Lin Biao
(1908–1971), Chinese soldier and politician. Lin Biao was among the youngest and perhaps best of the Communist generals during China's long civil war with the Nationalists (Guomindang) and the anti-Japanese resistance. Lin played a critical role in helping the forces of Mao Zedong (1893–1976) defeat the Nationalists in Manchuria and largely settle the civil war. He showed a genius for partisan warfare.
However, Lin's accomplishments were limited by periodic and severe illnesses, and he was often forced to take leave from his official duties. Still, he was, for a time, a great favorite of Mao, and after Lin became minister of defense in 1962, Mao relied on Lin to keep the army loyal and under control of the Communist Party in the period leading up to and during the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976). Indeed, Mao named Lin as a successor, but that may have been a ploy to isolate Lin and make him more dependent on Mao's favor. Perhaps at the peak of his ascendancy, Lin ei ther attempted a coup d'etat or merely tried to flee to save his life, and it was reported that he, his wife, and some fellow travelers died in 1971 in a plane crash while seeking sanctuary in the Soviet Union.
Further Reading
Teiwes, Frederick C. (1966) The Tragedy of Lin Biao: Riding the Tiger during the Cultural Revolution, 1966–1971. London: Hurst.
Yao, Ming-le. (1983) The Conspiracy and Death of Lin Biao. Trans. by Stanley Karnow. New York: Alfred Knopf.
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