|
|
| 1917 | Communist Party Germany Luxemburg, Rosa |  |
| Dec Revolution breaks out across Germany, the leftists, led by Rosa Luxemburg and the Spartacist League, form the KPD |
| Dec Revolution breaks out across Germany, the leftists, led by Rosa Luxemburg and the Spartacist League, form the KPD |
| 1920 | Assassination Germany Jogiches, Leo | |
| Following the assassination of Leo Jogiches, Paul Levi becomes the KPD leader |
| 1920 | Communist Party Germany Levi, Paul | |
| Following the assassination of Leo Jogiches, Paul Levi becomes the KPD leader |
| 1920 | Death Germany Jogiches, Leo | |
| Following the assassination of Leo Jogiches, Paul Levi becomes the KPD leader |
| 1920 | Party Leader Germany Levi, Paul | |
| Following the assassination of Leo Jogiches, Paul Levi becomes the KPD leader |
| 1921 | Comintern Germany Levi, Paul | |
| Levi was expelled by the Comintern for "indiscipline" |
| 1923 | Communist Party Germany Th„lmann, Ernst | |
| A new KPD leadership loyal to Joseph Stalin, the new Soviet Premier, was installed, headed by Ernst Th„lmann, abandons the goal of immediate revolution, and from 1924 onwards contested Reichstag elections |
| A new KPD leadership loyal to Joseph Stalin, the new Soviet Premier, was installed, headed by Ernst Th„lmann, abandons the goal of immediate revolution, and from 1924 onwards contested Reichstag elections |
| 1928 | Party Leader Germany Th„lmann, Ernst | |
| Stalin launches a new "leftist" policy, which the KPD loyally follows, the so-called Third Period policy holds that capitalism is entering a deep crisis and the time for a revolution was approaching, the SPD are denounced as "social fascists" |
| 1932 | Election Germany Th„lmann, Ernst | |
| In the presidential elections Th„lmann takes 13.2% of the vote, compared to Hitler's 30.1% |
| The "social fascism" policy scuttles any possibility of a united front with the SPD against the rising power of the Nazis |
| Nov The KPD wins 100 deputies |
| 1933 | Arrest Germany Th„lmann, Ernst | |
| The Enabling Act, legally gives Hitler dictatorial control of Germany, passed by a Reichstag session held after the Communist deputies had been arrested and jailed |
| The KPD is suppressed by the Nazis, thousands of Communists are imprisoned in concentration camps, including Th„lmann |
| The Enabling Act, legally gives Hitler dictatorial control of Germany, passed by a Reichstag session held after the Communist deputies had been arrested and jailed |
| The KPD is suppressed by the Nazis, thousands of Communists are imprisoned in concentration camps, including Th„lmann |
| 1933 | Exile of Ulbricht Germany Ulbricht, Walter | |
| The most senior KPD leader to escape is Walter Ulbricht, who goes into exile in the Soviet Union |
| 1933 | Reichstag Fire Germany Th„lmann, Ernst | |
| The Enabling Act, legally gives Hitler dictatorial control of Germany, passed by a Reichstag session held after the Communist deputies had been arrested and jailed |
| The Reichstag is set on fire and Dutch council Communist Marinus van der Lubbe is found inside the building, the Nazis publicly blame the fire on Communist agitators in general |
| 1945 | Communist Party Germany Ulbricht, Walter | |
| In East Germany, the KPD (led by Walter Ulbricht) absorbs some elements of the eastern SPD and is renamed the Socialist Unity Party (SED), which becomes the ruling party in East Germany until 1990 |
