The Communist Party of Denmark (, DKP) is a communist party in Denmark. The DKP was founded on 9 November 1919 as the Left-Socialist Party of Denmark (, VSP), through a merger of the Socialist Youth League and Socialist Labour Party of Denmark, both of which had broken away from the Social Democrats in March 1918. The party adopted its present name in November 1920, when it joined the Comintern.
The DKP was last represented in the Danish parliament () in 1979. In 1989, on the initiative of the Left Socialists (VS), the DKP and the Socialist Workers Party (SAP) jointly launched a new socialist political party named the Red-Green Alliance ().
History
Background and establishment
Marie-Sophie Nielsen led the faction of Social Democrats that broke away in 1918 and founded the Socialist Labour Party of Denmark due to an accumulation of conflicts with the reformist leadership of the Social Democrats. In particular, they opposed cooperation with the Radical Liberal Party, with whom the Social Democrats allied themselves in general elections. The Socialist Labour Party of Denmark began laying the foundations for a new party in March 1918, soon after its establishment.
In 1919, the party cooperated with the syndicalist movement, primarily organized within the Trade Union Opposition Coalition (, FS) and the Socialist Youth League, a left-wing group that broke away from the Social Democratic Youth (the youth wing of the Social Democrats), to establish the Left-Socialist Party of Denmark on 9 November 1919.
The party participated in the 2nd Comintern Congress in 1920. The party approved the admission requirements, changed its name to the Communist Party of Denmark, and joined the Comintern the same year. This, however, led to a split within the party, with the FS-led syndicalist faction withdrawing from the party.
Following a rapprochement between the two groups, and with the support of the Soviet Union, the DKP and FS formed a joint federation in 1921, known as the Communist Federation (). However, the cooperation was short lived; the federation split in 1922 following an attempted coup of the party's leadership, and for the next 18 months Denmark would have two parties calling themselves the Communist Party of Denmark, although only one was recognized by the Comintern. The two parties were successfully merged once more in 1923, but inter-factional conflicts would continue for another 20 years.
For the initial period following the party's reunification, the DKP's leadership consisted of the social democrats who had formerly belonged to the Socialist Labour Party of Denmark and the Socialist Youth League. During this period, the party made little electoral or popular headway, declining from 0.5% of the vote in 1924, to 0.4% in 1926, and 0.3% in 1929.
The Comintern intervened by means of an open letter to the party in 1929, forcing the removal of the DKP's leadership. For the next 18 months, the party was placed under the direct administration of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU). The new leadership that was appointed consisted of pro-Soviet hardliners, with Aksel Larsen becoming the new Chairman of the Central Committee.
This intervention resulted in the DKP making an "ultra-left turn". This was characterized strategically by a designation of the Social Democrats as the primary enemy of communism and the adoption of anti-social democratic rhetoric, such as the labelling of the Social Democrats as "social fascists". Concurrently, the Great Depression was reaching its peak in Denmark, allowing the DKP to channel rising economic dissatisfaction. Particularly, the party grew in popularity amongst the unemployed. The party also gained popularity amongst students and intellectuals for its anti-fascist activities.
In the 1932 elections, the DKP achieved parliamentary representation for the first time, obtaining 1.1% of the vote and 2 seats. This increased to 1.9% of the vote in 1935, and 2.4% in 1939. The 1930s were a period of constant advancement for the party.
Ban by German occupation authorities
Germany invaded Denmark on 9 April 1940. For the first 14 months of the German occupation, the DKP was allowed to continue operating legally, but more than 300 communists, including members of parliament, were interned by the Danish police on 22 June 1941, following the German invasion of the Soviet Union. The party was subsequently outlawed when the Communist Law came into force two months later on 22 August 1941. A national unity government was formed by the other major parties, which cooperated with the Germans, including in the outlawing of the DKP.