Zhang Dazhi was born in Jia County, Shaanxi. In the spring of 1927, he was admitted to the Shaanxi Provincial Fourth Teacher Training School. In March of the same year, he joined the Communist Youth League of China. In the spring of 1928, he graduated as a schoolteacher and began teaching at primary schools, while in February 1929, he became a member of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). In February 1934, he joined the Chinese Red Army and assisted in the formation of guerrilla detachments in northern Shaanxi, beginning his military career.[1]