On August 1, 1927, the army of the Communist Party is founded. It is called “Red Army of Workers and Peasants of the Chinese Communist Party” and is formed to fight against the government of the GMD. While the army drew its soldiers from peasants and laborers, few possessed the ideal political purity of perfect class background (poor peasant, worker, etc.) and a flawless record of selfless service. This held true for both the CCP and the PLA, which, particularly during the civil war, couldn't afford overly stringent recruitment standards. Excluding everyone without a poor peasant or proletarian background was impractical, especially given the frequent defections of entire Nationalist units. Consequently, the PLA that emerged victorious in 1949 was a diverse mix of individuals from various class and social origins, as were its veteran ranks.
At the Gutian conference in December 1929, Mao Zedong pointed out the mistaken ideas of the PLA and the methods for correction. The biggest mistake is the purely military viewpoint, which regards military affairs and politics as opposed to each other. This leads to denial of the fact that military affairs are only one means of accomplishing political tasks.
From then onwards, the PLA has several tasks, including economic, political, and social. This in addition to its military function. The army's duty is to protect the nation, the CCP, Communism, and the nation's and party's leaders. Revolutionary-era military elites typically also served as party elites, giving them direct involvement in policy decisions and implementation. Between 1949 and 1954, the PLA was transitioning from a revolutionary force to a formal military structure under the newly established PRC. During this period, there was no formal conscription system, but the military relied on voluntary enlistment, local recruitment, and selective mobilization.
