Zhang Dazhi

In the spring of 1927, he was admitted to the Shaanxi Provincial Fourth Teacher Training School.

In the spring of 1928, he graduated as a schoolteacher and began teaching at primary schools, while in February 1929, he became a member of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

In February 1934, he joined the Chinese Red Army and assisted in the formation of guerrilla detachments in northern Shaanxi, beginning his military career.

[citation needed] In the early years of the People's Republic, Zhang served as Commander of the paramilitary Public Security Forces in Northwest China.

His loyalty to Mao Zedong meant that he managed to avoid persecution during the Cultural Revolution.