Nie Fengzhi
Encyclopedia
Nie Fengzhi was a lieutenant general
of the People's Liberation Army
of the People's Republic of China
.
or 1914.
He belonged to the dominant Han
ethnic group.
Nie joined the People's Liberation Army
(PLA) in 1929 and served with the force until his retirement. He was involved in founding the PLA Air Force
, and commanded the PLA's first aerial unit, the 4th Mixed Brigade, which was established on 19 June 1950.
He attained the rank
of lieutenant general
in 1955.
, Nie commanded the 27th Army
(9th Army Group) of the People's Volunteer Army
, which participated in combat against the U.S.
1st Marine Division at the Battle of Chosin Reservoir
.
, Nie commanded the East China
(Huadong) Air Force.
During the Crisis, he served as vice-commander of the Zhejiang
Front Command (ZFC)—established in 1954 by order of Mao Zedong
and led by Zhang Aiping
—and commanded the ZFC air force. He was one of the architects of the campaign to capture the Dachen Islands from the Republic of China
. During a meeting of the ZFC commanders on 31 August 1954, Nie opposed the "majority opinion" favoring an immediate amphibious invasion of Dachen, and instead supported the "limited piecemeal tactics" proposed by Zhang. The resulting "Zhang-Nie plan" involved a focus on Yijiangshan Island
, north of Dachen, and led to the Battle of Yijiangshan Islands
in January 1955. During the course of the campaign, Nie personally spoke with every PLA pilot participating in operations in order to convey the order issued by the Central Military Commission to avoid direct confrontation with American air forces.
During the Second Taiwan Strait Crisis
in 1958, Nie served as commander of the Fujian
Front Command air force.
and Secretary of the Standing Committee in 1977, and remained in these posts until 1982. He was also a member of the 11th Central Committee
of the Communist Party of China
, which was in session from 1977 to 1982.
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
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...
of the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
.
Biography
Nie was born in Hubei Province in 1913or 1914.
He belonged to the dominant Han
Han Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
ethnic group.
Nie joined 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...
(PLA) in 1929 and served with the force until his retirement. He was involved in founding the PLA Air Force
People's Liberation Army Air Force
The People's Liberation Army Air Force is the aviation branch of the People's Liberation Army, the military of the People's Republic of China...
, and commanded the PLA's first aerial unit, the 4th Mixed Brigade, which was established on 19 June 1950.
He attained the rank
Military rank
Military rank is a system of hierarchical relationships in armed forces or civil institutions organized along military lines. Usually, uniforms denote the bearer's rank by particular insignia affixed to the uniforms...
of lieutenant general
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
in 1955.
Korean War
During the Korean WarKorean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, Nie commanded the 27th Army
27th Army (People's Republic of China)
The 27th Group Army is a military formation of China's People's Liberation Army and one of three active group armies belonging to the Beijing Military Region. It is based in Shijiazhuang, Hebei and is composed of one armored brigade, two motorized infantry brigades, one artillery brigade, and an...
(9th Army Group) of the People's Volunteer Army
People's Volunteer Army
The Chinese People's Volunteer Army was the armed forces deployed by the People's Republic of China during the Korean War. Although all units in the Chinese People’s Volunteer Army belonged to the People's Liberation Army , the People's Volunteer Army was separately constituted in order to...
, which participated in combat against the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
1st Marine Division at the Battle of Chosin Reservoir
Battle of Chosin Reservoir
The Battle of Chosin Reservoir, also known as the Chosin Reservoir Campaign or the Changjin Lake Campaign ,Official Chinese sources refer to this battle as the Second Phase Campaign Eastern Sector . The Western Sector is the Battle of the Ch'ongch'on River. was a decisive battle in the Korean War...
.
Taiwan Strait Crises
At the time of the First Taiwan Strait CrisisFirst Taiwan Strait Crisis
The First Taiwan Strait Crisis was a short armed conflict that took place between the governments of the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China . The PRC seized the Yijiangshan Islands, forcing the ROC to abandon the Tachen Islands...
, Nie commanded the East China
East China
East China is a geographical and a loosely-defined cultural region that covers the eastern coastal area of China.Although an intangible and loosely defined concept, for administrative and governmental purposes, the region is defined by the government of the People's Republic of China to include...
(Huadong) Air Force.
During the Crisis, he served as vice-commander of the Zhejiang
Zhejiang
Zhejiang is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. The word Zhejiang was the old name of the Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital...
Front Command (ZFC)—established in 1954 by order 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...
and led by Zhang Aiping
Zhang Aiping
Zhang Aiping was a Chinese communist military leader.-Biography:...
—and commanded the ZFC air force. He was one of the architects of the campaign to capture the Dachen Islands from the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
. During a meeting of the ZFC commanders on 31 August 1954, Nie opposed the "majority opinion" favoring an immediate amphibious invasion of Dachen, and instead supported the "limited piecemeal tactics" proposed by Zhang. The resulting "Zhang-Nie plan" involved a focus on Yijiangshan Island
Yijiangshan Island
The Yijiangshan Islands are two small islands eight miles from the Tachen group, located between Shanghai and Keelung in the Taiwan Strait.During the first Taiwan Strait crisis it was captured on January 20, 1955 by the People's Liberation Army from Republic of China Nationalist forces in the...
, north of Dachen, and led to the Battle of Yijiangshan Islands
Battle of Yijiangshan Islands
The Battle of Yijiangshan Islands was a conflict between forces of the Republic of China Army and the People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China, over one of the last strongholds of Nationalist forces near mainland China on the Yijiangshan Islands...
in January 1955. During the course of the campaign, Nie personally spoke with every PLA pilot participating in operations in order to convey the order issued by the Central Military Commission to avoid direct confrontation with American air forces.
During the Second Taiwan Strait Crisis
Second Taiwan Strait Crisis
The Second Taiwan Strait Crisis, also called the 1958 Taiwan Strait Crisis, was a conflict that took place between the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China governments in which the PRC shelled the islands of Matsu and Quemoy in the Taiwan Strait in an attempt to seize them from...
in 1958, Nie served as commander of the Fujian
Fujian
' , formerly romanised as Fukien or Huguing or Foukien, is a province on the southeast coast of mainland China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south. Taiwan lies to the east, across the Taiwan Strait...
Front Command air force.
Nanjing Military Region
From 1975 to 1977, Nie served as Deputy Commander of the PLA's Nanjing Military Region and was a member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee of the Nanjing Military Region CPC. He became the Commander of the Military RegionPLA Military Region
The People's Liberation Army uses a system of military regions, of which there used to be eleven, but are now seven:* Shenyang Military Region* Beijing Military Region* Lanzhou Military Region* Jinan Military Region* Nanjing Military Region...
and Secretary of the Standing Committee in 1977, and remained in these posts until 1982. He was also a member of the 11th Central Committee
11th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China
The 11th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China was in session from 1977 to 1982. It held seven plenary sessions in the 5-year period.It elected the 11th Politburo of the Communist Party of China in 1977.-Members:*Hua Guofeng...
of the Communist Party of China
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...
, which was in session from 1977 to 1982.