Luo Ronghuan

Luo Ronghuan (simplified Chinese: 罗荣桓; traditional Chinese: 羅榮桓; pinyin: Luó Rónghuán; Wade–Giles: Lo Jung-huan; November 26, 1902 – December 16, 1963) was a Chinese communist military leader. He served as a Vice Chair of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress

Biography

Luo was born in a village in Hengshan County, Hunan Province. In 1919, at the age of 17, he enrolled in Xiejun Middle School in Changsha. Five years later, he began attending Shandong University (then Qingdao Private College), completing a preparatory course in Industry in Commerce in 1926. He joined the Chinese Communist Youth League in April 1927 and the Chinese Communist Party later that year. During the Long March he served as the security chief for the Chinese Red Army.

After World War II, Luo served as the political commissar of Lin Biao in Northeast China during the Chinese civil war. Unbeknownst to outsiders, Luo's contribution to the communist victory in the northeast and hence to a great degree, elsewhere in mainland China was far greater than what was previously publicized, and in fact, greater than that of Lin Biao. The reason is that people often overlooked Luo's political contribution by concentrating on Lin Biao's military victories. However, Lin Biao, or any other communist commanders would never be able to achieve any military victory if there is not any strong and stable political support from the troops and the general populace. This is where Luo's importance proved to be critical: Luo's skillful political work ensured the troops' loyalty and popular support of the communists.