In 1932 the Chinese municipality of Shanghai was attacked by Japanese marines in the Zhabei district, leading to weeks of heavy fighting. In 1937, Shanghai was [[Battle of Shanghai|attacked by Japanese forces]], prompting the outbreak of the [[Second Sino-Japanese War]]. In 1943, the western powers ceded (de jure) control of the foreign concessions to China, and Shanghai was liberated from the Japanese in 1945. In 1949 it was occupied by Communist forces. The city suffered from underinvestment in the early decades of Communist rule; nevertheless it was a hotbed of radicalism during the [[Cultural Revolution]] of the late 1960s and a base for the [[Gang of Four]]. Since the economic reforms introduced by [[Deng Xiaoping]] in the 1980s it has become one of the most rapidly modernising and dynamic cities in the world. | In 1932 the Chinese municipality of Shanghai was attacked by Japanese marines in the Zhabei district, leading to weeks of heavy fighting. In 1937, Shanghai was [[Battle of Shanghai|attacked by Japanese forces]], prompting the outbreak of the [[Second Sino-Japanese War]]. In 1943, the western powers ceded (de jure) control of the foreign concessions to China, and Shanghai was liberated from the Japanese in 1945. In 1949 it was occupied by Communist forces. The city suffered from underinvestment in the early decades of Communist rule; nevertheless it was a hotbed of radicalism during the [[Cultural Revolution]] of the late 1960s and a base for the [[Gang of Four]]. Since the economic reforms introduced by [[Deng Xiaoping]] in the 1980s it has become one of the most rapidly modernising and dynamic cities in the world. |