(March 6, 1939)
To Zhu, Peng, Zuo, and Fu,¹ and for the information of He and Zhou² at the First
Branch:
With regard to the education plan for branches of the Anti-Japanese University,
there is a need to strengthen military education and intensify military life for the
purpose of training junior military officers, and a need to readjust educational
methods and to train instructors so as to make them more able to teach the new
types of students who are receiving the education. We agree in principle with all of
these proposals for change, but on several specific questions we would like to offer
the following suggestions:

1. Even though the purpose is to train military cadres, political education should
still occupy an important place, at least on a par with that of military education.
For this reason, Leninism must be taught as part of the subject matter of political
courses. This is a very basic question in arming their minds politically. In addition,
movements of the popular masses, the question of the Communist Party, and the
question of the Eighth Route Army should be taught as special courses. The united
front, on the other hand, may be taught as part of the history of the Chinese revolutionary movement. Party building is to be part of education only within the Party,
and ordinary students are to be taught only about the question of the Communist
Party. The present international situation need not be taught either, so as to put the
emphasis on education regarding current affairs.

Our source for this document is Mao Zedong junshi wenji, Vol. 2, pp. 455-57, where it is
reproduced from a copy in the Central Archives.
1. Zhu and Peng refer to Zhu De and Peng Dehuai. Zuo and Fu refer to Zuo Quan and Fu
Zhong, who were, respectively, deputy chief-of-staff and deputy head of the Political Department of the Eighth Route Army.
2. He and Zhou refer to He Changgong and Zhou Chunquan, respectively, president and
vice-president of the First Branch of the Anti-Japanese University.
2. In order to deepen education, it is imperative to maintain the tradition of
fewer but better with regard to educational methods in school, so that under no
circumstance should students attend more than six classes a week.

3. Therefore, it seems that there is too much military education. If the length of
the educational course remains eight months, then, aside from giving priority to
infantry tactics below the company level and guerrilla tactics, only a little strategic
theory may be taught (using On Protracted War as the textbook), as well as the
knowledge that junior officers must have, on building fortifications, weaponry,
and topography. Although transportation, the military system, horsemanship, hygiene, and rules and regulations are also important, it may still be better not to
teach these subjects because of time constraints.

4. The students will work mainly in the Eighth Route Army in the future, so, in
order that Party education may be strengthened, Party branches should be brought
into the open, and the Party's system of scheduling the day should be put into
effect.

5. During the eight months of study, it would be best for the students to have the
opportunity to go into the armed forces for practical training for approximately
one month.

It is hoped that you will give consideration to the above views.
Also please convey this to Nie and Peng,³ and to the Second Branch School.

Mao [Zedong]
Teng [Daiyuan]⁴
Wang [Jiaxiang]
Luo [Ruiqing]⁵

3. The reference is to Nie Rongzhen, who was then the commander and concurrently
political commissar of the Eighth Route Army for the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Area,
and Peng Zhen, who was secretary of the Northern Bureau of the Central Committee of the
Chinese Communist Party.
4. In addition to Mao and Wang, who had signed the previous telegram, this one bears
the names of Teng Daiyuan (1904-1974), a native of Hunan, who had joined the Chinese
Communist Party in 1925 and was at this time chief of staff of the Military Affairs Commission, and Tan Zheng (1907-1988), a native of Hunan, who had joined the Chinese Communist Party in 1927, participated in the Long March, and was at this time deputy head of the
General Political Department.
5. Luo Ruiqing (1906-1978), a native of Sichuan, was at this time vice-president and
political commissar of the Anti-Japanese University.