21 Facts About Peng Zhen

Peng Zhen was a Chinese politician and leading member of the Chinese Communist Party.

Peng Zhen led the party organization in Beijing following the victory of the Communists in the Chinese Civil War in 1949, but was purged during the Cultural Revolution for opposing Mao's views on the role of literature in relation to the state.

Peng Zhen was rehabilitated under Deng Xiaoping in 1982 along with other 'wrongly accused' officials, and became the inaugural head of the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission.

Peng Zhen joined the Chinese Communist Party in 1923 as a founding member of the Shanxi Province CCP.

Peng Zhen was released from prison in 1935 and began organizing a resistance movement against the invading Japanese forces.

Peng Zhen was important in developing the Second United Front during the Second Sino-Japanese War.

Peng Zhen served on a number of positions as vice-president of the Central Party School and director of the CCP Policy Research Office.

In September 1945 Peng Zhen was sent by Mao Zedong to take up overall leadership of the CCP in Northeast China.

Peng Zhen was accompanied by Lin Biao who was to assist Peng with directing military operations against the Nationalists.

Peng Zhen decided that the CCP could hold the 3 big cities of the Northeast: Shenyang, Changchun and Harbin.

Peng Zhen was removed as the CCP leader in the northeast after further failure by Lin Biao's forces in March 1946 led to the Communists retreat back to Harbin.

Peng Zhen was a member of the CCP Central Committee starting from 1944 as well as a member of the Secretariat of the CCP Central Committee.

Peng Zhen held the positions of First Secretary of the Beijing Municipal Committee, and Mayor of Beijing from 1951 to 1966.

Peng Zhen was appointed head of the Five Man Group in charge of preparing a "cultural revolution", but he fell out of favor with Mao Zedong in April 1966 when he attacked Mao's belief that all literature should support the state.

Peng Zhen was accused of being an associate to Wu Han's counter-revolutionary clique and deposed at a May 1966 conference in what became the opening act of the Cultural Revolution.

Peng Zhen survived the Cultural Revolution, and was eventually rehabilitated under Deng Xiaoping.

Peng Zhen subsequently became Secretary of the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission, a post he already held from late 1950s in the capacity of leader of a Central Politics and Law Leading Group.

In January 1987, Peng Zhen played a pivotal role in Hu Yaobang's resignation as General Secretary by attack and criticizing Hu during a meeting.

Peng Zhen left Politburo after the 13th Party Congress in November 1987 and retired from politics in March 1988 after Wan Li took over his position as Chairman of Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.

Peng Zhen died on April 26,1997, from blood cancer aged 94, two months after the death of former vice premier Deng Xiaoping, and was eulogized with high honours by the highest organs of the party and the state.

Peng Zhen was considered one of the Eight Elders of the CCP.