Zhu De Politician

Zhu De (Chu Teh; pronounced [tʂú tɤ̌]; 1 December 1886 – 6 July 1976) was a Chinese general, warlord, politician, revolutionary, and one of the pioneers of the Chinese Communist Party. Born poor in 1886 in Sichuan, Zhu was adopted by a wealthy uncle at age nine; it was this prosperity earned him admission into a military academy. After his time at the academy, he joined a rebel army, and soon became a warlord. It was after this period that he adopted communism. He ascended through the ranks of the Red Army as it closed in on securing the nation. By the time China was under Mao's control, Zhu was a high-ranking official within the Communist Party of China. He served as Commander-in-Chief during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Zhu remained a prominent political figure until his death in 1976. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, in 1955 Zhu became one of the Ten Marshals of the People's Liberation Army, of which he is regarded as a principal founder.