Chen Geng

Chen Geng
General Chen Geng
Born	February 27, 1903 Xiangxiang, Hunan
Died	March 16, 1961 (1961-03-17) (aged 58) Shanghai
Allegiance	Communist Party of China
Service/branch	People's Liberation Army
Years of service	1927-1961
Rank	Grand General of the People's Liberation Army
Commands held	deputy commander-in-chief of the Eastern China
Battles/wars	Northern Expedition，Long March，Hundred Regiments Offensive，Chinese Civil War, Korean War
Awards	Order of Bayi, Order of Independence and Freedom, Order of Liberation
Other work	Politician, Writer

Chen Geng (Chinese: 陳賡; pinyin: Chén Gēng; February 27, 1903 – March 16, 1961) was a Chinese Communist military leader, one of the ten grand generals of the People's Liberation Army.

Born in Hunan province, Chen was second of 12 siblings. However, because his elder brother died early due to illness, Chen became the eldest son. His grandfather, Chen Yiqiong (陳翼瓊) was an officer in the imperial Chinese army and was rewarded handsomely due to his bravery. After his retirement, Chen Yiqong was able to purchase farmland with his reward money and by the time Chen Geng was born, his family had several hundred mu of land, and became one of the wealthiest local families. Chen's father was Chen Daoliang (陳道良), and his mother was Peng Xuexian (彭學嫻). When he was 13, his father arranged a marriage with a bride who was two years his senior, but Chen refused have an arranged marriage, and left home to join the army. However, military life in a warlord's army was not what Chen had expected, and did not yield any glory like his grandfather's. Instead, military life only gave Chen scabies, and influenced his remaining brother to join the military. This brother later died of an illness while he was serving. The disillusioned Chen left the army at the age of 18 and found a job at Hunan Railway Bureau as a desk clerk, and during this period, he met Mao Zedong, an event that changed his life forever.

Chen joined the Communist Party of China in 1922 and enrolled in the Whampoa Military Academy in 1924. Chen, along with Jiang Xianyun and He Zonghan, were considered the three best students of Whampoa Military Academy at the time. Chen earned Chiang Kai-shek's deep trust and became the commander of Chiang's garrison. In October 1925, during the second campaign against local warlord Chen Jiongming, Chiang's vanguard force, the 3rd Division commanded by Tan Shuqing (譚曙卿), advanced too quickly and became isolated in their advance after taking Huizhou, Chen Jiongming's base, and was ambushed by Chen Jiongming's force commanded by warlord Lin Hu at Huayang. Against the advice of Chen, Chiang insisted on going to the frontline to command, but the situation was impossible: after beheading half a dozen deserters and personally leading the charge with a sabre in hand in an attempt to counterattack, Tan Shuqing proved unable to control his fleeing troops and the force completely collapsed. Chiang was ashamed, but refused to flee, and attempted to commit suicide. Chen succeeded in taking away Chiang's pistol and carried Chiang away from the battlefield by force, and thus saved the life of Chiang Kai-shek, who, in turn, trusted him even more. However, when the Kuomintang broke with the Communists in 1927, Chen began to work as a secret agent for the Communists in Shanghai.