Lin Biao (1907-1971) was the youngest of the Chinese Communist Party’s top military leaders. He led the Red Army in several decisive defeats over Chiang Kai-shek’s Nationalist forces, earning himself a spot at the top of the post-war power structure. Lin came to fore in the mid 1960s, when he supported Mao’s plan to launch… Read more »
Zhou Enlai (1898-1976), was Mao’s longest serving companion at the top of the Chinese Communist Party. Born in Jiangsu province and raised in Tianjin, Zhou also spent a significant amount of time abroad in Japan and France, where he met Deng Xiaoping. While Zhou outranked Mao at times in the early days of the party, he… Read more »
After the catastrophic failure of the Great Leap Forward, Mao is forced briefly to the sidelines and more moderate voices–Deng Xiaoping, Zhou Enlai and Liu Shaoqi– take over. While not directly involved in day-to-day party affairs, Mao’s influence remained. He found a new ally, a fellow Hunanese General, Lin Biao, who became his sidekick for… Read more »