Li Xiannian was the Political Commissar of the Twenty-fifth Division of the Ninth Army. His division with Zhang's central column, mounted a successful attack on the KMT model division where they destroyed or captured 10,000 KMT troops.

In 1931 he was a regimental officer in the Fourth Front Army. In 1935 he was the commander of the Thirtieth Army.

In 1983, he was elected president of the PRC.