KPD

KPD may refer to several organizations, most notably the Communist Party of Germany (Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands, KPD). Founded in 1918 by left-wing members of the Social Democratic Party, it advocated for revolutionary socialism and aligned with the Comintern.

In the Weimar Republic, the KPD was a major left-wing party, often in opposition to both the Social Democrats and the far-right. It pursued workers' rights and political change, and participated in both parliamentary politics and extraparliamentary activity; leader Ernst Thälmann guided the party until 1933 when he was imprisoned by the Nazi regime. After 1933, the KPD was banned, and many members were persecuted, killed, or fled into exile.

After World War II, the KPD reemerged in the Soviet occupation zone of Germany. In 1946 it merged with the SPD to form the Socialist Unity Party (SED), which became the ruling party of East Germany. In the Western zones, the KPD was reconstituted but was banned by the Federal Constitutional Court in West Germany in 1956 for subverting the constitutional order. Some former members later formed new political groups, such as the DKP (German Communist Party) in 1968.

Other uses: The acronym KPD is also used by various minor or regional political parties and organizations in different countries.