Li Zhimin
李志民
Li Zhimin
Political Commissar for the Military Region of Fuzhou
In office
1972–1977
Preceded byZhou Chiping [zh]
Succeeded byJiang Weiqing
Personal details
Born(1906-07-09)9 July 1906
Liuyang, Hunan, Qing China
DiedNovember 16, 1987(1987-11-16) (aged 81)
Beijing, People's Republic of China
Political partyChinese Communist Party
Alma materChinese Military and Politics University
Military service
Allegiance People's Republic of China
Branch/service People's Liberation Army Ground Force
Years of service1928–1987
Rank General
Battles/warsLong March, Sino-Japanese War, Chinese Civil War, Korean War
Awards Order of Bayi (First Class Medal)
Order of Independence and Freedom (First Class Medal)
Order of Liberation (China) (First Class Medal)
Chinese name
Chinese李志民
Li Fengrui
Simplified Chinese李凤瑞
Traditional Chinese李鳳瑞
Li Mingjie
Simplified Chinese李明阶
Traditional Chinese李明階

Li Zhimin (Chinese: 李志民 or 李凤瑞 or 李明阶; pinyin: Lǐ Zhìmín or Lǐ Fèngruì or Lǐ Míngjiē; July 9, 1906 – November 16, 1987) was a general of the People's Liberation Army from Liuyang, Hunan. Li was the former political commissar and director for the Political Department of the Chinese People's Volunteers.

Li joined the Chinese Communist Party in 1927 and the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army in 1928. He held various positions as Red Fifth Army party Secretary General and Second Division Security Bureau Chief prior to the Long March. Upon reaching Shanbei, he served as the director of the Central Military Commission for the eighty-first division. During the Second Sino-Japanese War, Li was the Hebei military region's Political Department deputy political commissar. After the establishment of the People's Republic of China, Li was the director for the Political Department of the Chinese People's Volunteers, Political Commissar for the Fuzhou military region and various other posts.

Biography

Early life

He received private education when he was 9 and in 1924, went back to his hometown in Hunan to become a teacher. Li joined the Kuomintang in 1926, and was an elected member of the Gaoping District Division. In April 1927, Li decided to join the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

In March 1928, Li was involved in the formation of guerrilla units and carrying out armed struggles.[1] In the same year in December, he participated in the invasion of Changsha under the post of the Red Fifth Army General Secretary. As the Political Commissar for the Red Fifth Army, he took part in the invasion of Changsha. In the spring of 1932, as the director for the Political Department of the Second Division he took part in the Battle of Ganzhou.[2] This was an attempt to cover the main force of the CCP breaking out of the Fifth Encirclement Campaign against Jiangxi Soviet.

In October 1934, Li participated in the Long March. During the conflict in Fushan, Li was credited with the recruitment of 600-700 men and stockpiling of grain and cloth.[3] During spring 1937, Li enrolled into the Chinese Military and Politics University of the Anti-Japanese invasion.

Sino-Japanese War and the Chinese Civil War

During the Sino-Japanese War, he had posts on both the front and support lines of the communist forces. In 1944 he served as the deputy political commissar of the Military and Political Department.[4]

In December 1946, Li was the political commissar for the second column of the Jinchaji Field Army,[5] spearing heading many assaults in this area. During the Pingjin Campaign, he fought in Zhangjiakou and other regions. Li participated in the Battle of Taiyuan in 1949 as the director of the Political Department of the People's Liberation Army 20th Corps.[6] Following the Battle of Taiyuan, Li replaced Luo Ruiqing as the political commissar of the 19th Corps and led his troops to engage in the Battle of Lanzhou and Battle of Ningxia.[7]

After the Formation of the PRC

Li Zhimin as the "general chorus" conductor during the performances in the People's Great Hall in 1959

In late 1949, Li Zhimin served as political commissar of the Military District of Shaanxi.[8] During the Korean War, he was appointed as the 19th People's Volunteer Army political commissar.

After his return to China in 1957, Li was appointed as the Political Commissar of the Military Academy. Despite being persecuted during the Cultural Revolution, Li assumed role of political commissar for the Fuzhou Military Region in 1972.[9]

Li Zhimin was an alternate member of the 8th CCP Central Committee, member of the 10th and 11th Central Committee, representative at the 1st and 4th National People's Congress. He was elected to the CCP's Central Advisory Committee in 1982. On November 11, 1987, Li died in Beijing.[10]

References

  1. ^ Tang Bofan (唐伯藩) (1993). 群星灿烂 [The Stars are Shining]. Beijing: Military Science Press. p. 11.
  2. ^ Yang Dezhi, ed. (1993). 中国工农红军第一方面军史 [History of the First Front Army of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army]. Beijing: PLA Publishing House. p. 298. ISBN 978-7-5065-5396-4.
  3. ^ Ouyang Qing (欧阳青) (2011). 大授衔：1955共和国将帅授衔档案 [Grand Titles: General Titles Archives of the Republic of 1955] (in Chinese). Beijing: Great Wall Publishing House. pp. 391–393. ISBN 978-7-5483-0058-8.
  4. ^ Writing Group (2010). 中国人民解放军军史 [History of the People's Liberation Army] (in Chinese). Vol. 2. Beijing: Military Science Press. p. 298. ISBN 978-7-80237-381-5.
  5. ^ Gao Cuilian (高翠莲), ed. (1998). 戎马双星 [Twin Stars of the People's Liberation Army] (in Chinese). Beijing: Central Party Literature Press. p. 442. ISBN 7507304671.
  6. ^ Shanxi Provincial Institute of History and Records, ed. (1997). 山西通志 军事志 [Military Annals of Shanxi Annals] (in Chinese). Taiyuan, Shanxi: Zhonghua Book Company. pp. 88–90. ISBN 9787101016444.
  7. ^ Office of Lanzhou Army Party History Information Collection Committee, ed. (1983). 兰州战役 [Lanzhou Campaign] (in Chinese). Lanzhou, Gansu: Gansu People's Publishing House. p. 1.
  8. ^ Zhang Mingjin (张明金); Liu Liqin (刘立勤) (2010). 中国人民解放军历史上的200个军区 [200 Military Districts in the History of the People's Liberation Army] (in Chinese). Beijing: PLA Literature and Art Publishing House. p. 512. ISBN 978-7-5033-2252-5.
  9. ^ Writing Group (2011). 中国人民解放军军史 [History of the People's Liberation Army] (in Chinese). Vol. 6. Beijing: Military Science Press. p. 246. ISBN 978-7-80237-427-0.
  10. ^ Editorial Department, ed. (2007). 中国人民解放军将帅名录 [List of People's Liberation Army Generals] (in Chinese). Beijing: PLA Publishing House. p. 81. ISBN 978-7-5065-5031-4.
Military offices Preceded byZhou Chiping [zh] Political Commissar for the Military Region of Fuzhou 1972–1977 Succeeded byJiang Weiqing
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