chinese Communist revolutionary, guerrilla warfare strategist, Marxist political philosopher, and leader of the Chinese Revolution...
's class struggle in which most of these demilitarized troops and cadres were persecuted. The reason of persecution of the troops and cadres within their own rank was simple: despite their dedication to communism, those troops and cadres were from well to do family backgrounds. As a result, the communists were not only in danger losing the popular support, but also face alienation and defection within its own ranks. Luo was instrumental in stopping the widespread persecution and thus saved the communists in Manchuria from losing the popular support, as well as supports within its own ranks, thus strengthened the communists, ensured Lin Biao's later military victories, and Luo did all of these against Mao's wishes. It was not after witnessing Luo's success did Mao started to praise Luo's effort.
As a result of Luo's success, the defection and desertion among communists in the entire Manchuria only numbered around 60,000, while in other communist controlled region such as in Shandong alone, the defection and desertion numbered more than 300,000 according to Mao's own admission, and the communist force in Shandong was much smaller than that of Manchuria. Luo's bravery of rejecting persecution of Mao's class struggle ideology had saved Chinese communists in Manchuria from certain failure.
After the formation of the People's Republic of China in 1949 he became Chief of Staff of the People's Liberation Army
People's Liberation Army
The People's Liberation Army is the unified military organization of all land, sea, strategic missile and air forces of the People's Republic of China. The PLA was established on August 1, 1927 — celebrated annually as "PLA Day" — as the military arm of the Communist Party of China...
. He was made a marshal in 1955.
Luo was the member of the 7th CPC Central Committee and 8th CPC Politburo. When Luo died in 1963, Both Mao and Lin Biao attended his funeral, his funeral was one of the only two funerals Marshal Lin Biao attended to, the other being the funeral of his former chief of staff and commander-in-chief of the PLA
People's Liberation Army
The People's Liberation Army is the unified military organization of all land, sea, strategic missile and air forces of the People's Republic of China. The PLA was established on August 1, 1927 — celebrated annually as "PLA Day" — as the military arm of the Communist Party of China...
air force General Liu Yalou
Liu Yalou
Liu Yalou was a general in the People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China, first commander-in-chief of the People's Liberation Army Air Force, as well as chief of staff of Lin Biao's army group during the Chinese Civil War, occupied the whole of Manchuria in 1948 and captured...
.