Zhu De

Lore & Background

Zhu De was born into poverty in 1886 in Yilong County, Sichuan, to a poor tenant farmer's family. At age nine, he was adopted by a wealthy uncle, which allowed him to attend Yunnan Military Academy. After graduating, he joined a rebel army and became a warlord. He later joined the Chinese Communist Party in 1922 after being rejected initially for his warlord past, with Zhou Enlai as one of his sponsors. He commanded the Eighth Route Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Chinese Civil War.

Reader's Guide

Zhu De's significance lies in his role as a principal founder of the People's Republic of China and his leadership of the Red Army. His close affiliation with Mao Zedong began in 1928, when their forces merged to form the Fourth Red Army, with Zhu as military commander. He was ranked first among the ten marshals in 1955 and served as chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress from 1959 to 1976. During the Cultural Revolution, he was dismissed from the Politburo Standing Committee in April 1969. His legacy includes his command during the Long March and the Hundred Regiments Offensive, as well as his efforts to protect Peng Dehuai at the Lushan Conference.

Did You Know?

• Zhu De was born into a poor tenant farmer's family and was adopted by a wealthy uncle at age nine.
• He was rejected by the Chinese Communist Party in early 1922 for being a warlord, but joined later that year with Zhou Enlai as a sponsor.
• In 1955, he was ranked first among the ten marshals.
• He served as chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress from 1959 to 1976.