Chapter 21 2. Dong Biwu, President of the Central Party School

Dong Biwu is one of the founders of our party and one of the "five elders" in the Soviet area.He has made great achievements and virtues, but he never pretends to be a veteran. He is always open-minded and strict with himself. In the summer of 1928, Dong Biwu entered Sun Yat-sen University in Moscow and studied in the same class as Xu Teli, Wu Yuzhang, Lin Boqu and Ye Jianying.At this time, he was over the "forty years", but he studied very hard and won the admiration of Chinese and foreign comrades.During his studies, he often went deep into factories and rural areas for investigation and research, and worked and lived with workers and farmers.He often said to people: "To perform a good play, the protagonist is of course important, and supporting roles and extras are also indispensable. I am like a piece of rag, where there is a hole, the party and the people want me to mend it, I will mend it. Vigorous Work needs people to do it, and the work of filling holes is also indispensable!"

In the summer of 1932, after Dong Biwu studied and graduated from Sun Yat-sen University in Moscow, he was assigned by the Provisional Central Committee of the Communist Party of China in Shanghai, and arrived in Ruijin, the capital of the Central Revolutionary Base, via Shantou, Dapu, and Changting.As soon as he arrived in Ruijin, he approached Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai and others to ask for work assignments.Zhou Enlai said: "The Red Army University has an advanced class composed of cadres above the army level. The class leader is Comrade Peng Xuefeng. You should be the political commissar of the class."

Without further ado, Dong Biwu took his luggage and went to report. The Red Army University is located in a forest about fifteen miles northeast of Ruijin City. The students nicknamed the Red Army University "Forest University".One day at noon, Dong Biwu, who had a beard and was nearly fifty years old, came to the students. He said jokingly, "Boys, do you welcome me, a recruit with a long beard?" One sentence made everyone amused. The conditions for running the Red Army University are quite difficult, but Dong Biwu has no fear of difficulties.Every morning, he always came to the playground early, with his belt tightly fastened, his leggings neatly tied, wearing straw sandals, his military appearance was mighty, and he was full of energy. The two mustaches on his chin fluttered in the morning wind.When the students saw it, a sense of admiration rose in their hearts.

During his stay at the Red Army University, Dong Biwu undertook seven or eight courses, including Party building, social development history, Red Army political work, and current affairs politics. His lectures were substantial and unique, leaving a deep impression on the students. In March 1933, the Central Party School (that is, the Marxist School of Communism) opened.The principal Ren Bishi said to Dong Biwu: "You come here to work. I have actively suggested to the leaders of the Central Bureau that it is most suitable for you." In this way, Dong Biwu was transferred to the Central Party School and served as the dean of teaching.Soon, Yang Shangkun, the vice principal, was transferred to the Three Army Corps as political commissar, and Dong Biwu took over as the vice principal.

The Central Party School was established to systematically study Marxist theories, train and train worker and peasant cadres, and improve the Marxist-Leninist level of the majority of cadres.The trainees included staff from the Soviet and White areas, staff from the Party, Youth League, Soviet, and trade union, as well as leading cadres from various provincial party committees and provinces and the Soviet Union.In order to do a good job in teaching and help students improve the level of Marxism-Leninism, Dong Biwu racked his brains, solicited opinions from all sides, and set up a series of courses suitable for the actual needs of the revolutionary war and work in the Soviet area; at the same time, he also attached great importance to Combining theory with practice, central leaders with rich theoretical knowledge and practical experience, such as Mao Zedong, Liu Shaoqi, Chen Yun, Zhu De, Ren Bishi, etc., are often invited to the school to teach.This kind of teaching method of showing one's own experience gives great encouragement and education to the students.

Soon after, Ren Bishi, the principal, was transferred to the Hunan-Jiangxi Soviet Area, and Bo Gu served concurrently as the principal, and Dong Biwu was the only one responsible for the actual work of the party school. After Bo Gu came to the party school, he asked to change the teaching content, centering on the history of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, and compressing the history of the Communist Party of China and the history of the Chinese Soviet revolution.Dong Biwu objected that if the Chinese do not study the history of China's revolution and the specific reality of their own country, how can they do a good job in the Chinese revolution?

Dong Biwu adheres to the principle of party spirit, seeks truth from facts, and is upright.At that time, the interim central leaders followed the wrong line of "Left" deviation of Wang Ming, and the correct propositions of Mao Zedong and others were rejected.When some students were instigated to attack Mao Zedong's military line, he taught them to distinguish between right and wrong, and not to follow blindly, so that some students avoided possible biases caused by naive thinking. Dong Biwu always treats the cadres excluded and attacked by the "Left" leaders with a pragmatic attitude, and never echoes others.Luo Ming, the former acting secretary of the Fujian Provincial Party Committee, was attacked by the "Left" leadership because he supported Mao Zedong's correct ideas. He was removed from his post and transferred to the dean of the party school.Dong Biwu did not discriminate against him, talked with him cordially many times, enlightened him patiently, and encouraged him to work boldly.Luo Ming said in embarrassment: "I am a person who has made a wrong line. I am afraid that it is not suitable to be the dean, and my level is not competent." Dong Biwu said that if you do not do it when you encounter difficulties, you are a deserter on the battlefield.The more difficult it is for Communists to make revolution, the more they must do it.As cadres, we must be calm under any circumstances and have the "three tops" spirit, that is, we must be able to withstand praise, withstand criticism, and withstand difficulties.Dong Biwu's words were earnest and full of communist revolutionary optimism, which made Luo Ming respectful.From then on, he let go of his ideological burden and actively assisted Dong Biwu in his work.

Dong Biwu's resistance to the "Left" erroneous line aroused the dissatisfaction and hatred of the "Left" leaders of the temporary Central Committee, who slandered him for "conspiring against the law" and asked him to conduct inspections.Dong Biwu sternly refuted these untrue words, saying: "I want the cause of the party to prosper. I would rather not be the principal of the party school, but also stick to principles and seek truth from facts." His lofty demeanor, Won the admiration of party members and cadres in the Soviet area. Dong Biwu, as the principal of the party school and one of the founders of the Communist Party of China, is widely respected by the students and teaching staff of the party school. However, he never pretends to be a veteran and takes credit for himself. On the contrary, he always acts like an ordinary party member. The identity emerged, and he worked conscientiously for the cause of the party.Once the party group led an organizational life.The leader of the party group, Li Kuanhe, considered that Dong Biwu was busy with work, so he did not notify him to participate.The next day when he found out, he went to the party group leader and said, "Comrade Kuanhe, why didn't you inform me about your organizational life yesterday? I am also a member of our group!" The party group leader explained: "Your work is so busy. Hearing this, Dong Biwu said very seriously: "A leading cadre of the party is first and foremost a party member. No matter how busy he is at work, he must live an organizational life. If he does not participate in party activities, he is considered a party member. What party members.” At the next party group meeting, he took the initiative to criticize himself for not participating in organizational life last time, and implored everyone to criticize his work.

In January 1934, Dong Biwu attended the Fifth Plenary Session of the Sixth Central Committee of the Party and the Second National Congress of Soviets, and was elected Secretary of the Central Party Affairs Committee and Central Executive Member of the Soviet Government.In February of the same year, he was appointed Chairman of the Supreme Court and President of the Supreme Court. In October 1934, Dong Biwu, who was half a century old, left Ruijin and embarked on the journey of strategic shift.