Xu Xiangqian

Yuanshuai
Xu Xiangqian
Yuanshuai Xu Xiangqian
徐向前
	Marshal Xu Xianqian (1955)
Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission
	In office; 8 January 1966 – 1 November 1987
Chairman	Mao Zedong; Hua Guofeng; Deng Xiaoping
4th Minister of National Defense
	In office; 26 February 1978 – 6 March 1981
Premier	Hua Guofeng; Zhao Ziyang
Preceded by	Ye Jianying
Succeeded by	Geng Biao
Vice Premier of the People's Republic of China
	In office; March 1978 – September 1980
Premier	Hua Guofeng
Personal details
Born	November 8, 1901; Wutai County, Shanxi, Qing China
Died	September 21, 1990 (aged 88); Beijing, China
Occupation	General; politician; writer;
Nickname(s)	"The cotton-clad marshal" (bù yī yuán shuài, 布衣元帅)
Military service
Allegiance	People's Republic of China
Branch/service	People's Liberation Army Ground Force
Years of service	1924–1987
Rank	Marshal of the People's Republic of China
Commands	Commander, 4th Front Army, Chinese Red Army; Deputy Commander, PLA North China Military Region Field Army Commander and Political Commissar, 1st Corps of the North China Field Army; ; Chief of the General Staff, CPG People's Revolutionary Military Commission; Minister of National Defense, PRC;
Battles/wars	Northern Expedition; Chinese Civil War Long March; ; Sino-Japanese War Hundred Regiments Offensive; ;
Awards	Order of Bayi (First Class Medal); Order of Independence and Freedom (First Class Medal); Order of Liberation (First Class Medal);

Xu Xiangqian (November 8, 1901 – September 21, 1990) was a Marshal of the People's Republic of China (PRC). He was the son of a wealthy landowner, but joined the Kuomintang's (KMT) National Revolutionary Army (NRA), against his parents' wishes, in 1924. When the Chinese Civil War started in 1927, Xu joined the Eyuwan Soviet led by Zhang Guotao; Xu became commander of the Eyuwan-based Fourth Red Army. Zhang and Xu retreated to northern Sichuan after being defeated by a KMT encirclement campaign. Xu politically survived Zhang's defection to the KMT in the late-1930s; he rejoined the Red Army in a less senior position under the leadership of Mao Zedong.

During the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945) Xu served in several military units in Communist-controlled areas across North China, and directed the construction of several bases areas. When the Chinese Civil War resumed, in 1947, Xu was active in North China. Forces under his command were responsible for the capture of the heavily fortified city of Taiyuan in the later stages of the war, in 1949.

Xu was promoted to marshal after the founding of the PRC in 1949. He held numerous political and military positions, and survived the Cultural Revolution despite attempting to moderate some of its more destructive effects. He was an important supporter of Deng Xiaoping and his return to political power in 1976. He continued to serve in a number of political and military positions until he was forced to retire in 1985.