Li Tianyou

Li Tianyu
Li Tianyu in 1955
Born	January 8, 1914 Lingui, Guangxi, China
Died	September 27, 1970 (aged 56) Beijing
Allegiance	Chinese Communist Party
Service/branch	People's Liberation Army
Years of service	1928-1970
Rank	General
Commands held	PLA Deputy Chief of Staff
Battles/wars	Northern Expedition, Second Sino-Japanese War, Chinese Civil War
Awards	Order of the Red Star (Third Class Medal) Order of Bayi (First Class Medal) Order of Independence and Freedom (First Class Medal) Order of Liberation (First Class Medal)

Li Tianyou (Chinese: 李天佑; Wade–Giles: Li T'ien-yu; 1914–1970) was a general (shang jiang) of the Chinese People's Liberation Army. He led Communist forces to victory during the Battle of Siping. He was Lin Biao's chief of staff during the Chinese Civil War. Earlier in the war, he earned a reputation as a reckless military leader due to his intentional sacrifice of his entire division during the Long March, even though that bought more time for the Communist forces to retreat from the pursuing KMT forces.^[1] During the Korean War, he commanded the PVA 13th Army which defeated the UN forces in northwestern Korea.^[2]

References

1. Spurr, Russell (24 June 1999). Enter the Dragon: China's Undeclared War Against the U.S. in Korea, 1950-1951. Newmarket Press. p. 168. ISBN 978-1-55704-249-1.
2. The Battle of the Chongchon