How a landowner's son became a legendary marshal of the People's Liberation Army

History · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Xu Xiangqian was a rare military strategist who defied conventional wisdom, often defeating numerically superior forces. From surviving brutal political purges to narrowly escaping a malfunctioning missile during a live-fire demonstration, his life was defined by resilience, tactical brilliance, and a complex relationship with the shifting tides of Chinese power.

Born in 1901 to a wealthy scholar-landowner in Shanxi, Xu Xiangqian defied his family to join the Whampoa Military Academy in 1924. His early career saw him navigate the volatile landscape of the Chinese Civil War, where he rose to command the Fourth Red Army. Despite serving under the volatile Zhang Guotao—and suffering the personal loss of his wife during Zhang's purges—Xu demonstrated remarkable battlefield success, notably defeating warlord forces in Sichuan that outnumbered his own troops by nearly four to one.

Xu's survival under Mao Zedong was equally improbable. After refusing to attack rivals during the Long March, he was demoted to deputy commander of the 129th division. However, his ability to build effective base areas and his unconventional tactical preference for engaging equal or superior forces earned him a place among China's ten marshals in 1955. He remains the only Northerner to have received this honor, a testament to his unique standing within the military hierarchy.

His later years were marked by political maneuvering and near-death experiences. During the Cultural Revolution, he navigated the 'February Countercurrent' to protect allies like Deng Xiaoping. In 1978, he narrowly avoided death when a malfunctioning HJ-73 anti-tank missile veered toward his observation platform. As Defense Minister, he pushed for the modernization of the PLA, often using the threat of conflict with the Soviet Union to secure resources. Even in his final years, he remained a significant voice, famously warning against the use of bloodshed during the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests before his death in 1990.

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