Sanwan Reorganization

Sanwan Reorganization was an important restructuring action in the history of the Chinese Revolution. From September 29 to October 3, 1927, after the setback of the Autumn Harvest Uprising's plan to attack Changsha, Mao Zedong led his army to Jinggang Mountain, and on the way, he carried out an extremely historic reorganization and restructuring of the army in Sanwan Village, Yongxin County, Jiangxi Province.

There were three main points: Firstly, the integration of troops, the former First Division of the First Army of the Workers and Peasants Revolutionary Army was reduced to a regiment with two battalions and ten companies under its authority, called the First Regiment of the First Division of the First Army of the Workers’ and Peasants’ Revolutionary Army.

Secondly, a system of Party representatives was established at all levels of the army, branches were set up in companies, squads and platoons had groups, and Party committees were set up above battalions and regiments. The whole army was led by the Joint Front Committee of the Communist Party of China (the “Front Committee”) with Mao Zedong as the secretary. Thus, it established the principle of “the Party commands the gun”.

Thirdly, the establishment of a democratic system at the grassroots level of the army, the establishment of company committees of soldiers, the equality of officers and soldiers, economic equity, and the breaking up of the employment relationship that prevailed in the old army. The reorganization of the Sanwan has established the basic principle of “the Party commands the gun” of the Communist Party of China, ensured the proletarian nature of the army, and laid the foundation of a new type of people's army politically and organizationally. It is of great significance in the history of the establishment of the people's army.