Ye Jianying (simplified Chinese: 叶剑英; traditional Chinese: 葉劍英; Wade-Giles:Yeh Chien-ying; 28 April 1897 – 22 October 1986) was a Chinese Communist revolutionary leader and politician, one of the Ten Marshals of the People's Republic of China. He was the top military leader in the 1976 coup that overthrew the Gang of Four and ended the Cultural Revolution, and was the key supporter of Deng Xiaoping in his power struggle with Hua Guofeng between 1978 and 1981, which ended in Hua fading into political obscurity. In his capacity as Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, Ye served as China's head of state from 1978 until 1983, being succeeded in that capacity by Li Xiannian with the restoration of the post of Chairman of the People's Republic of China by a new constitution.
Ye Yiwei (Chinese: 叶宜伟) was born into a wealthy Christian Hakka merchant family in Jiaying County (present-day Meixian District, Meizhou), Guangdong. His courtesy name was Cangbai (滄白). Several of Ye Jianying's siblings died in childhood from serious illnesses. In January 1912, Ye graduated at the top of his class from Sanbao Academy and was admitted to Wuben Middle School in Meixian. Later that year, Wuben was merged with three other schools and reorganized as a government-run institution. Dissatisfied with the conservative leadership of its new principal, Ye organized and led more than 100 students in withdrawing from the school, after which they transferred to Dongshan Academy in Meicheng.
Shortly afterwards, progressive intellectuals, local gentry, students' parents and patriotic overseas Chinese established Dongshan Middle School at the foot of Dongshan Hill, where Ye continued his education. During his time there, he was exposed to reformist publications advocating social and political change and served two consecutive terms as president of the student union. In the autumn of 1915, he left the school before graduating and taught for six months at Xinqun Primary School in Hengshan, near Yanyangbao. Later that year, he accompanied his father on a trip to Southeast Asia before returning to China in 1916.
In the summer of 1917, Ye enrolled at the Yunnan Military Academy. After graduating in January 1920, he joined Sun Yat-sen's revolutionary movement. Later that year, he participated in Sun's campaign against the Old Guangxi Clique, and in October 1921 accompanied Sun on an inspection tour of Guangxi.
During Chen Jiongming's rebellion in June 1922, Ye, then serving as a battalion commander in the Naval Landing Corps, led his troops in escorting Sun to safety before fighting against Chen's forces. He subsequently served as chief of staff of the 8th Brigade of the Eastern Route Bandit Suppression Army in Fujian before returning to Guangdong to campaign against Chen. His role in the victory at Yanling Pass established his reputation as a capable military officer.
In early 1924, Ye was appointed chief of staff of the Second Division of the Guangdong Army in recognition of his service against Chen Jiongming. At the invitation of Liao Zhongkai, he joined the preparations for the establishment of the Whampoa Military Academy and, on 5 May 1924, became deputy director of its Faculty Department while also teaching weapons science.
While serving at Whampoa, Ye came into contact with numerous members of the Chinese Communist Party and became increasingly influenced by Marxism–Leninism. In July 1924, at the request of division commander Zhang Minda, he returned to active service and led troops that repelled the forces of Lin Hu during their attack on Guangzhou. On Liao's orders, he subsequently established the Second Division's Independent Battalion at Xiangzhou, serving concurrently as its commander while training recruits according to Whampoa's methods. On 15 October, he and Zhang Minda commanded the Second Division during the suppression of the Canton Merchants' Corps Uprising.
In January 1925, Ye participated in the First Eastern Expedition against Chen Jiongming. He was appointed magistrate of Meixian in March before assuming command of the Second Division's Newly Organized Regiment two months later, leading it during the Second Eastern Expedition. Following the capture of Huizhou, he was left in command of the Huizhou–Boluo area to restore public order. In December, Chiang Kai-shek appointed him commander of the Instructor Corps, one of the Kuomintang's principal military formations. When the corps was later reorganized as the 20th Division, Ye became its deputy commander. During this period, Ye submitted his first application to join the Chinese Communist Party. The party assigned Xiong Rui to meet with him, but no decision was reached. Although many members supported his admission, others argued that, as a senior officer in Chiang Kai-shek's forces, he should remain under observation, and his application was left unresolved.
Northern Expedition and Nanchang Uprising
In July 1926, Ye took part in the Northern Expedition, initially serving as chief of staff of the General Reserve Command of the First Army of the National Revolutionary Army. He participated in the Nanchang Campaign, after which Chiang Kai-shek offered him command of the First Division, one of the National Revolutionary Army's elite formations. Reluctant to command one of Chiang's principal units, Ye declined the appointment, citing ill health. Instead, he was appointed acting commander of the Second Division of a newly formed army composed largely of troops incorporated from Sun Chuanfang's defeated forces. After assuming command at Ji'an, he assembled a headquarters staffed by former classmates from the Whampoa Military Academy and recruited a number of young officers and students. Following Chiang's purge of Communists and left-wing Kuomintang members in April 1927, Jiangxi entered a period of White Terror. Martial law was imposed in Ji'an, while trade unions, peasant associations, student organizations and newspapers were suppressed. In response, Ye declared his support for the Wuhan Nationalist Government and convened a meeting of his officers, announcing:
"Those who are willing to carry out the revolution and support the Wuhan Government may remain. Those who support Chiang Kai-shek and wish to go to Nanjing may do so freely."
Ye then drafted and transmitted a telegram openly opposing Chiang. According to later accounts, Chiang initially dismissed reports that Ye had defected before eventually accepting them after repeated confirmation. Ye subsequently led a group of left-wing officers from Ji'an to Wuhan, where he was appointed chief of staff of the Fourth Army. Officers who remained behind later launched the Ji'an Uprising. After learning of the uprising, Chiang expelled Ye from the Kuomintang. In July 1927, through the introduction of Li Shi'an and with the approval of Zhou Enlai, Ye secretly joined the Chinese Communist Party. Shortly before the Nanchang Uprising, Ye learned of a plan by Wang Jingwei to arrest or eliminate Ye Ting (no relation) and He Long. He secretly met the two commanders aboard a small boat on Gantang Lake in Jiujiang, warning them of the danger and urging them to move their forces swiftly to Nanchang. After the uprising was defeated and the insurgent forces retreated, Ye persuaded Zhang Fakui not to pursue them, helping facilitate their withdrawal.
First-half of the Chinese Civil War
In early August 1927, Ye was concurrently appointed commander of the Fourth Army Officers' Training Regiment. Although he reportedly opposed the decision to launch the Guangzhou Uprising, he carried out his assigned responsibilities during the operation. After the uprising was suppressed, he escaped to British Hong Kong together with Ye Ting and Nie Rongzhen. Unlike Ye Ting, who was subsequently removed from his positions and later went into exile, Ye was not held responsible for the uprising's failure. He instead went underground in Hong Kong before travelling to the Soviet Union in the winter of 1928 to study in a special military science programme at the Moscow Sun Yat-sen University.