---
title: "Lin Biao: Chinese Communist Marshal | Model Diplomat"
description: "Lin Biao was a Chinese Communist marshal and Mao's heir. His death during a coup plot marked a key moment in the Cultural Revolution."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/lin-biao"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- Lin Biao (1907–1971) was a Chinese Communist marshal and Mao Zedong's designated successor whose death fleeing China after an alleged coup plot became a defining trauma of the Cultural Revolution.
- Why was Lin Biao's designation as Mao's successor remarkable?
- What was the Lin Biao Incident of 1971?
- How did Lin Biao contribute to the cult of Mao?
- How was Lin Biao formally judged after his death?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

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Example

In April 1969, the Ninth Party Congress wrote Lin Biao into the Communist Party Constitution as Mao Zedong's successor—only for Lin to die in a plane crash over Mongolia on 13 September 1971 while allegedly fleeing a failed coup.

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