Chen Boda
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Chén Bódá (陈伯达) was born 1904 in Hui'an (Fujian province, China) and died September 20, 1989 in Beijing.
He was a communist organiser who participated in the 1926/27 Northern Expedition and later went to Moscow to study for four years. In 1930, Chen Boda returned to China to teach in Beijing. From 1937 on, he worked as a teacher in Yan'an.
In 1951, he wrote an article with the title "Mao Zedong's Theory of the Chinese Revolution Is the Combination of Marxism-Leninism with the Chinese Revolution" and a book titled "Mao Zedong on the Chinese Revolution". These works made him one of the most important interpreters of Mao Zedong's thoughts. In 1958, he became the editor of the party journal Hongqi (The Red Flag).
Chen Boda participated in the Cultural Revolution and became a member of the Standing Committee of the Politburo. In 1971, he spoke out against excesses and suddenly disappeared.
After the Cultural Revolution, he was tried by the new regime as a collaborator with the Gang of Four. He was sentenced to 18 years in prison, but was released shortly after due to his ill health.