Biography of Xu Xianqian

Author: Yu Yongbo
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1992-03-01
Features: Xu Xianqian was an important leader of the Party and the state, and one of the founders of the People's Liberation Army of China. The path he walked throughout his military career is closely linked to the birth, development, and growth of the People's Liberation Army. His outstanding military command art and creation are an important part of the Mao Zedong military thought system. He achieved remarkable military exploits, was highly respected, and was renowned both at home and abroad. Comrade Xu Xianqian devoted his entire life to the revolutionary and construction cause of the Chinese people, and was deeply loved and respected by the entire Party, the entire army, and all ethnic groups in the country. Taking the glorious achievements of historical figures as an example, we learn from their revolutionary spirit of self-sacrifice, patriotism, and firm belief in communism, adding another brilliant chapter to the grand blueprint of the Chinese nation.
Xu Xianqian was an important leader of the Party and the state, and one of the founders of the People's Liberation Army. The path he walked throughout his military career is closely linked to the birth, development, and growth of the People's Liberation Army. His outstanding military command art and creation are an important part of the Mao Zedong military thought system. He achieved remarkable military exploits, was highly respected, and was renowned both at home and abroad. To write a biography of such a marshal, the main authors of our biographical group felt as if we bore a heavy burden. Over the past decade, the writing team has undergone several changes, with many members writing in their spare time. It was as if we were climbing a brilliant yet treacherous mountain path, step by step, exploring forward. Although we initially proposed the guiding principles of "respecting history and being realistic" and "portraying the subject as they truly were," when reviewing historical texts, some records of major events could not fully convince us. To achieve a realistic exploration of history and a deeper understanding of the subject "as a person," we conducted extensive research and learning, during which Comrade Xu Xianqian gave us dozens of interviews. While reviewing historical archives, we followed the footsteps of the subject, visiting the Wutai Mountain area in Shanxi, the Dongjiang area in Guangdong, and many battlefields in the Dabie, Daba, and Qilian Mountains. From Yan'an to the Taihang and Yimeng Mountains, and then to many cities and villages in the North China Plain—every place where the subject had commanded battles or stayed, we made every effort to find. We interviewed over 200 veteran revolutionaries and met thousands of people from the old revolutionary areas. The precious historical documents in the archives provided answers to the truth of certain historical events, while the vivid, firsthand accounts not yet included in the archives made the noble image of Xu Xianqian even more prominent.