The One-Eyed Dragon: How a legendary Chinese marshal survived Mao’s lethal political purges

History · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Liu Bocheng, a founding marshal of the People's Liberation Army, was a brilliant military strategist who mastered Western tactics in the Soviet Union. Despite his battlefield genius and pivotal role in the Chinese Revolution, he spent his later years in semi-seclusion, carefully navigating the deep-seated distrust of Chairman Mao Zedong.

Born in 1892, Liu Bocheng rose from peasant origins to become one of China's most formidable military minds. His reputation for grit was cemented in 1916 during the Fengdu campaign, where he suffered a severe head wound. Refusing anesthesia during a surgery to remove his damaged right eye, he reportedly counted 72 surgical cuts, earning him the nickname 'Chinese Mars' from his surgeon. This legendary perseverance defined his career, which spanned the early revolutionary uprisings, the Long March, and the decisive campaigns of the Chinese Civil War.

Liu’s military philosophy often clashed with the guerrilla-centric approach of Mao Zedong. Having studied at the M. V. Frunze Military Academy in Moscow, Liu championed conventional, Western-style tactics. This intellectual independence, combined with his high-level military authority, made him a target for Mao’s suspicion. While Liu was instrumental in the 1947 gamble to push into the Dabie Mountains—a move that effectively threatened the Nationalist government—he remained acutely aware of the historical precedent where successful generals were purged by the emperors they served. He famously sought to distance himself from politics, eventually requesting to lead the PLA Military Academy to avoid the fatal power struggles that claimed comrades like Peng Dehuai.

Despite his efforts to remain apolitical, Liu was frequently targeted during anti-dogmatism campaigns, particularly after Mao sought to purge foreign influences in the late 1950s. Forced to issue multiple self-criticisms and suffering from worsening health that eventually left him completely blind, Liu lived in relative isolation in Beijing until his death in 1986. His survival through the tumultuous Cultural Revolution is often attributed to his deliberate withdrawal from the inner circles of power. It was only after his passing that he was fully rehabilitated, finally recognized as a foundational architect of the modern Chinese military.

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