Xu Xiangqian
Counter-Japanese Military and Political University was founded in 1931 in Ruijin, Jiangxi, it was initially called China Red Army School () and then extended to a college named China Red Army College () in 1933. During the fifth counter-campaign against "encirclement and suppression" in 1934, the college relocated to Wayaobao Town of Anding County in northwest China's Shaanxi province, formed China Workers' and Peasants' Red Army School () by the merger of Shanbei Red Army School () and later changed the name to Xibei Counter-Japanese University of the Red Army () in 1936. Zhou Kun was its president and Yuan Guoping was political commissar. On January 20, 1937, it was renamed "Counter-Japanese University of the Red Army" (). Lin Biao was its president, Liu Bocheng was vice-president, and Mao Zedong was its chairman of the Board of Education. In March 1943, Xu Xiangqian succeed Lin Biao as the president. After the establishment of the People's Republic of China, the university was merged into PLA National Defence University.