Lin Biao

**Lin Biao** (Birth name: Lin Yurong: Chinese: 林育蓉) (Chinese: 林彪; December 5, 1907 – September 13, 1971) was a Chinese communist military leader. Lin was a general in the First Chinese Civil War (1927-1936),the  Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945),World War 2 (1939-1945) the Second Chinese Civil War (1945-1949),the Korean War (1950-1953),and the Cultural Revolution (1966). He was general of the People's Liberation Army from 1927-1971.

After the war, Lin was key in creating Mao Zedong's personality cult. He wrote the introduction to _The Little Red Book_. Lin was rewarded for his service to Mao by being named Mao's successor in the Ninth Party Congress, 1966. This he remained until his death in 1971 and was considered a traitor just like Ernst Röhm during Night of the Long Knives (1934) in Nazi Germany as well as Genrikh Yagoda,Nikolai Yezhov in 1938 and 1940 and Lavrenty Beria in 1953 in the Soviet Union before and after Stalin’s death.

Lin died in September 1971 when his aeroplane crashed in Mongolia. He was attempting to flee China with his son after what appeared to be a failed military coup. After Lin Biao's death, he was branded a traitor by the Communist Party of China. He, along with Jiang Qing (Mao's forth wife) and the Shanghai Radicals are still officially blamed for the excesses of the Cultural Revolution (1966).

## References

- Lin's introduction to the Little Red Book
- The Encyclopaedia Britannica's article on the man

## Infobox (officeholder)

- **honorific-prefix**: Yuan Shuai, Marshal
- **name**: Lin Biao
- **image name**: Lin Biao.jpg
- **caption**: Lin Biao in c.1953-1971 (possibly)
- **order**: 2nd Vice Chairman of the Communist Party of China, First-ranked Vice-Chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China
- **term start**: August 1, 1966
- **term end**: September 13, 1971
- **1blankname**: Chairman
- **1namedata**: Mao Zedong
- **predecessor**: Liu Shaoqi
- **successor**: Zhou Enlai
- **order1**: Vice Chairman of the Communist Party of China, Vice Chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China
- **term start1**: May 25, 1958
- **term end1**: September 13, 1971
- **1blankname1**: Chairman
- **1namedata1**: Mao Zedong
- **office2**: List of vice premiers of the People's Republic of China, 2nd  Vice Premier of the People's Republic of China, First Vice-Premier of the People's Republic of China
- **term start2**: December 21, 1964
- **term end2**: September 13, 1971
- **premier2**: Zhou Enlai
- **predecessor2**: Chen Yun
- **successor2**: Deng Xiaoping
- **birth place**: Huanggang, Hubei, Qing Dynasty, Qing Empire
- **death place**: Öndörkhaan, Mongolian People's Republic, Mongolia
- **party**: Communist Party of China
- **spouse**: Zhang Mei (1937–42)
Ye Qun (1942–71)
- **children**: Lin Xiaolin (daughter)
Lin Liguo (son)
Lin Liheng (daughter)
- **awards**:  Order of Bayi (First Class Medal)
 Order of Independence and Freedom (First Class Medal)
 Order of Liberation (China), Order of Liberation (First Class Medal)
- **alma mater**: Whampoa Military Academy
- **serviceyears**: 1925–1971
- **branch**:  People's Liberation Army
- **rank**:  Marshal of the People's Republic of China
- **commands**: 1st Corps
 1st Red Army Corps, Chinese Red Army
 115 Division, 8th Route Army
 People's Liberation Army


## Infobox (chinese)

- **pic**: Lin Biao (Chinese characters).svg
- **piccap**: "Lin Biao" in kaishu, regular Chinese characters
- **picupright**: 0.45
- **c**: 林彪
- **p**: Lín Biāo
- **w**: Lin<sup>2</sup> Piao<sup>1</sup>
- **j**: Lam<sup>4</sup> Biu<sup>1</sup>
- **y**: Làhm Bīu
- **poj**: Lîm Piu