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'''Lin Biao''' (old style: Lin Piao) (1907-1971) was a [[Chinese]] [[Communist]] military commander and senior political leader who was killed in an air crash in an attempt to defect from China to the [[Soviet Union]].

'''Lin Biao''' (old style: Lin Piao) (1907-1971) was a [[Chinese]] [[Communist]] military commander and senior political leader who was killed in an air crash in an attempt to defect from China to the [[Soviet Union]].

Lin joined the [[Chinese Communits Party in 1927, took part in the [[Long March]] of 1934-35, and had played a major role in the communist victory in the [[Chinese Civil War]]. In 1959, following the disgrace and dismissal of [[Peng Dehuai]], he was made Minister of Defence and Commander-in-Chief of the [[People's Liberation Army]]. He was responsible in the 1960s for the publication of the '[[Little Red Book]]' ('Quotations from Chairman Mao Zeddong'), and when the [[Cultural Revolution]] began in 1966 was a firm supporter of [[Mao Zedong]] and [[Jiang Qing]].

Lin joined the [[Chinese Communist Party]] in 1927, took part in the [[Long March]] of 1934-35, and had played a major role in the communist victory in the [[Chinese Civil War]]. In 1959, following the disgrace and dismissal of [[Peng Dehuai]], he was made Minister of Defence and Commander-in-Chief of the [[People's Liberation Army]]. He was responsible in the 1960s for the publication of the '[[Little Red Book]]' ('Quotations from Chairman Mao Zedong'), and when the [[Cultural Revolution]] began in 1966 was a firm supporter of [[Mao Zedong]] and [[Jiang Qing]].

In the late 1960s Lin was openly described as Mao's deputy and heir, but the ageing Mao was growing increasingly paranoid and took offence at Lin's attempts in 1970 to persuade Mao to fill the position of Chairman of the People's Republic of China (ie titular head of state) which had been vacant ssince the fall of [[Liu Shaoqi]] and which Mao sought to abolish in a redrafting of the Chinese constituation. Relations between the two men deteriorated and what happened in the last days of Lin's life remains unclear.

In the late 1960s Lin was openly described as Mao's deputy and heir, but the ageing Mao was growing increasingly paranoid and took offence at Lin's attempts in 1970 to persuade Mao to fill the position of Chairman of the People's Republic of China (ie titular head of state) which had been vacant ssince the fall of [[Liu Shaoqi]] and which Mao sought to abolish in a redrafting of the Chinese constituation. Relations between the two men deteriorated and what happened in the last days of Lin's life remains unclear.