Editing Lin Biao (section)

===Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945)===
[[File:Lin Biao family.jpg|thumb|right|Lin Biao with wife [[Ye Qun]] and their children]]
In August 1937, Lin was named commander-in-chief of the 115th Division of the Communist [[8th Route Army]]<ref name="L&D" /> and ordered to aid [[Yan Xishan]]'s forces in repelling the Japanese invasion of [[Shanxi]]. In this capacity, Lin orchestrated the [[Battle of Pingxingguan|ambush at Pingxingguan]] in September 1937, which was one of the few battlefield successes for the Chinese in the early period of the [[Second Sino-Japanese War]] (known in China as the "War of Resistance Against Japan").

[[File:Zhou Enlai & Lin Biao.jpg|thumb|Lin with [[Zhou Enlai]] in [[National Revolutionary Army]] uniforms (1943)]]
In 1938, while he was still leading Chinese forces in Shanxi, Japanese soldiers who had joined the Communists and were serving under Lin's command presented Lin with a [[Imperial Japanese Army Uniforms|Japanese uniform]] and ''[[Shin guntō|katana]]'', which they had captured in battle. Lin then put the uniform and katana on, jumped onto a horse, and rode away from the army. While riding, Lin was spotted alone by a sharpshooter in Yan's army. The soldier was surprised to see a Japanese officer riding a horse in the desolate hills alone. He took aim at Lin and severely injured him.<ref name="Lee171">Lee 171</ref> The bullet grazed Lin's head, penetrating deep enough to leave a permanent impression on his skull.<ref name="HL4">Hannam and Lawrence 4</ref> After being shot in the head, Lin fell from his horse and injured his back.<ref name="Lee171" />

Recovering from his wounds and ill with [[tuberculosis]], Lin left for [[Moscow]] at the end of 1938, where he served as the representative of the Chinese Communist Party to the [[Executive Committee of the Communist International]]. He remained in Moscow until February 1942, working on [[Comintern]] affairs and writing for its publication.<ref name="L&D" /> Lin was accompanied by his wife, Liu Ximin, but their relationship deteriorated in Moscow, and Lin eventually returned to Yan'an without her.<ref name="Lee171" />

While in Moscow, Lin became infatuated with Zhou Enlai's adopted daughter, [[Sun Weishi]], who was studying in Moscow from 1938 to 1946.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ohsnapnews.com/in-1945-sun-weishi-declined-lin-biaos-rationale-courtship/1817/|title=Lin Biao and Sun Weishi|website=ohsnapnews.com|access-date=4 June 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160406150641/http://ohsnapnews.com/in-1945-sun-weishi-declined-lin-biaos-rationale-courtship/1817/|archive-date=6 April 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> Before returning to China, in 1942, Lin proposed to Sun and promised to divorce his wife, from whom Lin had become estranged. Sun was not able to accept Lin's proposal, but promised to consider marrying Lin after completing her studies. Lin divorced Liu Ximin after returning to China, and married another woman, [[Ye Qun]], in 1943. The relationship between Sun and Ye was notably bad.<ref>Zhang 2</ref> After returning to Yan'an, Lin was involved in troop training and indoctrination assignments.