The predecessor of the People's Liberation Army
(PLA), the Red Army, came into being with the Nanchang Uprising on 1
August 1927. On the basis of Mao Zedong's theory of 'people's war',
this revolutionary army was to have both a political and social role.
These roles consisted of doing propaganda among the masses, organizing
the masses, arming the masses, helping them to establish revolutionary
political power and setting up Party organizations. While doing this,
the Party at all times was to maintain control over the army.
The fact that most Chinese political leaders (Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping,
Zhu De, Ye Jianying,
Lin Biao, and many others)
had military carreers while at the same time serving in the civilian power structure reflects this dual role of the PLA. The
participation of the political elite in military affairs also meant
that there was little emphasis on formal training of officers. In the
PLA, being 'red' was always considered better than being 'expert'. The
political character of the PLA also contributed to the formation of a
mystique of the army as a disciplined, politically conscious force that
was closely engaged with the task of rebuilding the nation.
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Traditionally, the military had a very low social
status in China, aside from a folklore built around romantic soldiers
and military heroes of virtue. "Good iron is not made into nails, a
good man does not become a soldier", as the popular saying goes. This
image changed dramatically during the revolutionary war period; joining
the PLA became an aspiration for many young people who felt repressed, in particular for
those of worker or peasant background, and women.
Aside from patriotic motives, joining the PLA almost
automatically led to acceptance by the Party, and this in turn opened
various career prospects. The army enabled young people to acquire
skills that were useful in civilian life; demobilized soldiers were
honored in their villages and, very importantly, had built up good relations that gave them easier access to the
local bureaucracy. Many became cadres themselves, thereby providing
status for their families. Others played a major role in national
politics, in particular after 1969, when the PLA was called in to
restore order after the Cultural Revolution had resulted in total chaos.
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As a fighting force, the PLA has often been able to
accomplish astonishing military feats in the face of adversity. Despite
often inadquate armaments, the Army succeeded in defeating superior
Nationalist forces during the civil war of 1946-1949, paving the way
for the founding of the PRC. Although undereducated and underbudgeted,
the PLA applied guerrilla tactics, emphasizing flexibility and a close
integration with the people. Constant ideological training prepared the
soldiers for hardship and sacrifice for the revolutionary cause.
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s.r.landsberger@let.leidenuniv.nl
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International Institute of Social History