Luo Ronghuan
罗荣桓
1902–1963
- Political Commissar, Northeast Field Army
- Marshal of the People's Republic of China (1955)
Biography
Early Career and the Long March
Luo Ronghuan (1902–1963) was born in Hengshan, Hunan. He participated in the Autumn Harvest Uprising of 1927 and joined Mao Zedong at the Jinggang Mountains, where he developed his expertise in political work within the military. He participated in the Long March and served in various political commissar roles during the Second Sino-Japanese War, becoming one of the most capable political officers in the Communist forces.
Northeast Field Army and the Civil War
After Japan's surrender in 1945, Luo Ronghuan was sent to Manchuria as political commissar of the Northeast Field Army, with Lin Biao as commander. While Lin Biao handled operational command, Luo was responsible for troop morale, political education, logistics coordination, and liaison with local civilian structures. Their partnership proved decisive in both the Liaoshen and Pingjin campaigns. His work in establishing CPC governance across Manchuria laid the groundwork for the subsequent administration of northern China.
After 1949
Luo Ronghuan was appointed one of the ten Marshals of the PRC in 1955 — the only one primarily known as a political rather than operational commander. He served as Director of the General Political Department of the PLA and as a member of the Politburo. He died in Beijing in 1963, one of the few senior military figures to die before the Cultural Revolution with his reputation intact.