Yuan Shuai (basketball)

() was a Chinese military rank that corresponds to a marshal in other nations. It was given to distinguished generals during China's dynastic and republican periods. A higher level rank of ''Dayuanshuai'' (), which corresponds to ''generalissimo'' was awarded to Chiang Kai Shek of the Republic of China. It was also proposed for Mao Zedong on the mainland, but he ultimately never accepted it.

Song dynasty

File:Yue_Fei.jpg, Yue Fei

Jin dynasty

File:Púxiān Wànnú.jpg, Puxian Wannu

Republic of China

File:Chiang Kai-shek（蔣中正）.jpg, Chiang Kai-shek
File:Lu Rongting.jpg, Lu Rongting
File:Tang_Jiyao_9.jpg, Tang Jiyao

People's Republic of China

The rank Marshal of the People's Republic of China () was awarded to ten veteran generals of the People's Liberation Army Ground Force in 1955. However, it was abolished in 1965 and was never restored. There are five most important criterion for the rank of Marshal:
# The candidate must have played a leading role in the establishment of one or more Revolutionary base areas
# Been a Corps Commander, equivalent or above in the Chinese Red Army
# Been a Divisional Commander, equivalent or above in the Eighth Route Army or a commander of the New Fourth Army
# A Field Army Commander, Area Army commander or equivalent in the Chinese Communist Revolution
# Been at least a National Defence Commission Deputy Commissioner prior to receiving the rank

In addition, Chairman Mao, upon refusing the rank of Dayuanshuai, decreed that cadres who no longer serve in the PLA should lose eligibility for military ranks. Thus, Deng Xiaoping, Liu Shaoqi and Zhou Enlai declined the rank upon offer. Chen Yi also initially refused the rank in accordance to Mao's decree since he now primarily worked in government rather than the PLA. However, Zhou Enlai insisted he took it, citing that because all of the other nine Marshals came from the Eighth Route Army, if he didn't take the rank, there would be nobody of the Marshal rank to represent the legacy of the New Fourth Army, whilst simultaneously citing Nikolai Bulganin who held the rank of Marshal of the Soviet Union whilst working primarily in government as precedence. Thus, he was given an exception and was awarded the rank. As a result, the recipients of the rank were:

File:Zhu De.jpg, 1. Zhu De
File:General Peng Dehuai.jpg, 2. Peng Dehuai
File:Lin Biao.jpg, 3. Lin Biao
File:Liu Bocheng.jpg, 4. Liu Bocheng
File:He Long.jpg, 5. He Long
File:Chen Yi(communist).jpg, 6. Chen Yi
File:Luo_Ronghuan.jpg, 7. Luo Ronghuan
File:Xu Xiangqian.jpg, 8. Xu Xiangqian
File:Marshal_Nie_Rongzhen.jpg, 9. Nie Rongzhen
File:Ye Jianying.jpg, 10. Ye Jianying

Su Yu was left out but he became the most senior of the ten Da Jiang. Many were surprised at this decision but he did not meet the first and second criterion. Eight of the ten Marshals took part in the Nanchang Uprising in various capacities with Zhou Enlai. Of the other two, Peng Dehuai led the Pingjiang Uprising. The other was Luo Ronghuan, who instead assisted Mao Tse-tung in the Autumn Harvest Uprising. Lin Biao was the youngest and Zhu De was the oldest of the ten Marshals aged 48 and 69 respectively at time of conferment. Luo Ronghuan was the first to die at age 61 in 1963 and Nie Rongzhen was the last to die aged 93 in 1992. Four of the ten Marshals were addressed by their honorific of 老总 (Lao Zong, or "Old Chief") by Chairman Mao himself due to their seniority and long service. These were Zhu De, Peng Dehuai, He Long and Chen Yi. Nie Rongzhen was sometimes also addressed as Lao Zong but not by Chairman Mao personally. One, Lin Biao, was simply addressed as 总 Zong due to his battle honours. He was not addressed as Lao Zong due to his youth and lesser seniority. He was also the only Marshal not to have deceased in Beijing.

See also

* Marshal of the Soviet Union
* Other pronunciations of the Chinese characters 元帥
** '' Gensui'', the Japanese equivalent
** ''Wonsu'', the Korean equivalent
** ''Nguyên soái'', the Vietnamese equivalent
* ''Grand yuanshuai'' (大元帥), a rank higher than ''yuanshuai''
** ''Dayuanshuai'' in Chinese
** ''Dai-gensui'', the Japanese equivalent
** ''Taewonsu'', the Korean equivalent
** '' Đại nguyên soái'', the Vietnamese equivalent

References

External links

*

{{Chinese Civil War

Yuanshuai

Military ranks of the People's Republic of China
Military history of China