Mao uses Gao Gang to check Liu Shaoqi as the ideological struggle within the Party becomes public
At the end of 1952, the Central Committee proposed the establishment of the State Planning Commission and appointed Gao Gang as its chairman. Comrade Chen Yun personally went to Shenyang to announce the appointment to Gao Gang. Gao Gang said to Chen Yun: you have experience in economic work, qualifications are also old, or you to be the head, I will be your assistant. Chen Yun said: this is the central government, you have done a good job in the northeast these years, industry up, the policy, the line are well implemented, Mao Zedong trust you, said you can manage 20 years. You do not push and delay. If you have something to discuss with me.
In presiding over the restructuring and development of the national economy, Gao Gang inevitably became involved in the long-standing and increasingly intense ideological struggle within the core of the Party. This was partly due to Gao Gang’s own ideology, but more importantly, these ideas came to him mainly from Mao’s conversations with him and his historical admiration for Mao. These talks are easy to reach a consensus for a person who has been engaged in local work for a long Time and has a simple mind and lacks experience in political struggle. Mao’s conversations with Gao Gang reflected Mao’s dissatisfaction with some leading comrades in the Central Committee and his anxiety over the emergence of two voices in the Party as some comrades did not make efforts to implement the political line of the Central Committee.
In fact, as early as 1948 when Gao Gang was recalled to Xibaipo by the Central Committee to report on the work of the Northeast Bureau, Gao Gang had a vague feeling that there were different opinions within the Central Committee about the line. Gao Gang first heard from Mao about Mao Zedong’s opinion of Liu Shaoqi, the chairman thought: Liu Shaoqi is not very stable, proposed a new stage of peace and democracy; in charge of the Central Working Committee when leading the land reform has a “left” tendency; lack of experience in building base areas, and did not work on the army, etc.. These views were raised by Mao Zedong when Gao Gang reported to the President on the situation in the Northeast. Gao Gang thought these were the affirmation of Mao Zedong and the Party Central Committee on the work of the Northeast Bureau for three years, and Gao Gang was very happy to have made it clear. Later, in restoring the economic construction of the Northeast, Gao Gang faithfully implemented the spirit of the Second Plenary Session of the Seventh Central Committee of the Party, carried out socialist transformation of agriculture, industry and commerce, proposed the policy of “restricting, utilizing and transforming” bourgeois industry and commerce; proposed to give priority to the development of heavy industry; advocated the development of mutual aid and cooperation in the countryside; and carried out political reforms. The “Three Against Five” campaign and the suppression of counter-revolutionary movements were all made possible by his conversations with Mao Zedong in Xibaipo.
Mao Zedong told Gao Gang: Liu Shaoqi did not do much work after entering the city, and did not help the chairman much; he engaged in decentralism, wholesale documents himself, and wanted to hollow out the chairman; especially the chairman said that “Liu Shaoqi’s thinking is not in tune with the new democratic stage, and he is not prepared to engage in socialism. If necessary, we should push him, pull him to go socialism, really can not, we have to let him move his position”, and in the conversation reveals the historical suspicion of Liu Shaoqi, Gao Gang really feel the Party ideological struggle fierce, and consciously on the side of Mao Zedong.
Between March and June 1953, Mao Zedong repeatedly said that he was not well and was getting old, and asked the leaders of the Central Committee to mull over who should preside over the daily work of the Central Committee (by this time, the Central Committee had already implemented a rotating duty system of Liu Shaoqi, Zhou Enlai and Gao Gang for daily work). Gao Gang approached Chen Yun on the matter. Gao Gang clearly expressed his disagreement with having a general secretary and suggested having a few more vice chairmen to implement collective leadership. Chen Yun fully agreed with Gao Gang’s opinion and asked Gao Gang to raise it first in the Central Committee meeting. Chen Yun said to Gao Gang: you can engage in a rotating system, one for you and one for me, and Lin Biao can also participate, so as to avoid one-sidedness, and mistakes can be corrected in time.
Mao Zedong’s sudden turn around the Fourth Plenary Session of the Seventh Central Committee
At the meeting of the Politburo on December 24, 1953, Mao Zedong suddenly proposed that “there is a bourgeois command within the Party” and made the shocking remark that “the traffic in Dongjiao Minxiang Lane is full of people, while Xinhuamen is full of people”, pointing the finger directly at the high ranking bourgeoisie that he had praised many times in the Central Committee meetings. He pointed the finger directly at Gao Gang, whom he had praised many times at the central meeting.
The Fourth Plenary Session of the Seventh Central Committee was held in Beijing from February 6 to February 10, 1954, at which many leading comrades, including Gao Gang, made self-criticism, and a resolution was made to strengthen unity within the Party. The day after the Fourth Plenum, the “Symposium on Gao Gang” was held. Mao Zedong did not attend either of these meetings. The symposium adopted a brutal struggle, a ruthless fight within the Party, a surprise attack on Gao Gang, the meeting atmosphere of terror and tension, 32 people spoke at the meeting (already prepared). Chen Yun spoke first, revealing that Gao Gang had told him: the Central Committee to set up a few more vice chairmen, one for you, one for me, and Lin Biao can also be. The two exchanged views on the personnel arrangement of the Central Committee as an attempt by Gao Gang to conspire to usurp power.
Gao Gang immediately retorted: this is what you said to me. Zhou Enlai, the host of the meeting, sternly stopped Gao Gang from going on. The second speaker was Liu Yalou, who revealed that Gao Gang had talked privately with the Soviets for three days and nights during the war in the Northeast, providing information and communicating with foreign countries. Gao Gang said angrily: you really know how to create rumors, I do not even understand Russian, talk about a fart! The audience was booing and laughing.
Among them, Chen Zhengren uncovered a lot of Gao Gang’s words and actions against Liu Shaoqi, saying that Gao Gang has ambitions, wanting to bring down Liu Shaoqi, himself as Mao Zedong’s assistant, Gao Gang said angrily: you in the northeast period on Liu Shaoqi’s views a lot, spreading dissatisfaction with Liu Shaoqi everywhere, to old qualifications, to Liu Shaoqi not let you become the organization minister gnawing, how do you not say you oppose Liu Shaoqi! Seminar, only allow others to expose and criticize Gao Gang, do not listen to Gao Gang explanation refutation, Gao Gang was on the line as “conspiracy to usurp power”, “conspiracy to split the party”.
Gao Gang did not admit that what was uncovered was the truth, believing that many things were false accusations against him, asking the central government to confront him and produce evidence, not to mention the fact that raising opinions against Liu Shaoqi was to seize power against the party. The situation uncovered at the symposium was obviously unfavorable to Mao Zedong, and it was “suspected” that Gao Gang was engaged in anti-party and splitting party activities at the behest of Mao Zedong, which took Mao Zedong by surprise. When Deng Xiaoping went to Hangzhou on behalf of the Central Committee to report to Mao Zedong on the situation at the symposium, Mao Zedong made a “public exposure” of the opinion. The “public exposure” escalated the problem of Gao Gang, from criticism and self-criticism of the Party’s democratic Life to political struggle.
The cause of the “Gao Rao Anti-Party League” incident is very complicated, as it was initiated by Mao at the enlarged meeting of the Politburo on December 24, 1953, but Mao’s meeting guidelines for the Fourth Plenary Session of the Central Committee in February 1954 changed significantly from his speech at the enlarged meeting of the Politburo on December 24. Mao repeatedly stressed that “no one should be allowed to do anything.
Mao repeatedly stressed the importance of “not launching criticism of erring comrades and waiting for enlightenment” and of keeping the number of speakers small. Mao Zedong demanded that the meeting be compressed to two days, that all factions make self-criticism and avoid enlargement, that there be no “confrontation”, and that “Gao Gang’s aim is to pass the test”, so that he could pass the test. The change in Mao’s attitude showed that Mao’s insight had sensed another tendency hidden in the development of events.
The events of 1954 in the Chinese Communist Party are thought-provoking. History played such a joke that Liu Shaoqi, who represented the correct line of the Central Committee in 1954, was “expelled from the Party forever” in 1968, also at the Party Congress, on the charge of “conspiring to usurp power”. Of course, there are several big “crimes” listed for Liu Shaoqi, while the “crimes” listed for Gao Gang, as we saw in the political report made by the Central Committee against the “Gao Rao anti-Party group” in 1953, are not only big hats. In the report, apart from the big hats, no convincing facts could be produced.
On December 24, 1953, Mao Zedong proposed that the Central Committee “have two commanders”.
In 1953, what made Mao Zedong suddenly change his trust in Gao Gang and rush to solve the problem of Gao Gang?
On December 15, 1953, Mao called a meeting at his residence. Mao said: I want to take the showmen to the south to write the “constitution”. After I leave, who will preside over the Central Committee? Is Shaoqi presiding, or take turns to preside? Zhou Enlai proposed or by Shaoqi presided over; Liu Shaoqi said: or rotate it; Zhu Laochu agreed on the spot, said: “Rotation is good”; Gao Gang agreed to rotate; Deng Xiaoping agreed to be chaired by Shaoqi, Chen Yun also participated in this meeting, Chen Yun state agreed to be chaired by Shaoqi. The President finally said, “You can talk to each other and decide later.”
After the meeting, two things happened. The first thing, from the President’s Home to the parking lot, while waiting for the car, Gao Gang told Deng Xiaoping: after the President went to the South, the work of the Central Committee is better to take turns to preside over. Deng Xiaoping said: or Shaoqi presided over the good. Gao Gang said again: the Premier presided over some good. Deng Xiaoping said: the Premier has a lot of business work, or Shaoqi presided over the good (at that time Gao Gang’s security guards were also present).
Another thing is that Gao Gang did not take his own car, but took Chen Yun’s car to Chen Yun’s home, to Chen Yun’s home, Gao Gang asked Chen Yun: “How do you have another attitude at the meeting? I Gao Gang to you Chen Yun is a sincere exchange of views, the President gave me all the words to tell you, you also expressed agreement with the President’s views. Today, you followed in the meeting agreed to be chaired by Shaoqi. What did you say to me, you also agreed to take turns well! You said this can reflect the collective leadership, to avoid one-sided and error. But you came to the meeting changed, you and I have forgotten what you said? You asked me to put in a good word for you in front of the President, how do you want me to explain!” Chen Yun said, “How do I know what Old Mao thinks.” The two people argued unhappily. Gao Gang returned home looking very agitated and said to me, “The chairman has distrusted Chen Yun since 1942, saying he is an old opportunist, and when it matters, he strains (gets sick), and I always give him good words in front of the chairman.”
From the present documentary record, Deng Xiaoping and Chen Yun both reported Gao Gang’s situation to Mao after the meeting called by the President on December 15, 1953. It made Mao think that it was necessary to convene a meeting to solve the problem of unity within the Party.
On December 24, 1953, at an enlarged meeting of the Politburo chaired by Mao Zedong before he left Beijing, Mao suggested that a Fourth Plenary Session be held to solve the problem of Party unity. The chairman said, “Now there are two commands in Beijing, one headed by me, which is blowing the Yang wind and burning the Yang fire, and one headed by someone else, which is called blowing the Yin wind and burning the Yin fire, a stream of underground water.” Mao Zedong also said a sentence: “No. 8 Dongjiao Minxiang Lane traffic, Xinhua Gate can be a sparrow”, everyone knows that this is said Gao Gang. After the President said these words, he left the capital that night for Hangzhou.
So what did Deng Xiaoping and Chen Yun report to the President that made Mao Zedong suddenly change his attitude toward Gao Gang in just ten days? I carefully read Deng Xiaoping’s talk on March 19, 1980, when he received Hu Yaobang, Hu Qiaomu and Deng Liqun, and found some answers. Deng Xiaoping spoke of: Gao Gang to the southwest, he used the approach of solicitation, formal negotiations with me, said Liu Shaoqi immature, to fight for me and him to arch down Comrade Shaoqi …… Chen Yun and I only feel the problem is serious, immediately reflect to Mao Zedong, to Mao Zedong’s attention. This confirms the time of Deng Xiaoping’s report to the President and the President’s change of attitude toward Gao Gang occurred between December 15 and 24, which is one; Deng Xiaoping reported to the President that: “He first got Lin Biao’s support, but also the support of Comrade Peng Dehuai, before he dared to let go of so engaged. At that time six regions, he got the support of four regions.”
Deng Xiaoping’s “words of advice” to the President before he left Beijing were like an enlightenment: senior army generals supported Gao Gang, and four of the six regions supported Gao Gang. Mao Zedong felt the seriousness of the situation. Mao Zedong’s speech at the enlarged meeting of the Politburo on December 24, suddenly proposed that the Central Committee “has two commanders” and made the political air in the Party suddenly tense. Even Luo Ronghuan’s residence was put under surveillance by troops. After the Fourth Plenary Session, the issue of resolving the unity within the Party had evolved into a political matter.
I have a basis for raising this issue. After Gao Gang arrived at the Central Committee, he had only two direct conversations with Deng Xiaoping. The first time, in February 1953, Deng Xiaoping took the initiative to come to Gao Gang’s home to discuss with Gao Gang the issue of rural economic policy, and the two had a very cordial talk.
The second time, after the meeting on December 15, 1953, Gao Gang exchanged views with Deng Xiaoping in the parking lot on the issue of “rotation”, Gao Gang never had any other “formal negotiation” with Deng Xiaoping for “pulling in the Southwest Bureau”. formal negotiations”. The conversation between the two sides on March 19, 1980, when they met with Hu Yaobang, Hu Qiaomu and Deng Liqun, was in Deng Xiaoping’s own words, that is, Gao Gang had “formal negotiations” with Deng Xiaoping, and Deng Xiaoping “reflected” to the President “, “to draw the attention of the President”, the time should be right. In addition, the President said in his speech to the National Congress of the Communist Party of China on March 31, 1955 that he did not discover them until the fall and winter of 1953, which also proves the time when the President’s attitude toward Gao Gang changed.
Deng Xiaoping also provided an important piece of information in this speech when he said, “The old man is also responsible for Gao Gang’s courage to come out like that. …… the old man had opinions about Comrade Shaoqi and the Premier at the beginning of the liberation. …… Gao Gang criticized Comrade Shaoqi’s things, not exactly criticizing the wrong ones, there were criticisms of the right ones.” These words objectively describe the different opinions and struggles within the Party at that time were directed by Mao Zedong.
Chen Yun came to the President to report the problem of Gao Gang, supposedly after the President had heard Deng Xiaoping’s report and asked Chen Yun to come and listen to Chen Yun’s opinion. Chen Yun admitted to the President that he had communicated with Gao Gang about the choice of the Central Committee and revealed to the President that Gao Gang did not agree to have a general secretary and proposed to have more vice chairmen, saying, “One for you, one for me, and Lin Biao can also be one.” After hearing this, the President became furious and told Chen Yun to go to Hangzhou immediately to talk to Lin Biao and said, “If Lin Biao does not break with Gao Gang, I will break with Lin Biao! Chen Yun felt that the matter was serious and quickly changed his attitude.
(Lin Biao Gao Gang Chen Yun file photo)
Chen Yun betrayed Gao Gang at the critical moment
After the Fourth Plenary Session, a symposium on Gao Gang was held immediately. Chen Yun was the first to speak at the Gao Gang symposium, making public his opinion on the candidate for vice chairman of the Central Committee brewing between him and Gao Gang and using it as a basis for accusing Gao Gang of plotting to usurp power, something Gao Gang did not expect. Gao Gang felt great anger at Chen Yun’s approach. In particular, Chen Yun blamed all the opinions exchanged between the two of them as being said by Gao Gang to clear himself, causing Gao Gang to suddenly lose his sense of authenticity.
On February 16, Chen Yun came home to talk with Gao Gang, and this time the two men completely fell apart. Chen Yun wanted Gao Gang to admit that “one for you, one for me” was said by Gao Gang. Gao Gang questioned Chen Yun, “one for you, one for me” was obviously said by you, why did you say it was said by me, you are betraying me. Gao Gang even “the President said you eagle nose, will read the situation, I Gao Gang still do not believe, fell for your trick” such words are said out. The two quarreled with a red face and a thick neck, the atmosphere was very tense, Chen Yun left, Gao Gang also did not go to see him off, is my secretary Zhao Jialiang and I sent him downstairs.
Mao Zedong did not attend the Fourth Plenary Session, but he later talked about Gao Gang’s problems many times. These talks are critical and reflective, and vary from one historical period to another, making them elusive. But one thing can be seen Mao Zedong’s feelings for Gao Gang, is that on the day of Gao Gang’s death, Mao called home and asked the central government to Gao Gang to “good coffin and thick burial, with the best coffin”, instructed the Central Organization Department “to Gao Gang’s children, by the organization to raise”. This was announced by Zhou Enlai in front of everyone at the scene of the incident (No. 8 Dongjiao Minxiang Lane), when the leaders of the Central Committee in Beijing, except Liu Shaoqi and Peng Zhen, were basically present at the scene.
A once called by Mao Zedong “can manage 20 years” Gao Gang, in less than two years in Beijing, was submerged in the whirlpool of political struggle within the party.
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