204:
540:, Li's promotion coincided with a restructuring of the People's Liberation Army that saw approximately 100,000 female soldiers decommissioned and returned to civilian lives, with the remaining 10,000 referred to as 'female staff members' in official documentation. In addition, no other women were appointed to the rank of general for another 33 years, until
410:
of the
Provincial Soviet Government, Yuan Desheng (killed whilst incarcerated). Li was encouraged to draw a line between her political life and personal life by denouncing Zhang, which she refused to do. It is debated whether their divorce was initiated by fellow party members or Zhang himself to protect Li from the consequences of his fall.
409:
was removed from his position as secretary of the Hunan-Jiangxi Soviet CCP provincial committee for, 'severe rightist leanings.' Zhang Qilong was also removed from all his official posts. Not only did Zhang refuse to acknowledge his 'mistakes', but he also spoke in defence of the disgraced chairman
365:
At the beginning of 1929, Li and her guerilla unit were encircled by KMT forces. They fought until night and, with no more bullets, the five surviving members of the troop retreated until they were hemmed in with no escape other than a cliff behind them. Li gave the order to avoid being taken alive
422:
prepared to abandon the Hunan-Jiangxi base area and it was suggested to Li by one of her superiors that she remain behind, as, 'fighting was so hard for women.' Li objected to the higher administration and was permitted to continue her work. She was first assigned to the Sixth Red Army under
466:, Li was pregnant. Due to the hardships encountered, Li went into labour when only seven months pregnant. Lack of food left Li unable to nurse her child and it soon died. Afterwards, Li was not given time to recuperate, which rendered her unable to have any further children.
366:
and promptly jumped down the cliff. She landed on a tree and, after regaining consciousness, she and one other survivor buried their comrades. Li had been pregnant at the time and she later miscarried. It is popularly believed that this child was Li's with
67:
332:(CCP), acting as a scout. During this time, Li led a group to collect grain and recruit soldiers. She was based in Yonghe, but remained legally married to Gu. Later that year, a clash between the CCP and the
398:). At the same time, Zhang Qilong was posted to the area to oversee the creation of a Hunan-Jiangxi Soviet CCP provincial committee, in the role of vice-chairman of the Provincial Soviet Government.
336:(KMT) resulted in the deaths of several revolutionaries and Li's name being put on a wanted list. As a result, Gu's family severed their ties with Li, sending her mother notification of divorce.
339:
By 1928, Li was a member of the
District Committee and deputy secretary of the Party Branch of the Pingliu Guerillas. She became head of the Liudong Guerilla Unit Soldiers' Committee (
830:
820:
825:
533:. Her husband, Gan Siqi, was promoted to Colonel General alongside her. Li was the first and only female at the time to be raised to the rank of major general.
362:
began in 1928, there were few members of the proletariat willing to join Mao Zedong and Li is credited with rallying members of her troop to join the fighting.
530:
228:
805:
419:
729:
840:
835:
370:, who had been stationed at Liuyang since October 1927. However, documentation suggests that the two only married legally in 1932.
218:
597:
800:
561:
845:
649:
483:
20:
810:
401:
In the summer of 1933, purges in the Hunan-Jiangxi Soviet intensified in a process now referred to by the CCP as the
761:[Introduction to the Chinese Academy of Sciences scholar Ding Henggao and his wife Middle General Nie Li].
66:
298:
815:
428:
391:
383:
348:
340:
302:
270:
522:
487:
278:
640:
Wiles, Sue (2015). "Li Zhen". In Lee, Lily Xiao Hong; Stefanowska, A. D.; Ho, Clara Wing-chung (eds.).
503:
290:
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379:
301:
and had caught fish to supplement their diet. Until the age of 18, Li was referred to as
Danmeizi (
246:
714:
Tu 涂, Xueneng 学能; Lu 卢, Zhenguo 振国 (2012). "Li Zhen: cong tongyanxi dao nu jiangjun 李贞：从童养媳到女将军".
359:
329:
238:
208:
671:
737:
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790:
8:
601:
36:
645:
479:
250:
440:
758:
322:
31:
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forces (Fourth Red Army). Early in the year, Li had married her third husband
784:
672:"Xinzhongguo di yi wei nv jiangjun li zhen de kanke hunyin 新中国第一位女将军李贞的坎坷婚姻"
427:
as the minister of the
Organisation Department of the Political Department (
313:, Gu Tianshun, whose father was a doctor. Li formally married Gu at age 16.
510:
469:
452:
406:
367:
136:
27:
514:
478:, Li served as president of a school for female officers operated by the
526:
518:
499:
463:
333:
310:
254:
242:
424:
402:
642:
Biographical
Dictionary of Chinese Women: The Qing Period 1644-1911
456:
162:
444:
436:
294:
84:
544:
and four other women were promoted to junior generals in 1988.
541:
448:
598:"Li Zhen: cong tongyangxi dao kaiguo jiangjun 李贞：从童养媳到开国将军"
513:
of the People's
Liberation Army. The ceremony was held at
502:, Li was the secretary of the political department of the
405:. In addition to the deaths of many revolutionary cadres,
390:) and political commissar of the Military Medical School (
382:
to serve as director of the
Provincial Women's Committee (
470:
The Second Sino-Japanese War and resumption of civil war
347:), later known as the Liuyang County Party Committee (
311:
sent to live with the family of her intended husband
16:
First female general of the People's
Liberation Army
297:. Her family farmed fields measuring 2 and a half
831:People's Republic of China politicians from Hunan
709:
482:. After Japan's defeat and the resumption of the
443:. In 1935, the Second Red Army retreated through
277:; 1908–1990) was the first female general of the
782:
707:
705:
703:
701:
699:
697:
695:
693:
691:
689:
826:Chinese Communist Party politicians from Hunan
536:Although this was considered a major step for
686:
665:
663:
661:
562:"Li Zhen Is Dead at 83; Chinese Army General"
493:
325:women's organisation using the name Li Zhen.
821:People's Liberation Army generals from Hunan
591:
589:
587:
585:
435:). The Sixth Red Army then amalgamated with
373:
806:Chinese military personnel of World War II
658:
490:Jin-Sui and Northwest military districts.
65:
582:
713:
670:Liao 廖, Chunmei 春梅 (12 December 2013).
554:
177: 1935; died 1964)
783:
669:
639:
635:
633:
631:
629:
627:
625:
623:
621:
619:
219:People's Liberation Army Ground Force
21:Li Zhen (Minister of Public Security)
674:. Zhongguo Gongchangdang Xinwen Wang
595:
289:Li was born the sixth daughter to a
751:
13:
616:
509:On 27 September 1955, Li was made
14:
857:
841:People of the Cultural Revolution
413:
486:, Li served as secretary of the
202:
152:
126:
836:People of the Chinese Civil War
321:In 1926, Danmeizi signed up to
174:
148:
122:
801:Chinese people of World War II
722:
432:
395:
387:
378:In July 1931, Li moved to the
352:
344:
306:
274:
1:
846:Chinese women in World War II
600:. Renmin Wang. Archived from
547:
523:1st Class Order of Liberation
316:
284:
7:
765:(in Chinese). 10 April 2008
56:
10:
862:
494:People's Republic of China
488:People's Liberation Army's
25:
18:
260:
234:
224:
214:
197:
192:
184:
106:
91:
78:
73:
64:
55:
45:
538:gender equality in China
529:granted her the rank of
476:Second Sino-Japanese War
374:The Hunan-Jiangxi Soviet
279:People's Liberation Army
247:Second Sino-Japanese War
19:Not to be confused with
596:Wu 吴, Zhife 志菲 (2003).
504:People's Volunteer Army
360:Autumn Harvest Uprising
330:Chinese Communist Party
328:In 1927, Li joined the
309:). At age six, she was
239:Autumn Harvest Uprising
209:Chinese Communist Party
811:Women in war 1900–1945
716:Dangyuan Ganbu Zhi You
403:Wang Ming Leftist Line
816:Women in war in China
730:"李贞:上将丈夫少将妻 开国第一位女将军"
644:. Oxford: Routledge.
521:presented Li with an
85:Liuyang County, Hunan
418:In August 1934, the
380:Hunan–Jiangxi Soviet
151: 1932;
125: 1924;
759:"中科院院士丁衡高与妻子聂力中将简介"
439:forces to form the
651:978-0-7656-0798-0
484:Chinese Civil War
480:Eighth Route Army
437:General He Long's
264:
263:
251:Chinese Civil War
853:
775:
774:
772:
770:
763:Meili de Shenhua
755:
749:
748:
746:
745:
736:. Archived from
726:
720:
719:
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684:
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679:
667:
656:
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614:
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611:
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434:
397:
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308:
293:family in rural
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207:
206:
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193:Military service
178:
176:
156:
154:
150:
130:
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124:
101:
99:
74:Personal details
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43:
42:
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607:
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583:
573:
571:
570:. 25 March 1990
560:
559:
555:
550:
496:
472:
441:Second Red Army
416:
376:
323:Yonghe district
319:
287:
203:
201:
180:
172:
168:
165:
159:
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155: 1933)
146:
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129: 1928)
120:
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97:
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83:
60:
57:
51:
48:
41:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
859:
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721:
685:
657:
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615:
604:on 8 July 2015
581:
567:New York Times
552:
551:
549:
546:
495:
492:
471:
468:
453:Zhang Guotao's
415:
414:The Long March
412:
375:
372:
318:
315:
286:
283:
262:
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258:
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236:
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215:Branch/service
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102:March 11, 1990
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15:
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797:
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740:on 2015-07-09
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531:Major General
528:
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511:Major General
507:
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229:Major General
227:
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213:
210:
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196:
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187:
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164:
138:
109:
105:
94:
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82:February 1908
81:
77:
72:
68:
63:
54:
47:Major General
44:
39:
38:
33:
29:
22:
767:. Retrieved
762:
753:
742:. Retrieved
738:the original
733:
724:
715:
676:. Retrieved
641:
606:. Retrieved
602:the original
572:. Retrieved
565:
556:
535:
508:
497:
473:
461:
433:红六军团政治部组织部部长
417:
407:Wang Shoudao
400:
377:
368:Zhang Qilong
364:
357:
338:
327:
320:
288:
266:
265:
235:Battles/wars
188:Li Guangtian
137:Zhang Qilong
87:, Qing China
35:
28:Chinese name
796:1990 deaths
791:1908 births
718:(3): 40–41.
678:27 November
608:27 November
574:26 November
515:Zhongnanhai
498:During the
474:During the
462:During the
112:Gu Tianshun
32:family name
785:Categories
744:2012-04-28
548:References
527:Zhou Enlai
519:Mao Zedong
500:Korean War
464:Long March
334:Kuomintang
317:Revolution
285:Early life
255:Korean War
243:Long March
198:Allegiance
98:1990-03-11
425:Ren Bishi
358:When the
107:Spouse(s)
769:31 March
457:Gan Siqi
451:to join
420:Red Army
396:军区医务学校政委
163:Gan Siqi
26:In this
445:Sichuan
429:Chinese
392:Chinese
384:Chinese
349:Chinese
341:Chinese
303:Chinese
295:Liuyang
291:peasant
271:Chinese
267:Li Zhen
179:
171:
167:
157:
145:
141:
131:
119:
115:
50:Li Zhen
648:
542:Nie Li
431::
394::
386::
351::
343::
305::
273::
185:Parent
30:, the
449:Tibet
447:into
388:省妇委主任
345:士兵委员会
173:(
169:
147:(
143:
121:(
117:
771:2017
680:2011
646:ISBN
610:2011
576:2016
525:and
353:浏阳县委
225:Rank
153:div.
127:div.
92:Died
79:Born
734:千龙网
355:).
307:旦妹子
34:is
787::
732:.
688:^
660:^
618:^
584:^
564:.
517:.
506:.
459:.
299:mu
281:.
275:李贞
253:,
249:,
245:,
241:,
175:m.
149:m.
123:m.
58:李贞
37:Li
773:.
747:.
682:.
654:.
612:.
578:.
269:(
100:)
96:(
40:.
23:.
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