Communist League (Denmark)
Encyclopedia
The Communist League was a political party in Denmark
. KF was founded on 21 January 1973 in Århus, by the 'Leninist Fraction' (a name given to them by their opponents) inside the Left Socialists
(VS).
The Leninist Fraction had emerged in 1970, due to the disillusionment of a faction within VS that wanted a stronger focus on labour struggles. The faction was able to push through a new party programme and win leadership of VS at the fourth VS congress in 1971.
VS then plunged into factional infighting. The conflicts reached their peak at the fifth congress in November 1972, after which the faction left VS. In fact, the faction was able to gather a majority of the delegates at the 1972 congress, but in spite of this they opted to leave VS and form a new organization on the grounds that it was not possible to build a militant and revolutionary organization cohabitating with hippie
s and anti-trade union
tendencies. Around 300 VS members followed the faction to found KF, leaving VS with just around 300 members.
KF was mainly centered around Århus and Ålborg, which had been the main bases of the group that had left VS. In Århus it had a base among student activists, grouped in the 'Students Front'. The Copenhagen
branch of KF was quite weak, however.
KF established new branches in Odense
and Helsingør, and became the leading force in the revolutionary left in Århus, Ålborg and Odense.
KF started publishing Vejen til Socialismen in 1976 and Arbejderpolitik in 1977.
In 1975, factional conflicts surged within KF. One section, centered in the university environment in Århus, emerged as a group called the 'Coffee Club' (Kaffeklubben). It proposed certain renewals of the strategy of KF. Ahead of the 1977 congress, a document, based upon the inputs from the Coffee Club, was approved as a strategic document of KF. A minority, based in Copenhagen, which wanted a more Leninist
line organized itself as the Communist League - Politics
and left KF.
In 1980 KF was dissolved and its members joined VS. During its existence, KF held seven congresses and various annual summer camps.
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. KF was founded on 21 January 1973 in Århus, by the 'Leninist Fraction' (a name given to them by their opponents) inside the Left Socialists
Left Socialists
Left Socialists , a political party in Denmark. VS works on what it calls a 'undogmatic revolutionary and Marxist basis'.It was formed in 1967 as a split from the Socialist People's Party . VS was represented by the letter "Y" on the electoral ballots. VS members of parliament were respected and...
(VS).
The Leninist Fraction had emerged in 1970, due to the disillusionment of a faction within VS that wanted a stronger focus on labour struggles. The faction was able to push through a new party programme and win leadership of VS at the fourth VS congress in 1971.
VS then plunged into factional infighting. The conflicts reached their peak at the fifth congress in November 1972, after which the faction left VS. In fact, the faction was able to gather a majority of the delegates at the 1972 congress, but in spite of this they opted to leave VS and form a new organization on the grounds that it was not possible to build a militant and revolutionary organization cohabitating with hippie
Hippie
The hippie subculture was originally a youth movement that arose in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to other countries around the world. The etymology of the term 'hippie' is from hipster, and was initially used to describe beatniks who had moved into San Francisco's...
s and anti-trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
tendencies. Around 300 VS members followed the faction to found KF, leaving VS with just around 300 members.
KF was mainly centered around Århus and Ålborg, which had been the main bases of the group that had left VS. In Århus it had a base among student activists, grouped in the 'Students Front'. The Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
branch of KF was quite weak, however.
KF established new branches in Odense
Odense
The city of Odense is the third largest city in Denmark.Odense City has a population of 167,615 and is the main city of the island of Funen...
and Helsingør, and became the leading force in the revolutionary left in Århus, Ålborg and Odense.
KF started publishing Vejen til Socialismen in 1976 and Arbejderpolitik in 1977.
In 1975, factional conflicts surged within KF. One section, centered in the university environment in Århus, emerged as a group called the 'Coffee Club' (Kaffeklubben). It proposed certain renewals of the strategy of KF. Ahead of the 1977 congress, a document, based upon the inputs from the Coffee Club, was approved as a strategic document of KF. A minority, based in Copenhagen, which wanted a more Leninist
Leninism
In Marxist philosophy, Leninism is the body of political theory for the democratic organisation of a revolutionary vanguard party, and the achievement of a direct-democracy dictatorship of the proletariat, as political prelude to the establishment of socialism...
line organized itself as the Communist League - Politics
Communist League - Politics
Communist League - Politics was a splinter-group of the Communist League in Denmark.KF-p gathered around 6% of the delegates at the 1977 KF congress. KF-p was mainly based in the Copenhagen branch of KF...
and left KF.
In 1980 KF was dissolved and its members joined VS. During its existence, KF held seven congresses and various annual summer camps.