Red Guards (Zhonghua)

"Defenders of peace, we stand together!" - Red Guards motto

The Red Guards are a special unit in the Zhonghua People's Liberation Army, acting as a highly-motivated, large force of shock troops intended to overwhelm the enemy in large numbers. They are mainly a propagandistic force with very low survival rates. Red Guards are usually deployed in the first wave in large-scale battles, paving the way for the regular PLAGF with their blood and bodies. Yet, their heroic portrayal in the media as well as propaganda by the state means there is no shortage of volunteers for the Red Guards.

History
In 1798 the Red Guards were the first unit in the PLA to be formed, and served as the vanguard for Chen Dong's revolution of 1800, fighting mainly as guerillas. The Red Guards at the time numbered only around 500 and were the Communist Party's only military force for many years. During the revolution, several thousand people were encouraged to join the communist cause, many unofficially joining the Red Guards in resisting the Imperial Zhonghua government in the hills and forests of Zhonghua. Thousands more were later killed in battle. Later, once several Imperial Army troops with conventional weapons joined the communist forces, Chen Dong established the People's Liberation Army, with the Red Guards still serving as the vanguard and guerilla force.

When Chen Dong finally seized power in 1805, the Red Guards were maintained as an honour guard for the leader. The Red Guards were now considered an elite force and were considered above the rest of the PLA, though most of the Red Guards were chosen due to their loyalty to the state and had little training. By 1815, the Red Guards had filled with volunteers and numbered 60,000.

In World War II, the Red Guards were put in the frontline as Zhonghua itself was invaded. Serving as propagandistic forces on the front lines, the Red Guards were sent directly at Uralian forces in suicidal charges in massive numbers. This would solidify the image of Red Guards ever since.

Equipment
Red Guards are armed with romanticised equipment from the past century to further enhance their image as Zhonghua's brave revolutionary fighters. In the era of automatic weapons, the Red Guards are mostly equipped with Type-40 semi-automatic rifles with bayonets and rifle grenades, as well as type-52 battle rifles. Elsewhere in the PLA, the Type-40 and Type-52 are only used for ceremonial purposes. Squad leaders are equipped with old Type-40 assault rifles, which is a copy of the ADK-45 assault rifle from the USUR. Some Red Guards also carry rocket launchers and grenades for anti-armour purposes, and many also carry large flags and banners into battle to inspire their comrades.

Red Guards do not operate any vehicles except for transport trucks and light trucks, and rely on other branches of the PLAGF for heavy vehicles. They are known to mount loudspeakers on their vehicles, playing patriotic and inspiring propaganda to their own troops as well as demoralising propaganda towards the enemy.