Chen Geng - Early Life

Early Life

Born in Hunan province, Chen was second of 12 siblings. However, because his elder brother died early due to illness, Chen became the eldest son. His grandfather, Chen Yiqong (陳翼瓊) was an officer in the imperial Chinese army and was rewarded handsomely due to his bravery. After his retirement, Chen Yiqong was able to purchase farmland with his reward money and by the time Chen Geng was born, his family had several hundred mu of land, and became one of the wealthiest local families. Chen's father was Chen Daoliang (陳道良), and his mother was Peng Xuexian (彭學嫻). When he was 13, his father arranged a marriage with a bride who was two years his senior, but Chen refused have an arranged marriage, and left home to join the army. However, military life in a warlord's army was not what Chen had expected, and did not yield any glory like his grandfather's. Instead, military life only gave Chen scabies, and influenced his remaining brother to join the military. This brother later died of an illness while he was serving. The disillusioned Chen left the army at the age of 18 and found a job at Hunan Railway Bureau as a desk clerk, and during this period, he met Mao Zedong, an event that changed his life forever.

Chen joined the Communist Party of China in 1922 and enrolled in the Whampoa Military Academy in 1924. Chen, along with Jiang Xianyun and He Zonghan, were considered the three best students of Whampoa Military Academy at the time. Chen earned Chiang Kai-shek's deep trust and became the commander of Chiang's garrison. In October 1925, during the second campaign against local warlord Chen Jiongming, Chiang's vanguard force, the 3rd Division commanded by Tan Shuqing (譚曙卿), advanced too quickly and became isolated in their advance after taking Huizhou, Chen Jiongming's base, and was ambushed by Chen Jiongming's force commanded by warlord Lin Hu at Huayang. Against the advice of Chen, Chiang insisted on going to the frontline to command, but the situation was impossible: after beheading half a dozen deserters and personally leading the charge with a sabre in hand in an attempt to counterattack, Tan Shuqing proved unable to control his fleeing troops and the force completely collapsed. Chiang was ashamed, but refused to flee, and attempted to commit suicide. Chen succeeded in taking away Chiang's pistol and carried Chiang away from the battlefield by force, and thus saved the life of Chiang Kai-shek, who, in turn, trusted him even more. However, when the Kuomintang broke with the Communists in 1927, Chen began to work as a secret agent for the Communists in Shanghai.

In March 1933, Chen was sent to Shanghai to have better medical treatment of his leg wounds, and gave some first-hand accounts of the Chinese Soviet Republic in Jiangxi to Agnes Smedley, becoming a source for her book China's Red Army Marches. But while in Shanghai, he was captured by the Kuomintang. However, as he had saved the life of Chiang Kai-shek, his life was spared. Chiang was still very grateful to Chen and ordered his transfer to a much better facility to put Chen under house arrest instead of jail like ordinary prisoners, but taking this opportunity, Chen escaped a month later with the help of communist agents. Once again, Chiang spared Chen for saving Chiang's life previously by not ordering the nationalist military and police to capture Chen at all cost like other important communist figures, but instead, claimed that Chen was to be released soon anyway.

After his escape in Nanjing, Chen was ordered by the communists to return to the communist base in Jiangxi via train, but he was recognized by nationalist officers riding on the same train. The former vice president of Whampoa Military Academy in charge of educational affairs, Qian Dajun (錢大鈞), Chen's instructor at Whampoa Military Academy, also happened to be on the same train, and, along with his followers, recognized Chen. Qian ordered his deputy to invite Chen for dinner in his personal coach, and Chen initially refused, trying to pass himself off as a businessman, but his attempt only drew laughter from the nationalist officers, since both knew the true identities of the other. Knowing he was discovered, Chen had to go to Qian Dajun's coach, and the two chatted for a while, when Qian revealed that he was sent by Chiang Kai-shek to Jiangxi to help to plan another campaign to exterminate the communists. Chen was obviously nervous and made an excuse to leave, claiming that he had to get off the train after the train had passed Xuzhou and Qian let him go.

Chen then boarded the same train and sat in the corner of a different section in a different coach in order to reach his destination, but once again, Qian's deputy officer appeared in front of him with a smile on his face: "Mr. Chen, you haven't gotten off the train yet, General Qian is asking for you again." Chen had no choice but to go and this time he stayed longer and finished the meal with Qian Dajun before he was finally let go. Chen and Qian's subordinates were equally baffled why Qian let Chen escape, and Qian revealed later that since Chiang would not order Chen executed and allowed his escape by claiming Chen was to be released anyway, arresting Chen and having him executed would put Chiang in a very difficult position because public opinion would be against Chiang. Furthermore, Qian Dajun personally liked the excellent student, who was a favorite of his, despite their political difference, and thus allowed Chen to escape. Chen eventually managed to enter the Communists' base in Jiangxi and later completed the Long March in 1935.