Wang Jiaxiang
Encyclopedia
Wang Jiaxiang (August 15, 1906 - January, 1974), one of the senior leaders of the Communist Party of China
in its early stage and a member of the 28 Bolsheviks
, with his life of up and down indicating the cruel reality of politics.
, Wang studied in the affiliated middle school of Shanghai University
in 1925, and went to Moscow Sun Yat-sen University
, a university established under the founder of Kuomintang
Sun Yat-Sen
's policy of Alliance with the Soviet Union
and CPC
and named after him to train revolutionists for China. It was there Wang and Wang Ming
, Zhang Wentian
, Bo Gu and other students found the group 28 Bolsheviks
to show their ambition for leadership in Chinese revolution. In 1928 Wang joined the CPC.
With the support from their mentor Paul Mif, the president of Moscow Sun Yat-sen University
and then representative of Comintern
to China, the 28 Bolsheviks
were sent back to China to take leadership of CPC and they did won in the power struggle with Li Lisan
.Compared with his counterpart Wang Ming
, Bo Gu and Zhang Wentian
, Wang just got less important job as secretary for party newspaper and chief editor of two journals of CPC.
When the 28 Bolsheviks
carried out their policy of extremism and leftism, CPC suffered great loss in their rebellion against the Kuomintang
and had to retreat from big cities to their base in Jiangxi
. Then Wang got promotion to be member of Central Bureau of CPC, Foreign Commissioner of China Soviet Republic Interim Central Government, and then Director of Political Department or General Commissar of Chinese Red Army.
Bo Gu and military advisor from Comintern
Otto Braun or Li De still applied the policy of leftism which resulted in CPC's great loss in their military confrontation with Kuomintang
army in their base and Long March
began as an excuse for withdraw. It was in the course of Long March
, Wang began to realize the cruel reality of revolution was much different from book. He showed his friendship to the so-called old CPC members such as Mao Zedong
and Zhou Enlai
. When they were in litters and made discussion about the future of Chinese revolution, they had made plan to change the status quo. Then was the Zunyi Conference
, Bo Gu and Li De were dismissed command in military. As reward for their defection, Zhang Wentian
replaced Bo Gu as General Secretary of CPC, and Wang took the military command by a three-men group with Mao and Zhou.
After Wang reached Yan'an
,he was sent to Moscow
as CPC delegate to Comintern
in 1937. Wang came back in next year and did the second important tribute to Mao.He brought back a so-called oral message from Georgi Dimitrov
, who was one the leaders of Comintern at that time. Dimitrov's message expressed his support of Mao as supreme leader of CCP. Although the authenticity of this message is still in question, Mao did exploit it as pivotal proof for the legitimacy of his being supreme leader. As a reward, Wang was appointed as Vice Chairman of Central Military Committee of CPC. During that time the Chinese anti Japanese war broke out, Chinese Red Army was reorganized into 8th Route Army, and Wang was appointed as Director of Political Department, taking charge of military command with Zhu De
and Peng Dehuai
. At the same time, Wang was elected as Commissioner, member of politburo
of CPC, which meant his greatest prominence in political life.
In 1943 Wang was the first one who put forward the concept of Maoism
, which must have greatly appealed to Mao. Furthermore, in the 7th National Congress of CPC in 1945, Liu Shaoqi
who was the first one to propose Maoism
be written into the party constitution of CPC. The irony is that both Liu and Wang could not escape from the purge several decades later even they showed their loyalty in such an obvious way. When Mao had strengthen his authority in CPC after he purged his archenemy Wang Ming
and Zhang Guotao
, now it was time for him to clear away other dissidents. Zhang Wentian
was demoted and his title taken away by Mao although he was a puppet. But when Wang lost his using value to Mao, his being purged was inevitable. In Cheng Feng, Wang was labeled as representative of dogmatism along with Wang Ming and Zhang, and had to make public confession and apologies. This was not the end of humiliation. In the 7th National Congress of CCP held in 1945, Wang was even driven out of the Central Committee of CCP, which he had held the position for last decade. Maybe Mao felt it was too harsh, he appealed to all delegates and it was under his insistence that Wang was elected as an alternate member of Central Committee as a comfort.
During the Chinese Civil War
, Wang was sent to Manchuria
to work with Lin Biao
and Gao Gang
, but only as their subordinate with title of Minister of City Organization Department, acting Minister of Propaganda Department of Northeast Bureau of CPC.
After the establishment of People's Republic of China
in 1949, Wang was appointed as first Chinese Ambassador to Soviet Union
, and then Under Secretary of Foreign Ministry.In 1951 Wang was appointed as Minister of External Communication Department of CPC.Although Wang got promotion again for being elected as Commissioner and Secretariat of Central Committee of CPC in the 1st Plenary Meeting of 8th National Congress of CPC in 1956 and survived longer in political life than his close friend Zhang Wentian
, who was purged in the Lushan Meeting in 1959, he still could not survive the Cultural Revolution
.
Wang's wife Zhu Zhongli used to be a nurse working for the army and once was assistant of Canadian doctor Bethune
who worked for 8th Route Army as an international volunteer. They lived together for several decades after marriage. Now Zhu is an active writer writing memoirs on Jiang Qing
and Mao Zedong
.
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...
in its early stage and a member of the 28 Bolsheviks
28 Bolsheviks
The 28 Bolsheviks were a group of Chinese students who studied at the Moscow Sun Yat-sen University from the late 1920s until early 1935, also known as the "Returned Students". The university was founded in 1925 as a result of Kuomintang's founder Sun Yat-Sen's policy of alliance with the Soviet...
, with his life of up and down indicating the cruel reality of politics.
Biography
As a native of Jin, AnhuiAnhui
Anhui is a province in the People's Republic of China. Located in eastern China across the basins of the Yangtze River and the Huai River, it borders Jiangsu to the east, Zhejiang to the southeast, Jiangxi to the south, Hubei to the southwest, Henan to the northwest, and Shandong for a tiny...
, Wang studied in the affiliated middle school of Shanghai University
Shanghai University
Shanghai University is a public, comprehensive university located in Shanghai, China. The university has the longest serving President; Chien Wei-zang since 1982 until he died in 2010. He was a well known scientist in China...
in 1925, and went to Moscow Sun Yat-sen University
Moscow Sun Yat-sen University
Moscow Sun Yat-sen University, officially the Sun Yat-sen Communist University of the Toilers of China, was a Comintern school, which operated from 1925-1930. It was a training camp for Chinese revolutionaries from both the Kuomintang and the Communist Party of China .-Origins:In 1923, Dr...
, a university established under the founder of Kuomintang
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
Sun Yat-Sen
Sun Yat-sen
Sun Yat-sen was a Chinese doctor, revolutionary and political leader. As the foremost pioneer of Nationalist China, Sun is frequently referred to as the "Father of the Nation" , a view agreed upon by both the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China...
's policy of Alliance with the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and CPC
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...
and named after him to train revolutionists for China. It was there Wang and Wang Ming
Wang Ming
Wang Ming was a senior leader of the early Chinese Communist Party and the mastermind of the famous 28 Bolsheviks group. Wang was also a major political rival of Mao Zedong during the 1930s, opposing Mao's nationalist deviation from the Comintern and orthodox Marxism and Leninism lines...
, Zhang Wentian
Zhang Wentian
Zhang Wentian . He is also known as Luo Fu . His names in Wade-Giles are Chang Wen-t'ien and Lo Fu.Born in Jiangsu, he attended engineering school in Nanjing and also spent a year at the University of California. He later joined the Communist Party and was sent to study at Sun Yat-sen University...
, Bo Gu and other students found the group 28 Bolsheviks
28 Bolsheviks
The 28 Bolsheviks were a group of Chinese students who studied at the Moscow Sun Yat-sen University from the late 1920s until early 1935, also known as the "Returned Students". The university was founded in 1925 as a result of Kuomintang's founder Sun Yat-Sen's policy of alliance with the Soviet...
to show their ambition for leadership in Chinese revolution. In 1928 Wang joined the CPC.
With the support from their mentor Paul Mif, the president of Moscow Sun Yat-sen University
Moscow Sun Yat-sen University
Moscow Sun Yat-sen University, officially the Sun Yat-sen Communist University of the Toilers of China, was a Comintern school, which operated from 1925-1930. It was a training camp for Chinese revolutionaries from both the Kuomintang and the Communist Party of China .-Origins:In 1923, Dr...
and then representative of Comintern
Comintern
The Communist International, abbreviated as Comintern, also known as the Third International, was an international communist organization initiated in Moscow during March 1919...
to China, the 28 Bolsheviks
28 Bolsheviks
The 28 Bolsheviks were a group of Chinese students who studied at the Moscow Sun Yat-sen University from the late 1920s until early 1935, also known as the "Returned Students". The university was founded in 1925 as a result of Kuomintang's founder Sun Yat-Sen's policy of alliance with the Soviet...
were sent back to China to take leadership of CPC and they did won in the power struggle with Li Lisan
Li Lisan
Lǐ Lìsān was an early leader of the Chinese communists, and the top leader of the Chinese Communist Party from 1928 to 1930, member of Polit Bureau, and later member of Central Committee.-Early years:...
.Compared with his counterpart Wang Ming
Wang Ming
Wang Ming was a senior leader of the early Chinese Communist Party and the mastermind of the famous 28 Bolsheviks group. Wang was also a major political rival of Mao Zedong during the 1930s, opposing Mao's nationalist deviation from the Comintern and orthodox Marxism and Leninism lines...
, Bo Gu and Zhang Wentian
Zhang Wentian
Zhang Wentian . He is also known as Luo Fu . His names in Wade-Giles are Chang Wen-t'ien and Lo Fu.Born in Jiangsu, he attended engineering school in Nanjing and also spent a year at the University of California. He later joined the Communist Party and was sent to study at Sun Yat-sen University...
, Wang just got less important job as secretary for party newspaper and chief editor of two journals of CPC.
When the 28 Bolsheviks
28 Bolsheviks
The 28 Bolsheviks were a group of Chinese students who studied at the Moscow Sun Yat-sen University from the late 1920s until early 1935, also known as the "Returned Students". The university was founded in 1925 as a result of Kuomintang's founder Sun Yat-Sen's policy of alliance with the Soviet...
carried out their policy of extremism and leftism, CPC suffered great loss in their rebellion against the Kuomintang
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
and had to retreat from big cities to their base in Jiangxi
Jiangxi
' is a southern province in the People's Republic of China. Spanning from the banks of the Yangtze River in the north into hillier areas in the south, it shares a border with Anhui to the north, Zhejiang to the northeast, Fujian to the east, Guangdong to the south, Hunan to the west, and Hubei to...
. Then Wang got promotion to be member of Central Bureau of CPC, Foreign Commissioner of China Soviet Republic Interim Central Government, and then Director of Political Department or General Commissar of Chinese Red Army.
Bo Gu and military advisor from Comintern
Comintern
The Communist International, abbreviated as Comintern, also known as the Third International, was an international communist organization initiated in Moscow during March 1919...
Otto Braun or Li De still applied the policy of leftism which resulted in CPC's great loss in their military confrontation with Kuomintang
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
army in their base and 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...
began as an excuse for withdraw. It was in the course of 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...
, Wang began to realize the cruel reality of revolution was much different from book. He showed his friendship to the so-called old CPC members such as 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 Zhou Enlai
Zhou Enlai
Zhou Enlai was the first Premier of the People's Republic of China, serving from October 1949 until his death in January 1976...
. When they were in litters and made discussion about the future of Chinese revolution, they had made plan to change the status quo. Then was the Zunyi Conference
Zunyi Conference
The Zunyi Conference was a meeting of the Communist Party of China in January of 1935 during the Long March. This meeting involved a power struggle between the leadership of Bo Gu and Otto Braun and the opposition led by Mao Zedong. The result was that Mao left the meeting in position to take...
, Bo Gu and Li De were dismissed command in military. As reward for their defection, Zhang Wentian
Zhang Wentian
Zhang Wentian . He is also known as Luo Fu . His names in Wade-Giles are Chang Wen-t'ien and Lo Fu.Born in Jiangsu, he attended engineering school in Nanjing and also spent a year at the University of California. He later joined the Communist Party and was sent to study at Sun Yat-sen University...
replaced Bo Gu as General Secretary of CPC, and Wang took the military command by a three-men group with Mao and Zhou.
After Wang reached Yan'an
Yan'an
Yan'an , is a prefecture-level city in the Shanbei region of Shaanxi province in China, administering several counties, including Zhidan County , which served as the Chinese communist capital before the city of Yan'an proper took that role....
,he was sent to Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
as CPC delegate to Comintern
Comintern
The Communist International, abbreviated as Comintern, also known as the Third International, was an international communist organization initiated in Moscow during March 1919...
in 1937. Wang came back in next year and did the second important tribute to Mao.He brought back a so-called oral message from Georgi Dimitrov
Georgi Dimitrov
Georgi Dimitrov Mikhaylov , also known as Georgi Mikhaylovich Dimitrov , was a Bulgarian Communist politician...
, who was one the leaders of Comintern at that time. Dimitrov's message expressed his support of Mao as supreme leader of CCP. Although the authenticity of this message is still in question, Mao did exploit it as pivotal proof for the legitimacy of his being supreme leader. As a reward, Wang was appointed as Vice Chairman of Central Military Committee of CPC. During that time the Chinese anti Japanese war broke out, Chinese Red Army was reorganized into 8th Route Army, and Wang was appointed as Director of Political Department, taking charge of military command with Zhu De
Zhu De
Zhu De was a Chinese militarist, politician, revolutionary, and one of the pioneers of the Chinese Communist Party. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, in 1955 Zhu became one of the Ten Marshals of the People's Liberation Army, of which he is regarded as the founder.-Early...
and Peng Dehuai
Peng Dehuai
Peng Dehuai was a prominent military leader of the Communist Party of China, and China's Defence Minister from 1954 to 1959. Peng was an important commander during the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Chinese civil war and was also the commander-in-chief of People's Volunteer Army in the Korean War...
. At the same time, Wang was elected as Commissioner, member of politburo
Politburo
Politburo , literally "Political Bureau [of the Central Committee]," is the executive committee for a number of communist political parties.-Marxist-Leninist states:...
of CPC, which meant his greatest prominence in political life.
In 1943 Wang was the first one who put forward the concept of Maoism
Maoism
Maoism, also known as the Mao Zedong Thought , is claimed by Maoists as an anti-Revisionist form of Marxist communist theory, derived from the teachings of the Chinese political leader Mao Zedong . Developed during the 1950s and 1960s, it was widely applied as the political and military guiding...
, which must have greatly appealed to Mao. Furthermore, in the 7th National Congress of CPC in 1945, Liu Shaoqi
Liu Shaoqi
Liu Shaoqi was a Chinese revolutionary, statesman, and theorist. He was Chairman of the People's Republic of China, China's head of state, from 27 April 1959 to 31 October 1968, during which he implemented policies of economic reconstruction in China...
who was the first one to propose Maoism
Maoism
Maoism, also known as the Mao Zedong Thought , is claimed by Maoists as an anti-Revisionist form of Marxist communist theory, derived from the teachings of the Chinese political leader Mao Zedong . Developed during the 1950s and 1960s, it was widely applied as the political and military guiding...
be written into the party constitution of CPC. The irony is that both Liu and Wang could not escape from the purge several decades later even they showed their loyalty in such an obvious way. When Mao had strengthen his authority in CPC after he purged his archenemy Wang Ming
Wang Ming
Wang Ming was a senior leader of the early Chinese Communist Party and the mastermind of the famous 28 Bolsheviks group. Wang was also a major political rival of Mao Zedong during the 1930s, opposing Mao's nationalist deviation from the Comintern and orthodox Marxism and Leninism lines...
and Zhang Guotao
Zhang Guotao
Zhang Guotao was a founding member and important leader of the Chinese Communist Party and bitter rival to Mao Zedong. During the 1920s he studied in the Soviet Union and became a key contact with the Comintern and organized the CCP labor movement in the United Front with the Guomindang...
, now it was time for him to clear away other dissidents. Zhang Wentian
Zhang Wentian
Zhang Wentian . He is also known as Luo Fu . His names in Wade-Giles are Chang Wen-t'ien and Lo Fu.Born in Jiangsu, he attended engineering school in Nanjing and also spent a year at the University of California. He later joined the Communist Party and was sent to study at Sun Yat-sen University...
was demoted and his title taken away by Mao although he was a puppet. But when Wang lost his using value to Mao, his being purged was inevitable. In Cheng Feng, Wang was labeled as representative of dogmatism along with Wang Ming and Zhang, and had to make public confession and apologies. This was not the end of humiliation. In the 7th National Congress of CCP held in 1945, Wang was even driven out of the Central Committee of CCP, which he had held the position for last decade. Maybe Mao felt it was too harsh, he appealed to all delegates and it was under his insistence that Wang was elected as an alternate member of Central Committee as a comfort.
During the Chinese Civil War
Chinese Civil War
The Chinese Civil War was a civil war fought between the Kuomintang , the governing party of the Republic of China, and the Communist Party of China , for the control of China which eventually led to China's division into two Chinas, Republic of China and People's Republic of...
, Wang was sent to 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...
to work with 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...
and Gao Gang
Gao Gang
Gao Gang was a Chinese Communist Party leader during the Chinese Civil War and the early years of the People's Republic of China , before becoming the victim of the first major purge within the CCP since before 1949...
, but only as their subordinate with title of Minister of City Organization Department, acting Minister of Propaganda Department of Northeast Bureau of CPC.
After the establishment of 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...
in 1949, Wang was appointed as first Chinese Ambassador to Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, and then Under Secretary of Foreign Ministry.In 1951 Wang was appointed as Minister of External Communication Department of CPC.Although Wang got promotion again for being elected as Commissioner and Secretariat of Central Committee of CPC in the 1st Plenary Meeting of 8th National Congress of CPC in 1956 and survived longer in political life than his close friend Zhang Wentian
Zhang Wentian
Zhang Wentian . He is also known as Luo Fu . His names in Wade-Giles are Chang Wen-t'ien and Lo Fu.Born in Jiangsu, he attended engineering school in Nanjing and also spent a year at the University of California. He later joined the Communist Party and was sent to study at Sun Yat-sen University...
, who was purged in the Lushan Meeting in 1959, he still could not survive the Cultural Revolution
Cultural Revolution
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, commonly known as the Cultural Revolution , was a socio-political movement that took place in the People's Republic of China from 1966 through 1976...
.
Wang's wife Zhu Zhongli used to be a nurse working for the army and once was assistant of Canadian doctor Bethune
Norman Bethune
Henry Norman Bethune was a Canadian physician and medical innovator. Bethune is best known for his service in war time medical units during the Spanish Civil War and with the Communist Eighth Route Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War...
who worked for 8th Route Army as an international volunteer. They lived together for several decades after marriage. Now Zhu is an active writer writing memoirs on Jiang Qing
Jiang Qing
Jiang Qing was the pseudonym that was used by Chinese leader Mao Zedong's last wife and major Communist Party of China power figure. She went by the stage name Lan Ping during her acting career, and was known by various other names during her life...
and 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...
.