Shanghai Revolutionary Committee

Political authority in Shanghai from 1967 to 1979

The Shanghai Revolutionary Committee was a revolutionary committee that had administered the city of Shanghai, People's Republic of China between 1967 and 1979. It was established on 24 February 1967, following the collapse of the Shanghai People's Commune during the Cultural Revolution, and replaced the former Shanghai Municipal Committee following its overthrow in the January Storm. The revolutionary committee was the first of its kind in China, and employed a "triple alliance" model where military personnel, revolutionary cadres, and the revolutionary masses jointly administered the government. Zhang Chunqiao is the committee's first chairman, while Peng Chong was its last chairman. The committee was eventually disbanded during reforms in December 1979, when the Shanghai Municipal People's Government was reintroduced.

During the Cultural Revolution, influenced by Maoist leaders of the Cultural Revolution Group and the publication of the Sixteen Articles, rebel factions in Shanghai overthrew the Shanghai Municipal Committee of Chen Pixian and Cao Diqiu in January 1967. On 5 February, rebel factions under the leadership of Zhang Chunqiao created a new transitional revolutionary committee under the Shanghai People's Commune. It was modeled after the Paris Commune, and was to adopt direct democracy as its method of electing its leadership. The events in Shanghai influenced other provinces to undertake similar actions, which resulted in the collapse of preexisting bureaucratic authorities, replaced by revolutionary committees modeled after Shanghai. However, on 12 February 1967, following a discussion between Mao Zedong and top CRG leaders, Mao retracted his support for the commune as he was concerned that it would reduce the power of the Central Committee and State Council. On 23 February, the decision was made to dissolve the commune and reform it as the Shanghai Revolutionary Committee, with the temporary committee made permanent. A "triple alliance" system was employed in the committee, consisting of PLA military personnel, CRG revolutionary cadres, and the revolutionary masses from thirty two major rebel factions in the city. In 1971, the Shanghai Municipal Committee was reconvened, and some of the powers of Shanghai Revolutionary Committee's powers were transferred to it. In December 1979, the Shanghai Municipal People's Government was reestablished, replacing the Shanghai Revolutionary Committee.