Gao Gang
Gao Gang (高岗) (
Wades-Giles: Kao Kang) (1905-1954) was a Chinese Communist political figure. A native of Hengshan,
Shaanxi Province, he joined the Chinese Communist Party in 1926. In the mid-1930s he was in charge of a small independent Communist area at Baoan,
Shaanxi, where the
Long March led by
Mao Zedong ended.
Although he was persecuted and distrusted by Mao and his allies first, Gao survived in the cleanings. When Mao took control of Shaanxi, he still need a local leader to appease the local CPC members. Gao became the ideal candidate for his character of being intrepid and never covering his despise of intellectual which was consistent with Mao's personality and appealed to Mao. Thus Gao turned to a favorite of Mao and went on fast track.
Being a natural born organizer, Gao turned
Shaanxi into Mao's power base and made himself close political ally of Mao. During his years in
Shaanxi, he held the position of Commissar of Interim Headquarter of Shaangan Frontier Red Army in 1933, Vice chairman and General Commissar of Northwest Revolution and Military Committee in 1935, General Secretary of Shaangan Frontier in 1938, Speaker of Council of Shaangan Frontier in 1939, General Secretary of Central Bureau of Shaangan Frontier and later General Secretary of Northwest Bureau in 1941. Furthermore, Gao gave Mao great support in
Cheng Feng and was one of those who got greatest benefits from this large scale purge.
After the end of Chinese anti Japanese war, he was sent to
Manchuria to mobilize the occupation. At first Gao was only the No 4 next to
Lin Biao,
Peng Zhen and
Chen Yun. But he showed his talents in logistics and economic construction, which gave great support to Lin's armies. When Lin had a power struggle with Peng, Gao backed up Lin and got his reward when Peng was transferred to other areas. Gao replaced Peng as Deputy General Secretary of Northeast Bureau (CPC division governing
Manchuria) and Deputy Commissar of Northeast Democratic Association Army (the predecessor of 4th Field Army of PLA)in 1946, later became chief Party secretary of
Manchuria (1949). He also served as a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, Secretary of the Northeast Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice-Chairman of the Central People's Government. When he was in
Manchuria, Gao was close to
Stalin, which provoked Mao's suspicion of Gao turning
Manchuria into an independent autonomy or colony of
Soviet Union.
In 1952 he was appointed as chairman of Central Planning Commission of the Central People's Government and chairman of Northeast Executive Committee. In 1953 he was transferred to Beijing and left his power base. After the establishment of
People's Republic of China, CCP's principal mission changed from military operation to peaceful construction.
In Beijing, Gao got involved in a complex power-battle (being 6th in the official party hierarchy). One interpretation is that the bureaucrat group led by
Liu Shaoqi replaced the military group led by
Peng Dehuai,
Lin Biao as the backbones of CCP. Gao took advantage of generals' discontent to challenge Liu's title as heir to
Mao Zedong. But as the bureaucrat group consist of more CCP patriarchs inclusive of
Zhou Enlai Chen Yun and
Deng Xiaoping, and their influence was so deep that even Mao could not ignore it. Thus, Gao lost support from Mao.
Some sources take a different view, interpreting Gao Gang as part of a pro-Russian faction. Another interpretation - argued by Deng Xiaoping - is that that he was just personally ambitious. While Frederick C. Teiwes's
Politics at Mao's Court: Gao Gang and Party Factionalism in the Early 1950's argues that Mao had been trying to use Gao Gang against particular policies of Liu Shaoqi and Zhou Enlai, but that Gao went further than Mao intended. This book reproduces in English some of the official document from the time, as well as subsequent comments on it.
Whatever happened behind the scenes, what's definite is that he was purged in 1954 and expelled from the party in 1955 on charges of conspiracy of split of CPC with accessory
Rao Shushi after his suicide in Aug 1954.
Gao was a natural-born politician, but he showed more talents in economy regulation and planning, especially when he ruled
Manchuria, he turned it into the most energetic and robust part of China. And in the early stage of
Korean War, Gao ensure the supply and logistics of Chinese army, like a director behind the stage. But Gao was a controversial figure from the very beginning. Maybe because he seldom covered his ambition and obsession with extravagant life. Gao liked dancing with beautiful girls and had many affairs with them, which made him notorious among senior CPC leaders. The most popular story about Gao is once when he hosted a meeting of thousands people, he described people's preference to
bourgeois life style was like penis, getting erection from time to time.
While
Deng Xiaoping restored the reputations
Peng Dehuai,
Liu Shaoqi etc., he insisted that Gao Gang had been in the wrong and that his condemnation had been correct.
