Wu De

Wu De (

ousted Hua from his leadership position.

Communist revolution

Wu joined the Chinese Communist Party in 1933, and organized strikes and other workers' actions in the Tangshan area. After the eruption of the Second Sino-Japanese War, he organized the Hebei Anti-Japanese Army, committing it to guerrilla warfare in the northern regions. In 1940 he was appointed head of a working commission under the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party to oversee activity behind enemy lines. After the Chinese Civil War, he served as Party secretary for Tangshan.

Early PRC

After the communist victory of 1949, Wu De briefly served as Vice Minister of Fuel Industry of the newly established People's Republic of China. He became the

Cultural Revolution

Wu served in this position until the

Revolutionary Committee

, and was elected member of the CCP Central Committee in 1969.

As

Minister of Culture

.

After

.

In 1975, he was a vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.

Wu De actively struggled against a rehabilitated

, earning the ironic nickname of "no virtue," (无德) a pun on his name. In October of the same year, he played a role in the arrest of the Gang of Four.

Downfall under Deng Xiaoping

The rise of

, he was purged and resigned his post in the NPC Standing Committee.

Despite his participation to the Cultural Revolution, his role in removing the Gang of Four earned him a powerless position in the Central Advisory Commission by Hu Yaobang and Wan Li's suggestions. He died in Beijing in 1995.

References

Political offices
Preceded by Pan Fusheng	Communist Party Chief of Pingyuan 1950–1952	Province abolished
Preceded by Huang Jing	Mayor of Tianjin 1953–1955	Succeeded by Huang Huoqing
Preceded by Li Mengling	Communist Party Chief of Jilin 1955–1966	Succeeded by Zhao Lin
Preceded by Peng Zhen	Mayor of Beijing Acting 1966–1967	Succeeded by Xie Fuzhi as Chairman of the Beijing Revolutionary Committee
Preceded by Xiao Wangdong as Minister of Culture	Head of the Cultural Group Under the PRC State Council 1970–1975	Succeeded by Yu Huiyong as Minister of Culture
Preceded by Xie Fuzhi	Chairman of the Beijing Revolutionary Committee 1972–1978	Succeeded by Lin Hujia