He Changgong

He Changgong
何长工
Vice Chairperson of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference
In office
September 1980 – June 1983
Personal details
Born何坤
(1901-01-27)27 January 1901
Huarong, Hunan, Qing China
Died29 December 1987(1987-12-29) (aged 86)
Beijing, China
PartyChinese Communist Party (1922–1987)
Spouse(s)Yin Qingping
Meng Shuya
Children4
EducationAnti-Japanese Military and Political University
Military service
Allegiance China
Branch/serviceChinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army
Eighth Route Army
People's Liberation Army
Years of service
1927–1949
1975-1980
Chinese name
Simplified Chinese何长工
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinHé Chánggōng

He Changgong (Chinese: 何长工; January 27, 1901 – December 29, 1987) was a Chinese male politician, who served as the vice chairperson of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. He joined the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in France in 1922, took part in the Autumn Harvest Uprising and the Long March. In 1980, he was elected a vice chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

He commanded the Red 8th Army and the Guangdong–Jiangxi Military Region, and served as political commissar of the Red 9th Army Group. During the Second Sino-Japanese War, he was vice-president of the Counter-Japanese Military and Political University, and after the war he founded military schools and armaments industries in Manchuria. After 1949, he was acting Minister of Heavy Industry and then vice minister and party secretary of the Ministry of Geology. He was persecuted during the Cultural Revolution and later returned to senior military education posts.

Early life

He was born He Kun on 27 January 1901 in Dashan village in Huarong County, Hunan.: 1  In 1918, after finishing middle school, he went to Changxindian near Beijing to work and study.: 14  He took part in the May Fourth Movement in 1919 and went to France at the end of that year as part of the work-study movement.: 1–82  He joined the CCP in France in 1922 and went to work in Belgium the following year.: 1–82 

In 1924, He returned to Changsha, where he met Mao Zedong, then secretary of the CCP's Xiang District Committee, and on Mao's advice he went back to Huarong to establish a party organisation there.: 1–82  He later served as principal of the county's Xinhua Middle School, commander-in-chief of the county peasant self-defence army, and a member of the standing committee and head of the military department of the CCP's Nanhua Prefectural Committee.: 1–82  After the Mari Incident in Changsha on 21 May 1927, he was declared a wanted man and fled to Wuhan, where, on Mao's suggestion, he changed his name to He Changgong.: 131  He then joined the guard regiment of the headquarters of the National Revolutionary Army's 2nd Front Army as a company party representative.: 1–82 

Red Army career

Jinggangshan

In September 1927, He took part in the Autumn Harvest Uprising led by Mao Zedong.: 1–82  Mao then sent him to Shaoguan to find the forces of Zhu De.: 139  Mao also sent him to negotiate with Wang Zuo and Yuan Wencai, leaders of local armed groups in the Jinggang Mountains, and He succeeded in bringing the Red Army into the mountains and later took charge of reorganising Wang's and Yuan's forces.: 171–177  In April 1928, after Zhu De's forces joined Mao's at Jinggangshan to form the Red 4th Army, He became party representative of its 32nd Regiment.: 17 

In January 1929, when the Red 4th Army marched into southern Jiangxi, He stayed behind with the Red Guards to wage guerrilla warfare on Jinggangshan.: 1–82  After Peng Dehuai's forces returned to the area, He became party representative of the 5th Column of the Red 5th Army and helped to establish the southeastern Hubei base area.: 1–82 

Commander and commissar

In 1930, He attended the National Conference of Soviet Areas and the Conference of Red Army Representatives in Shanghai.: 50  In May that year, he was promoted to commander of the Red 8th Army, joined the front committee of the Red 1st Front Army and took part in the attack on Changsha.: 50  In March 1932, he became political commissar of the 13th Army of the Red 5th Army Group and was responsible for reorganising the troops of the Ningdu uprising.: 1–82  He then led his forces east and took part in the Zhangzhou campaign.: 1–82  In October 1933, he became president and political commissar of the Red Army University.: 1–82  In January 1934, he was elected to the Central Executive Committee of the Chinese Soviet Republic. In February 1934, he became commander and political commissar of the Guangdong–Jiangxi Military Region and took part in resisting the fifth encirclement campaign.: 1–82 

Long March

In September 1934, on the eve of the Long March, He and Pan Hannian acted as secret envoys in negotiations with the Guangdong warlord Chen Jitang, reaching a non-aggression agreement that reduced the Red Army's losses.: 316  After the Zunyi Conference, he became political commissar of the Red 9th Army Group.: 413–415  On 27 March 1935, he and Luo Binghui were ordered to lead the 9th Army Group away from the main force in a diversionary manoeuvre to draw off pursuing troops.: 413–415  After achieving its aim, the army group operated independently for 52 days in the border areas of Guizhou, Sichuan and Yunnan, covering more than 1,000 km (620 mi), before rejoining the main force near Xichang.: 413–415 

When the Red Army split in September 1935, He went south with the Fourth Front Army.: 526  After Zhang Guotao set up a rival party centre, He joined in attacks on Mao and was named an alternate member of the Politburo and head of the Organisation Department by Zhang.: 526  He later served as chairman of the Gansu Provincial Soviet Government.: 1–82  In January 1937, he enrolled at the Counter-Japanese Military and Political University.: 1–82 

Second Sino-Japanese War and second-half of the Chinese Civil War

After the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War, He served as commander and political commissar of the Yanchang–Yanchuan river defence.: 1–82  In 1939, he became president of the 1st Branch of the Counter-Japanese Military and Political University and led 3,000 people east across the Yellow River to establish the school behind enemy lines in south-eastern Shanxi.: 109  He was later transferred to the university's headquarters as director of education.: 1–82  In 1943, he returned to northern Shaanxi as vice-president of the university, where he focused on training military cadres and took part in the rectification campaign and the Great Production Movement.: 1–82  In July 1944, when the university's president, Xu Xiangqian, fell seriously ill, He took charge of its headquarters.: 681–688 

In October 1945, He led the university's headquarters to the northeast, where he founded the Northeast Military and Political University and four branch schools and served as its acting president.: 225  Soon afterwards, he was also made commander of the Tonghua Military District.: 225  He also founded aviation, engineering, tank and medical schools.: 1–82  From 1947, he headed the military industry department of the Northeast Military Region, and he was sent to Manzhouli to take over Japanese equipment, establish an armaments industry and organise weapons research and production.: 447 

People's Republic of China

After the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, He became vice minister and then acting minister of the Ministry of Heavy Industry of the Central People's Government.: 1–82 : 3  In July 1951, he also became head of its Aviation Industry Bureau.: 3  From 1952, he served for many years as vice minister and secretary of the party group of the Ministry of Geology.: 1–82  He emphasised the production of geological exploration equipment and instruments, and in 1954 the ministry completed the Zhangjiakou Exploration Machinery Plant.: 1–82  The ministry later established five exploration machinery plants in Hengyang, Shanghai, Beijing, Tianjin and Chongqing, three geological instrument factories in Beijing, Shanghai and Chongqing, and the Wuxi Drilling Tools Factory.: 1–82  In 1956, he oversaw the founding of the Chengdu College of Geology, now Chengdu University of Technology.: 1–82  He was persecuted during the Cultural Revolution.: 1–82 

After returning to work in 1975, He became vice-president of the PLA Military and Political University.: 1–82  In December 1977, he became vice-president of the PLA Military Academy.: 1–82  In September 1980, he was elected a vice chairman of the 5th National Committee of the CPPCC.: 1–82  In September 1982, he was elected to the standing committee of the Central Advisory Commission.: 1–82  He died in Beijing on 29 December 1987.: 1–82 

Personal life

He's son, He Guangye, became president of the Asia Pacific Tourism Association. His grandson He Gang is a film investor. Another grandson, Wang Long, is a film director.

References

  1. ↑ 何虎生, 李耀东, 向常福主编 (2003). 中华人民共和国职官志. 北京: 中国社会出版社. ISBN 9787800883934.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. ↑ 历届全国政协委员人名辞典. 北京: 中国国际广播出版社. 1996. ISBN 9787507813746.
  3. 1 2 He, Changgong (1987). He Changgong huiyilu 何长工回忆录 [Memoirs of He Changgong] (in Chinese). Beijing: Jiefangjun chubanshe. ISBN 7-5065-0049-3.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 Chinese Society for the Study of Figures in CCP History (2000). Zhonggong dangshi renwu zhuan, di 66 juan 中共党史人物传 第66卷 [Biographies of Figures in CCP History, Vol. 66] (in Chinese). Beijing: Zhongyang wenxian chubanshe. ISBN 7-5073-0450-7.
  5. ↑ Zhang, Yingzhen; Zhang, Zhuangnian (2005). Zhongguo renming de gushi 中国人名的故事 [Stories Behind Chinese Names] (in Chinese). Jinan: Shandong huabao chubanshe. ISBN 7-80713-175-6.
  6. ↑ Party Literature Research Office of the CCP Central Committee (2006). Zhu De zhuan 朱德传 [Biography of Zhu De] (in Chinese) (Revised ed.). Beijing: Zhongyang wenxian chubanshe. ISBN 978-7-5073-2143-2.
  7. ↑ Writing Group of the Biography of He Changgong (2000). He Changgong zhuan 何长工传 [Biography of He Changgong] (in Chinese). Beijing: Zhongyang wenxian chubanshe. ISBN 7-5073-0928-2.
  8. ↑ Editorial Committee of the Biographies of Senior Generals of the PLA and the Chinese Society for the Study of Figures in CCP History (2013). Zhongguo Renmin Jiefangjun gaoji jiangling zhuan 中国人民解放军高级将领传 [Biographies of Senior Generals of the Chinese People's Liberation Army] (in Chinese). Vol. 24. Beijing: Jiefangjun chubanshe. ISBN 978-7-5065-6608-7.
  9. 1 2 "Huoba zhaoyao guo de hongse xiaozhen" 火把照耀过的红色小镇 [A red town once lit by torches] (PDF). People's Daily (in Chinese). 2016-03-23. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-09-04.
  10. 1 2 Writing Group of the Military History of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (2010). Zhongguo Renmin Jiefangjun junshi: di yi juan 中国人民解放军军史：第一卷 [Military History of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, Vol. 1] (in Chinese). Beijing: Junshi kexue chubanshe. ISBN 978-7-80237-381-5.
  11. ↑ "Zhonghua Suweiai Gongheguo zhongyang zhixing weiyuanhui bugao" 中华苏维埃共和国中央执行委员会布告 [Proclamation of the Central Executive Committee of the Chinese Soviet Republic]. rjjng.com.cn (in Chinese). 1934-02-03. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-09-24.
  12. ↑ Ye, Yonglie (2014). Lishi xuanzele Mao Zedong 历史选择了毛泽东 [History Chose Mao Zedong] (in Chinese). Sichuan renmin chubanshe and Huaxia chubanshe. ISBN 978-7-220-09205-3.
  13. 1 2 3 Editorial Committee of the Biographies of Senior Generals of the PLA and the Chinese Society for the Study of Figures in CCP History (2007). Zhongguo Renmin Jiefangjun gaoji jiangling zhuan 中国人民解放军高级将领传 [Biographies of Senior Generals of the Chinese People's Liberation Army] (in Chinese). Vol. 5. Beijing: Jiefangjun chubanshe. ISBN 7-5065-5281-7.
  14. 1 2 Wang, Shuzeng (2006). Changzheng 长征 [The Long March] (in Chinese). Beijing: Renmin wenxue chubanshe. ISBN 978-7-02-005798-6.
  15. ↑ Feng, Shengping (2014-05-04). "'Caodi midian': cha wu shiju, shi chu you yin" “草地密电”：查无实据，事出有因 [The 'grassland secret telegram': No proof, but not without cause]. Consensus Net (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 2015-09-25. Retrieved 2015-09-24.
  16. ↑ Writing Group of the Military History of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (2010). Zhongguo Renmin Jiefangjun junshi: di er juan 中国人民解放军军史：第二卷 [Military History of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, Vol. 2] (in Chinese). Beijing: Junshi kexue chubanshe. ISBN 978-7-80237-381-5.
  17. ↑ Xu, Xiangqian (1987). Lishi de huigu 历史的回顾 [Looking Back on History] (in Chinese). Beijing: Jiefangjun chubanshe. ISBN 7-5065-0126-0.
  18. 1 2 Office of the Liaoning Provincial Local Chronicles Compilation Committee, ed. (1999). Liaoning sheng zhi: junshi zhi 辽宁省志 军事志 [Liaoning Provincial Gazetteer: Military Affairs] (in Chinese). Shenyang: Liaoning kexue jishu chubanshe. ISBN 7-5381-3086-1.
  19. ↑ Liu, Tong (2007). Zhongguo geming zhanzheng jishi: Jiefang zhanzheng, Dongbei juan 中国革命战争纪实·解放战争·东北卷 [A Record of China's Revolutionary Wars: The War of Liberation, Northeast Volume] (in Chinese). Beijing: Renmin chubanshe. ISBN 978-7-01-004261-9.
  20. 1 2 Office for the Compilation of the History of China's Aviation Industry (2011). Zhongguo hangkong gongye renwu zhuan: lingdao pian 1 中国航空工业人物传 领导篇 1 [Biographies of Figures in China's Aviation Industry: Leaders, Vol. 1] (in Chinese). Beijing: Hangkong gongye chubanshe. ISBN 978-7-80243-723-4.
  21. ↑ He, Husheng; Li, Yaodong; Xiang, Changfu, eds. (2003). Zhonghua Renmin Gongheguo zhiguan zhi 中华人民共和国职官志 [Records of Officials of the People's Republic of China] (in Chinese). Beijing: Zhongguo shehui chubanshe. ISBN 978-7-80088-393-4.
  22. ↑ Lijie quanguo zhengxie weiyuan renming cidian 历届全国政协委员人名辞典 [Dictionary of Members of Successive National Committees of the CPPCC] (in Chinese). Beijing: Zhongguo guoji guangbo chubanshe. 1996. ISBN 978-7-5078-1374-6.
  23. ↑ "Rang Changzheng jingshen yong zhao houren: fang He Changgong zhi zi He Guangye" 让长征精神永照后人 ——访何长工之子何光晔 [Let the spirit of the Long March shine on future generations: An interview with He Changgong's son He Guangye]. China Ganzhou Net (in Chinese). 2014-10-19. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-11-22.
  24. ↑ "Tou pai xinpian 'Gongfu xia', Jinu Liweisi Zhongguo dang laoban" 投拍新片《功夫侠》 基努－李维斯中国当老板 [Investing in the new film Kung Fu Man, Keanu Reeves becomes a boss in China]. CCTV (in Chinese). 2009-10-15. Archived from the original on 2020-01-20. Retrieved 2020-01-19.
  25. ↑ "He Changgong waisun kending Li Yifeng yanji: yi ge yuanqi de shaonian" 何长工外孙肯定李易峰演技：一个元气的少年 [He Changgong's grandson praises Li Yifeng's acting: A spirited young man]. ifeng.com (in Chinese). 2017-08-01. Archived from the original on 2020-04-24. Retrieved 2020-01-17.