Yuan shuai

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  Puxian Wannu

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  Chiang Kai-shek
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  Lu Rongting
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  Tang Jiyao

The rank Marshal of the People's Republic of China (traditional Chinese: 中華人民共和國元帥; simplified Chinese: 中华人民共和国元帅; pinyin: Zhōnghuá Rénmín Gònghéguó Yuánshuài) was awarded to ten veteran generals of the People's Liberation Army in 1955. However, it was abolished in 1965 and was never restored. There are five most important criterion for the rank of Marshal:

1: The candidate must have played a leading role in the establishment of one or more Revolutionary base areas
2: Been a Corps Commander, equivalent or above in the Chinese Red Army
3: Been a Divisional Commander, equivalent or above in the Eighth Route Army or a commander of the New Fourth Army
4: A Field Army Commander, Area Army commander or equivelant in the War of Liberation
5: Been at least a National Defence Commission deputy Commissioner prior to receiving the rank

Deng Xiaoping, Liu Shaoqi and Zhou Enlai were also offered the rank, but they declined, citing they had entered government work and were no longer deeply involved with military affairs. Chen Yi also initially refused the rank for the same reason but Zhou Enlai insisted he took it, citing that because all of the other nine Marshals came from the Eighth Route Army, if he didn't take the rank, there would be nobody of the Marshal rank to represent the legacy of the New Fourth Army, whilst simultaneously citing Nikolai Bulganin who held the rank of Marshal of the Soviet Union whilst working primarily in government. Thus, the recipients of the rank were:

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  1. Zhu De
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  2. Peng Dehuai
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  3. Lin Biao
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  4. Liu Bocheng
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  5. He Long
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  6. Chen Yi
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  7. Luo Ronghuan
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  8. Xu Xiangqian
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  9. Nie Rongzhen
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  10. Ye Jianying

Su Yu was left out but he became the most senior of the ten Da Jiang. Many were surprised at this decision but he did not meet the first and second criterion. Eight of the ten Marshals took part in the Nanchang Uprising in various capacities with Zhou Enlai. Of the other two, Peng Dehuai, led the Pingjiang Uprising. The other was Luo Ronghuan, who instead assisted Mao Tse-tung in the Autumn Harvest Uprising. Lin Biao was the youngest and Zhu De was the oldest of the ten Marshals aged 48 and 69 respectively at time of conferment. Luo Ronghuan was the first to die at age 61 in 1963 and Nie Rongzhen was the last to die aged 93 in 1992. Four of the ten Marshals were addressed by their honorific of 老总 Lao Zong, or Old Chief due to their seniority and long service. These were Zhu De, Peng Dehuai, He Long and Chen Yi. One, Lin Biao, was simply addressed as 总 Zong due to his battle honours. He was not addressed as Lao Zong due to his youth and lesser seniority.

• Other pronunciations of the characters 元帥
  • Gensui, the Japanese equivalent
  • Wonsu, the Korean equivalent
  • Nguyên soái, the Vietnamese equivalent
• Grand yuan shuai (大元帥), a rank higher than yuan shuai
  • Da yuan shuai in Chinese
  • Dai-gensui, the Japanese equivalent
  • Taewonsu, the Korean equivalent
  • Đại nguyên soái, the Vietnamese equivalent

• PLA Figures at PLA Daily at the Wayback Machine (archived February 6, 2012)