 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Ye Jianying" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(November 2008) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Ye Jianying (simplified Chinese:叶剑英;traditional Chinese:葉劍英; 28 April 1897 – 22 October 1986) was aChinese Communistrevolutionary leader and politician, one of theTen Marshals of the People's Republic of China. He was the top military leader in the 1976coup that overthrew theGang of Four and ended theCultural Revolution, and was the key supporter ofDeng Xiaoping in his power struggle withHua Guofeng between 1978 and 1981, which ended in Hua fading into political obscurity. In his capacity asChairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, Ye served asChina's head of state from 1978 until 1983, being succeeded in that capacity byLi Xiannian with the restoration of the post ofChairman of the People's Republic of China bya new constitution.
BornYe Yiwei (Chinese:叶宜伟) into a wealthy ChristianHakka merchant family in an old rural village at Jiaying county, renamed as theMeixian District, Meizhou, Guangdong, in the modern day. Hiscourtesy name wasCangbai (滄白) and most of Ye Jianying's siblings died before being adults due to severe illness.[1] In January 1912, Ye graduated from Sanbao Academy with top honors and was admitted to Wuben Middle School in Meixian. That winter, Wuben Middle School merged with three other schools and was converted into a government-run institution. The new principal was a conservative figure, prompting Ye Jianying to organize and lead over 100 students in leaving the school. They relocated to Dongshan Academy in Meicheng.[2]: 7
Soon afterward, with the support of progressive intellectuals, students’ parents, local gentry and patriotic overseas Chinese, a new school Dongshan Middle School was established at the foot of Dongshan Hill in the county seat and Ye subsequently enrolled there. During this period, he came into contact with progressive publications advocating social reform and served two consecutive terms as president of the student union.[2]: 8-9 In the autumn of 1915, he left Dongshan Middle School before graduation and taught for half a year at Xinqun Primary School in Hengshan, adjacent to Yanyangbao.[2]: 10-11 That winter, he accompanied his father to Southeast Asia, returning to China the following year.[2]: 11
In the summer of 1917, Ye enrolled in theYunnan Military Academy.[2]: 12 After graduating in January 1920, he followedSun Yat-sen and committed himself to the democratic revolutionary movement.[2]: 17 In the summer of 1920, he participated in Sun’s campaign to expel theOld Guangxi Clique warlords. In October of the following year, he accompanied Sun on an inspection tour ofGuangxi.[3] In June 1922, duringChen Jiongming’s rebellion, Ye, then serving as a battalion commander in the Naval Landing Corps, led his troops to escort Sun to safety and fought against Chen’s forces.[4] Afterward, he went toFujian to serve as Chief of Staff of the 8th Brigade of the 'Eastern Route Bandit Expeditionary Army', later marching into Guangdong to campaign against Chen. The victory at Yanling Pass made his name widely known.[2]: 22
In early 1924, due to his outstanding achievements in the campaigns against Chen Jiongming, Ye was appointed Chief of Staff of the Second Division of theNationalist Revolutionary Army Guangdong Army. In January 1924, at the invitation ofLiao Zhongkai, he participated in the preparation of theWhampoa Military Academy.[2]: 25 On 5 May 1924, he was appointed Deputy Director of the Faculty Department of the academy and concurrently taught Weapons Science.[5]
While teaching at Whampoa, he came into contact with manyChinese Communist Party members and was gradually influenced by them, progressively acceptingMarxism-Leninism beliefs. In July 1924, at the request of Division CommanderZhang Minda, he returned to the Second Division and led troops to repel the rebel forces ofLin Hu, who were attackingGuangzhou, achieving victory.[2]: 29 Subsequently, on Liao’s orders, he founded the Independent Battalion of the Second Division inXiangzhou and served concurrently as its battalion commander, training grassroots soldiers in coordination with Whampoa’s instruction. On 15 October 1924, Ye and Zhang Minda commanded the Second Division in suppressing theCanton Merchants' Corps Uprising.[2]: 31
In January 1925, they led the division in the First Eastern Expedition against Chen Jiongming.[2]: 32 In March 1925, Ye was appointed magistrate of Meixian County.[6] In May 1925, he became commander of the Newly Organized Regiment of the Second Division and led the regiment in the Second Eastern Expedition..[2]: 41 After coordinating with friendly units to captureHuizhou, he was ordered to remain in the Huizhou–Boluo area to maintain public order. In December 1925,Chiang Kai-shek telegraphed an order appointing him regimental commander of the Instructor Corps, a core (directly controlled) unit. Later, when the Instructor Corps was reorganized into the 20th Division, Ye was promoted to Deputy Division Commander..[2]: 42 During this period, he submitted his first application to join the Chinese Communist Party..[2]: 27-28 The CCP sentXiong Rui to speak with him, but no further response followed. Due to internal disagreements within the party, most members favored admitting him, while others argued that as a senior officer in Chiang Kai-shek’s core forces he required long-term observation, and the matter remained unresolved.[2]: 44
In July 1926, Ye participated in theNorthern Expedition, initially serving as Chief of Staff of the General Reserve Command of the First Army of the National Revolutionary Army. He led troops in theNanchang Campaign. After the capture ofNanchang, Chiang Kai-shek appointed him Commander of the First Division of the Northern Expeditionary Army. Since the First Division was a core Chiang unit, Ye harbored serious reservations and declined the appointment on the grounds of ill health. The troops incorporated fromSun Chuanfang’s forces after the Nanchang Campaign were reorganized into a newly formed army and Ye Jianying was appointed Acting Commander of its Second Division. Unable to refuse again, he proceeded toJi’an to assume command. He selected former Whampoa classmates and colleagues to form the divisional headquarters and recruited a group of young students to serve under his command.[2]: 44
On 12 April 1927,Jiangxi descended into a period ofWhite Terror. The entire city of Ji’an was placed under martial law, and organizations such as trade unions, peasant associations, student unions and newspaper offices were shut down. Members of the left wing of the Kuomintang and Chinese Communists were purged. After careful consideration, Ye decided to oppose Chiang. He convened a meeting of all officers of the division and publicly announced:[7]
“Those who are willing to carry out the revolution and support theWuhan Government may remain. Those who support Chiang Kai-shek and wish to go toNanjing may do so freely.”
After the meeting, he personally drafted and led the issuance of a telegram openly opposing Chiang. When Chen Keyu, Deputy Commander of the Fourth Army, reported this matter to Chiang, Chiang replied, “Division Commander Ye will not oppose us.”When Chen reported again, saying, “Division Commander Ye truly opposes us,” Chiang responded, “All right, I know. You may leave.” Following the issuance of the anti-Chiang telegram, Ye led a group of left-wing officers out of Ji’an and traveled toWuhan, where he was appointed Chief of Staff of theFourth Army of the National Revolutionary Army.[7] The left-wing officers who remained behind launched theJi’an Uprising.[2]: 47-48 Only after learning of the uprising by the Second Division did Chiang finally accept that Ye Jianying had broken with him and he announced Ye’s expulsion from theKuomintang. In July 1927, through the introduction of Li Shi’an and with the approval ofZhou Enlai, Ye secretly joined the Chinese Communist Party.[2]: 52
Prior to theNanchang Uprising, Ye learned ofWang Jingwei’s plot to harm Ye Ting and He Long. He immediately took the risk of meeting them on a small boat atGantang Lake inJiujiang, where they discussed countermeasures and decided that the troops commanded byYe Ting (no relation) andHe Long should advance rapidly toward Nanchang, hence beginning the uprising.[2]: 54-55 After uprising was crushed and the insurgent forces withdrew from Nanchang, Ye strongly dissuadedZhang Fakui from pursuing them.[2]: 56
In early August 1927, Ye concurrently served as Commander of the Fourth Army Officers’ Training Regiment.[2]: 58 Shortly after, he faithfully carried out his assigned duties during theGuangzhou Uprising, although he had been opposed to it; upon this uprising's failure he was once again obliged to flee to Hong Kong with Ye Ting andNie Rongzhen. However, Ye was far more fortunate than Ye Ting, who was made a scapegoat for theComintern's failures and forced into exile. Ye was not blamed. After the failure of the uprising, he went underground and fled toBritish Hong Kong.[2]: 73 In the winter of 1928, he traveled to the Soviet Union to study in a special class of military science at theMoscow Sun Yat-sen University.[2]: 75
Following theChinese Eastern Railway Incident in 1929, Ye, together withLiu Bocheng and others, responded to the call to “defend the Soviet Union by armed force.” He participated in the International Volunteer Forces, traveled toKhabarovsk in theSoviet Far East to join the Far Eastern Workers’ Partisan Detachment, trained troops and fought against the forces ofZhang Xueliang.[8][9] He also assisted the Soviet Union in its military operations during the attack on the city ofHailar inHeilongjiang.[10]
In the second half of 1930, Ye returned to China and arrived inShanghai, where he worked with Liu Bocheng and others to translate Soviet military materials, including the Red Army Infantry Combat Regulations and Political Work Regulations.[2]: 78 In April 1931, he travelled toJiangxi Soviet. As the Nationalist government prepared theSecond encirclement campaign against the Jiangxi Soviet,Mao Zedong advocated a strategy of luring the enemy deep intoRed Army territory, a position opposed byXiang Ying. Ye supported Mao and assisted in directing the Second and Third Counter-Encirclement Campaigns.[2]: 81 In November 1931, he was appointed Member of theCentral Revolutionary Military Commission of theChinese Soviet Republic and Chief of theGeneral Staff. Later that month, he proposed the establishment of a streamlined and professional command structure, helping to formalize the Red Army’s staff system.[2]: 82
In October 1932, Ye became President and Political Commissar of the Red Army School, concurrently serving as Garrison Commander ofRuijin. By 1933, he held multiple senior command posts, including Commander of the Red 19th Army, Chief of the General Staff of the Red Army, and Chief of Staff of the First Front Army. In January 1934, he was elected to the Second Central Executive Committee of the Chinese Soviet Republic.[2]: 90-94 He joined theLong March in October 1934 as commander and political commissar of the Military Commission’s First Column, during which he was wounded by a Nationalist air strike in Guangxi.[2]: 98 In 1935, after the First and Fourth Front Armies united, he served as Chief of Staff of the Forward Command Headquarters. WhenZhang Guotao refused to follow the Central Committee’s order to advance north, Ye promptly reported the matter to Mao, contributing to the decision for the main force of the First Front Army to proceed northward.[11]
After the Red Army reached northern Shaanxi, he served as Chief of Staff of both the First Front Army and the Central Military Commission.[2]: 117 During the Eastern Expedition Campaign of 1936, he commanded the Central Route Army, effectively tying down Nationalist forces and supporting operations on both flanks.[2]: 119 In the lead-up to and aftermath of theXi’an Incident, Ye played a key role in united front negotiations. Alongside Zhou Enlai andBo Gu, he was dispatched toXi’an, where he participated in staff-level coordination with theNortheastern Army, contributing to the incident’s peaceful resolution. On 8 March 1937, Ye and Zhou Enlai concluded an agreemenrt with the Nationalist representatives, paving the way for the reorganization of the Red Army into the National Revolutionary Army as theEighth Route Army and formalizing cooperation against Japan.[2]: 122
In August 1937, Ye, together with Zhou Enlai andZhu De, traveled to Nanjing to attend the Supreme National Defense Conference convened by Chiang Kai-shek. Following this, the main forces of the Red Army were reorganized as the Eighth Route Army of the National Revolutionary Army, with Ye appointed Chief of Staff and granted the rank of Lieutenant General. In October, he became the Eighth Route Army’s representative in Nanjing. In December 1937, he was appointed a member of the CCP Central Committee’s Yangtze River Bureau, responsible for military affairs. From 1939, he served on the Standing Committee of the CCP Southern Bureau, working with Zhou Enlai on united front activities in Nationalist-controlled areas, including propaganda, liaison with senior Nationalist figures, and negotiations with the National Government. During this period, he also helped establish the Nanyue Guerrilla Cadre Training Program, where he lectured on guerrilla warfare and protracted war strategy. In March 1940, he attended a National Chiefs of Staff Conference inChongqing, delivering a major address defending the Eighth Route Army’s wartime record. Following the Southern Anhui Incident in February 1941, Ye returned toYan’an, where he served as Chief of Staff of the Central Military Commission and Chief of Staff of the Eighteenth Group Army, assisting Mao and Zhu De in directing military operations and strengthening staff systems. He later also held posts related to military education and propaganda work.
In 1945, Ye was elected a member of the CCP Central Committee at the Seventh National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party.
After the establishment of thePeople's Republic of China, Ye was placed in charge of Guangdong, which was to cost him his political career under Mao's reign. Ye understood that the economic conditions in the province were very different from those in the rest of China, since most Cantoneselandlords were peasants themselves who participated in production without exploiting their tenants. He therefore declined to dispossess the landlords, and instead protected their businesses and land. However, Ye's policies contradicted the general directives of the Party-mandated land reform, which emphasizedclass struggle. His policies deemed too soft, Ye and his local cadres were soon replaced byLin Biao's, and a much harsher policy was implemented and hundreds of thousands of Cantonese landlords were executed, with Ye's political career effectively over.[citation needed]
However, Mao did not forget what Ye had done for him during the Long March, and thus removed him only from political posts while preserving his military positions. As a result, until 1968, Ye remained active in various military functions, having been made a marshal in 1955. Ye was clever in using his military influence to provide limited support and he was responsible for interfering with assassination attempts on reformers.[citation needed]
Lin Biao died in an aircraft crash in 1971 (theLin Biao incident).[12]: 154 During the subsequentCriticize Lin, Criticize Confucius campaign, many generals who had been supported by Lin were removed and military programs Lin had implemented were canceled.[12]: 154 In 1973, the PLA completed a thorough re-organization.[12]: 154 Thereafter, Ye handled the PLA's operations in consultation withZhou Enlai.[12]: 154 In 1975, Ye was appointedDefense Minister, filling Lin Biao's former post. From 1973, he was also a Vice Chairman of theCentral Committee of the Chinese Communist Party.[citation needed]
Ye led the group of generals and Party elders thatoverthrewJiang Qing and theGang of Four; during initial planning at his residence, he andLi Xiannian communicated by writing, although they sat next to each other, because of the possibility ofbugging. On 6 October 1976, Ye ordered the arrest of the Gang of Four andMao Yuanxin.[12]: 155
Thanks to Ye's support of ChairmanHua Guofeng, he was confirmed asparty vice-chairman at the EleventhNational Congress of the Chinese Communist Party in 1977. Because the physical demands of Defense Minister were too great for the octogenarian Ye, he resigned from that position in 1978 and was appointedChairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, filling a post left unoccupied sinceZhu De's death in 1976. As such, Ye was China's ceremonialHead of State.[citation needed]
Consistent with Deng'sone country, two systems approach, Ye elaborated onChinese unification through his 30 September 1981 "Nine Points Proposal" in which Taiwan would retain a high degree of autonomy following unification.[13]: 228 The Nine Points Proposal also talked of trade, transportation, and postal services as "three links" across the strait and "four exchanges" in the areas of culture, academics, economics, and sports.[13]: 228
Ye retired from the Chair of the NPC Standing Committee in 1983 and in 1985 he withdrew completely from the Politburo Standing Committee. He died a little over a year later at the age of 89 on October 22, 1986.[14]
Ye married six times and had six children. His sons includeYe Xuanping (1924–2019),Ye Xuanning (1938–2016), and Ye Xuanlian (叶选廉, born 1952). Ye's granddaughter Robynn Yip (born 1986), daughter of Xuanlian, is a professional musician based inHong Kong.[citation needed]
People's Republic of China
Order of August 1 (1st Class Medal) (1955)
Order of Independence and Freedom (1st Class Medal) (1955)
Order of Liberation (1st Class Medal) (1955)| Government offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Mayor of Beijing 1949 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded byas chairman of theROC Guangdong Provincial Government | Governor of Guangdong 1949–1953 | Succeeded by |
| Vacant Title last held by MarshalLin Biao | Minister of National Defense 1975–1978 | Succeeded by MarshalXu Xiangqian |
| Assembly seats | ||
| Preceded byas Acting Chairwoman | Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress 1978–1983 | Succeeded by |
| Head of State of thePeople's Republic of China (as Chairman of the NPC Standing Committee) 1978–1983 | Succeeded byasPresident of the People's Republic of China | |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Secretary of the CPC Guangdong Committee 1949–1955 | Succeeded by |
| Vacant Title last held by Lin Biao | Vice Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party 1973–1982 Served alongside:Zhou Enlai,Hua Guofeng,Deng Xiaoping,Wang Dongxing,Li Desheng,Kang Sheng,Wang Hongwen,Chen Yun,Zhao Ziyang | Post abolished |
| Military offices | ||
| New title | Commander of thePLA Guangdong Military District 1949–1951 | Succeeded by |
| Political Commissar of the PLA Guangdong Military District 1949–1950 | Succeeded by | |
TenMarshals of the People's Republic of China | |||
|---|---|---|---|
.svg){kind=icon} | | ||
.jpg){kind=icon}
.jpg){kind=icon}
.jpg)
