Niece Zhou Bingde: Zhou Enlai's lifelong concern for Huangpu Military Academy

This photo is of my uncle at Huangpu Military Academy. At the age of 26, he became the director of the political department of the military academy and made great efforts in political work, making the atmosphere of Huangpu Military Academy much more lively. Zhou Enlai in the photo is dressed in military uniform and a military cap, full of heroic spirit, with youthful vigor in his eyes. Rubbing by old photos from nearly a hundred years ago, Zhou Bingde, a descendant of Huangpu Military Academy, told a reporter from China News Network about his uncle Zhou Enlai's turbulent years at Huangpu Military Academy, recalling the revolutionary journey during the era of war.

Zhou Bingde showed reporters photos of his uncle Zhou Enlai during his time at Huangpu Military Academy. Photo by Li Shuoxing

In the early 1920s, under the manipulation of foreign powers, China was divided and devastated by warlords. The call for revitalizing China and saving the nation echoes throughout the land of China. In 1924, with the help of the CPC and the Soviet Union, Sun Yat sen founded the Whampoa Military Academy, the Chinese Kuomintang army officer school, and appointed Jiang Jieshi as the president and Liao Zhongkai as the party representative. At the age of 26, Zhou Enlai was invited by Zhang Shenfu to end his four-year career in Europe and became the third director of the political department of the military academy.

When it comes to the situation at that time, Zhou Bingde introduced, "My aunt Deng Yingchao once told me that my uncle received a very generous travel allowance from the Huangpu Military Academy, but he was eager to return to China to participate in actual revolutionary work. Without waiting for the travel allowance to arrive, he borrowed money and bought the lowest cabin. The journey would take a month, and it was stuffy and hot, commonly known as' grilled yellow croaker 'coming back

Zhou Bingde introduced that when he first arrived at Huangpu Military Academy, his uncle Zhou Enlai divided the political part of the academy into three small groups, each performing its own duties, organizing students to hold symposiums, run newspapers, and publications, and promoting a lively learning atmosphere for Huangpu Military Academy students.

In the autumn of 1924, the military academy established a secret organization of the Communist Party of China - the Huangpu Branch, which was under the leadership of the Military Department of the Guangdong District Committee of the Communist Party of China and directly managed by Zhou Enlai. During his teaching period at the school, Zhou Enlai developed a group of excellent Communist Party members. Zhou Bingde introduced, "He had sincere, in-depth, and friendly conversations with everyone. Some people were suitable, and he developed into a Communist Party member. Although some people could not develop into Communist Party members, the friendship between them was still very deep. During the Anti Japanese War, he had many dangers saved by his students

During the Eastern and Northern Expeditions, Communists made significant contributions in political work and mobilizing the masses of workers and peasants. However, at the same time, Chiang Kai shek had always been quite wary of the Communist Party. Zhou Bingde said, "Chiang Kai shek actually appreciated Zhou Enlai in his heart and had always wanted to hold him, but Zhou Enlai never accepted it, especially after the 'Zhongshan Ship' incident, when Zhou Enlai resigned from his position as Director of the Political Department and left

When he left school, there was a first-year student named Hu Zongnan, who was three years older than him. He knelt down and said to him, 'You will always be my teacher, and I will always be your student.' Zhou Bingde said, 'Chiang Kai shek found out about this and even questioned why Hu Zongnan was reluctant to leave Zhou Enlai and knelt down to see him off.' Hu Zongnan replied, 'One day as a teacher, one lifetime as a father.' Although he was politically different from Zhou Enlai, he respected him. '

Zhou Bingde reminisced to reporters about his childhood memories with his uncle Zhou Enlai. Photo by Li Shuoxing

On December 12, 1936, in order to save the nation from peril, stop the civil war and unite against Japan, Zhang Xueliang and Yang Hucheng launched the Xi'an Incident and detained Chiang Kai shek. Subsequently, negotiations began between Xi'an and Nanjing, and Zhou Enlai, as the plenipotentiary representative of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, also participated in the negotiations and had an in-depth dialogue with Chiang Kai shek, whom he had not met for a long time.

Zhou Bingde said that Zhou Enlai pushed open the door and the first thing he said when he saw Chiang Kai shek was, "Principal, we haven't seen each other for 10 years, and you look much older than before." Chiang Kai shek said, "You are my subordinate, you have to listen to me.

In Zhou Bingde's view, without the cooperation between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party during the Xi'an Incident, China would not have been able to guarantee victory in the War of Resistance Against Japan. During the fourteen year War of Resistance Against Japan, although with different beliefs, more than 200000 Huangpu soldiers went to the national crisis and shed blood on the battlefield. Many people were also trained by the Huangpu Military Academy, such as Marshal Ye Jianying, Xu Xiangqian, and Chen Gong, who were early students of Huangpu and had many military achievements

In 1946, the Liberation War broke out, and students at Huangpu Military Academy made different choices between two paths. After the establishment of the People's Republic of China, Zhou Enlai still influenced the former Huangpu people with his extraordinary personality charm.

Zhou Bingde said that after the founding of New China, Zhou Enlai still cared about Huangpu and missed the students of the past. Some captured Nationalist officers were invited by Zhou Enlai to hold a symposium, visit the Summer Palace to see the scenery, and get to know New China. These people are very convinced of Zhou Enlai. They all say that we didn't do well and didn't follow you on this path at that time. However, Zhou Enlai actually said that it was my teacher who didn't do well and that I should take you in a better direction

Zhou Bingde, the niece of Zhou Enlai, was interviewed by a reporter from China News Service. Photo by Li Shuoxing

As the niece of Premier Zhou Enlai and the daughter of Zhou Enshou, Zhou Bingde has a special affection for Huangpu. For decades, she has also participated in many gatherings of descendants of Huangpu, sharing her feelings for Huangpu. Please go to other places for promotion and wealth. Do not enter the Huangpu Military Academy if you are afraid of death, "Zhou Bingde vividly remembered the couplet on the gate of the academy." The Huangpu Military Academy had a great impact on China's revolution. It is a revolutionary organization that is very revolutionary and advanced in the cooperation between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party, and has trained a large number of excellent military talents for China

For a hundred years, the river flows endlessly, and the spirit of Huangpu is tempered in the flames of war and inherited under the red flag. The Huangpu family is close, and the revival and unification of China are the true essence of the Huangpu spirit, as well as the common aspiration of Chinese people at home and abroad, "said Zhou Bingde. (End)