Zhu De

Zhu De was a key commander in the Nanchang Uprising, the first major armed revolt by the Communist Party against the Nationalists. Though defeated, it marked the founding of the Red Army.

Zhu De led his surviving forces to Jinggangshan to join Mao Zedong's base. This merger created the Fourth Red Army, with Zhu as commander and Mao as political commissar, forming a long-term partnership.

Zhu De was named Commander-in-Chief of the PLA during the Chinese Civil War. He directed military strategy that led to the defeat of the Nationalists and the establishment of the People's Republic.

Zhu De was criticized and marginalized by Red Guards during the Cultural Revolution. He was accused of being a 'capitalist roader' and stripped of effective power, though he retained his titles.