Xu (1901-1991), formerly known as Xu, is a real name. Wutai county, Shanxi province. Graduated from the first phase of Huangpu Military Academy. He used to be the instructor, staff officer and regiment deputy of the sixth mixed brigade teaching battalion of the Second Army of the National Army. From 65438 to 0927, he was the captain of Wuhan Central Military and Political School, and joined China in the same year. During the Guangzhou Uprising, he served as the leader of the 16th team of workers' Red Guards.

During the Agrarian Revolutionary War, he served as the Party representative, division commander and division commander of the 4th Division of the Revolutionary Army of Workers and Peasants, deputy division commander of the 3rd Division of the Chinese Red Army of Workers and Peasants, deputy division commander and division commander of the Red Division of 10, chief of staff and commander of the Red 4th Army, commander-in-chief of the Red 4th Army, commander-in-chief of the Right Army of the Red Army, and vice chairman of the military and political committee of the marked army. Participated in the Long March.

During the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression period, he served as deputy commander of the Eighth Route Army 129 Division, commander of the first column of the Eighth Route Army, deputy commander and chief of staff of the Shanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Joint Defense Army, and acting president of China People's Anti-Japanese Military and Political University.

During the War of Liberation, he served as deputy commander of the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Military Region, deputy commander of the North China Military Region and commander and political commissar of the First Corps (later renamed the 18th Corps).

After the founding of People's Republic of China (PRC), he served as Chief of Staff of the People's Liberation Army of China, Vice Chairman of the People's Revolutionary Military Commission, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense of Vice Chairmen of the CPC Central Military Commission and People's Republic of China (PRC) the State Council.

1955 was awarded the rank of marshal. He is the vice chairman of the first, second and third National Defense Commission, the third and fourth NPC Standing Committee, the seventh CPC Central Committee member, the eighth CPC members of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, the ninth and tenth CPC Central Committee members, and the eleventh and twelfth CPC members of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.