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Kang Sheng

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Kang Sheng was a prominent official in the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). He was a politician and a skilled calligrapher. Calligraphy is the art of beautiful handwriting using a brush.

魯赤水2
魯赤水2

Kang is best known for managing the CCP's internal security and intelligence. He oversaw these operations during the early 1940s. He also held power during the Cultural Revolution in the late 1960s and early 1970s. His career spanned many decades of Chinese history.

Kang was born Zhang Zongke in Shandong Province around 1898. His family owned land and included Confucian scholars. He attended schools in Qingdao before teaching in rural Zhucheng. In 1924, he moved to Shanghai to attend Shanghai University. There, he joined the Communist Party and worked as a labor organizer. He helped organize the May 30th Movement in 1925. This was a large demonstration led by Communists against Japanese companies.

During the late 1920s, Kang worked in secret roles. He served as a director for the Jiangsu Provincial Committee. This role allowed him to control personnel matters within the party. In 1930, he was arrested in Shanghai along with other Communists. He was later released, though some people later claimed he betrayed his comrades to gain freedom. Kang himself denied these accusations. He eventually aligned himself with Wang Ming, a leader supported by the Soviet Union.

In 1933, Kang took charge of a Special Work Committee. This committee managed the party's intelligence and security operations. He held this position for two years in Shanghai. In 1934, Kang moved to Moscow, Russia. He lived there for four years with his wife, Cao Yi'ou. While in Moscow, he worked closely with the Soviet NKVD. The NKVD was the Soviet secret police.

In Moscow, Kang helped run the Office for the Elimination of Counterrevolutionaries. This office was established in 1936. He used this position to silence people from his own past. He worked with the Soviet authorities during their period of internal purges. These purges involved the arrest and removal of many people. Kang's power grew significantly during this time in the Soviet Union. He acted as a deputy to Wang Ming on the Comintern. The Comintern was an international organization that worked with Communist parties.

Kang returned to China in late 1937. He arrived in Yan'an, a major Communist base.

Kang Seng Mao Zedong in Yan'an
Kang Seng Mao Zedong in Yan'an

During this time, he became a close associate of Mao Zedong. He helped guide the party through the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Chinese Civil War. He remained a powerful figure in the People's Republic of China after 1949. He stayed at the top of the political system until his death in 1975.

Later years saw a change in how Kang was viewed. He played a major role during the Cultural Revolution.

1967-03 1966年12月26日江青周恩来康生接见红卫兵
1967-03 1966年12月26日江青周恩来康生接见红卫兵

This was a period of intense political activity and social change. After Mao Zedong died, the Gang of Four was arrested. Leaders accused Kang Sheng of being responsible for the excesses of that era. In 1980, the CCP expelled him from the party. This expulsion happened after he had already passed away.

Kang Sheng's life connects to many large historical movements. His work involved international relations between China and the Soviet Union. He navigated the complex systems of intelligence and state security. His career shows how internal party politics can shape a nation. He moved between the worlds of high art and intense political power. His story is a part of the complex history of modern China.

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魯赤水2.jpg
File:Kang Seng Mao Zedong in Yan'an.jpg
Kang Seng Mao Zedong in Yan'an.jpg
File:1967-03 1966年12月26日江青周恩来康生接见红卫兵.jpg
1967-03 1966年12月26日江青周恩来康生接见红卫兵.jpg
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