Defense Minister
After being recalled back to China in April 1952, Peng succeeded Zhou in managing the day-to-day affairs of the Central Military Commission in July 1952; and, in the spring of 1954, Peng was confirmed as the vice-chairman of the Commission (Mao was its chairman), becoming effectively the most senior military leader in China. On September 24, 1954, the First National People's Congress confirmed Peng's position, and appointed him Defense Minister and one of the ten vice-ministers of the State Council. Lin Biao was senior to Peng on the State Council. Soon after accepting these appointments, on October 1, 1954, Peng produced an ambitious plan for the modernization of the PLA on the model of the Soviet military.
Read more about this topic: Peng Dehuai
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