Aksel Larsen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Aksel Larsen
Leader of the Socialist People's Party
In office 1959–1968
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Sigurd Ømann
Leader of the Communist Party of Denmark
In office 1932–1958
Preceded by	Thøger Thøgersen
Succeeded by	Knud Jespersen
Member of Folketinget
In office 1932–1941
In office 1945–1972
Minister without Portfolio
In office 5 May 1945 – 7 November 1945
Prime Minister	Vilhelm Buhl
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Office abolished
Personal details
Born	(1897-08-05)5 August 1897 Brændekilde, Odense Municipality, Denmark
Died	10 January 1972(1972-01-10) (aged 74)
Resting place	Fredens Kirkegård, Odense, Denmark
Political party	Socialist People's Party
Other political affiliations	Communist Party of Denmark, Social Democrats, Communist Party of the Soviet Union
Spouse	Gerda Larsen
Alma mater	International Lenin School

Aksel Larsen (born August 5, 1897 – died January 10, 1972) was an important Danish politician. He led the Communist Party of Denmark (DKP) for many years. Later, he founded and led the Socialist People's Party. People remember him for his long political career. He was also held in the Sachsenhausen concentration camp during World War II.

Aksel Larsen first supported the Social Democrats. Then he became a Trotskyist before supporting Stalinism. He often defended the Soviet Union's actions early in his career. He became the leader of the Communist Party in 1932. That same year, he was elected to Folketinget, Denmark's parliament. In 1941, Danish police started arresting communists. Larsen had to go into hiding. After World War II ended, Larsen became a minister in the government. His party did very well in the 1945 election.

After the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, Larsen spoke out against the Soviet Union. This caused problems with other party leaders who were loyal to Moscow. He was eventually expelled from the Communist Party in 1958. Larsen then started the Socialist People's Party. Because he was so popular, his new party won seats in parliament in the 1960 election. The Communists, however, lost all their seats.

Larsen was highly respected by other politicians, especially later in his life. He led the Socialist People's Party until 1968. He remained a member of parliament until he died in 1972. In 2005, a study suggested that Larsen worked secretly with a Western intelligence service during the Cold War.

Aksel Larsen's Early Life and Education

Aksel Larsen was born in 1897 in a small town called Brændekilde. His family was poor, and he was one of six children. Thanks to several scholarships, he was able to finish lower secondary school. After school, he became an apprentice at a railway company. He then worked as a railway worker in 1917. In 1918, he moved to Copenhagen to live in a bigger city.

Aksel Larsen's First Steps in Politics

Joining the Social Democrats

In Copenhagen, Aksel Larsen got a job delivering bicycles. He joined the Social Democratic Party. His parents had been members of this party for many years. He also became a shop steward in the Delivery Men's Union. Through his work, he learned about syndicalism. He also saw growing opposition to the Social Democratic Party.

His political ideas became more radical. He took part in protests in 1918. A big event for Larsen was the Easter Crisis of 1920. During this time, the king dismissed the government. Larsen spoke publicly in Copenhagen. The Social Democratic Party leaders reached a compromise. This disappointed Larsen. He left the Social Democratic Party and joined the new Left Socialist Party. He campaigned for this new party in the 1920 election. However, the party only got a very small number of votes.

Becoming a Communist Leader

Larsen was excited about the revolutions in Russia and Germany. He supported the Left Socialist Party joining the Comintern in 1920. The party then changed its name to "The Communist Party of Denmark." He became known as a good speaker and organizer. He quickly moved up in the party ranks. He became chairman of a local party branch in Copenhagen. He also joined the party leadership for Greater Copenhagen.

In 1922, the party split into two groups. Larsen was a secretary for one of these groups. He left the leadership when the two groups rejoined in 1923. In the 1924 election, he was so well known that he got a secret offer. The Social Democrats wanted him to rejoin their party. He refused and continued to work for the communists.

Studying in Moscow

In 1925, the Communist Party of Denmark chose Larsen to go to Moscow. He would attend new courses at the International Lenin School. These courses were meant to train loyal leaders for communist parties worldwide. They lasted for two years. Larsen's education helped him, as the courses were taught in several languages.

While in Moscow, Joseph Stalin was removing his opponents from power. Larsen joined the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. He first sided with those who opposed Stalin. After Stalin won, Larsen was pressured to change his views. He eventually agreed, but he was still expelled from the school in 1928. He was sent to a city called Nizhny Novgorod. However, the Danish Communist Party asked for him to return. Larsen left the Soviet Union in 1929.

Return to Denmark and Rise to Power

When Aksel Larsen returned to Denmark, he was not popular with the Communist Party. This was because he had opposed Stalin. Even so, he was elected party secretary for Copenhagen. The party needed talented people.

The party faced many internal problems. The 1929 election was a big loss for them. The Comintern sent a German representative to Denmark in 1930. They wanted to fix the party's disagreements. They also demanded that the Danish party follow a more extreme path.

Larsen gained power by leading a growing movement of unemployed people. In March 1930, he became chairman of the National Committee of the Unemployed. Over 100,000 unemployed people gathered in Copenhagen. He became famous for a speech he gave in 1931. He spoke from a rowboat in the canals of Slotsholmen to avoid police.

The movement of the unemployed was the biggest in the party's history. More people joined the party. The party newspaper also sold more copies. In the 1932 election, the communists got 1.1% of the votes. Aksel Larsen and Arne Munch-Petersen became the first two communist members of parliament. Even though the Comintern still did not fully trust Larsen, his success led to him being elected party chairman in 1932.

Leading the Communist Party

Changing Communist Ideas for Denmark

Larsen was good at explaining the Comintern's ideas in a way that made sense for Denmark. He was also a great speaker. These skills helped him organize the unemployed and win seats in parliament. In parliament, he was known as a powerful speaker. He didn't just translate Moscow's policies; he changed them. He made the extreme ideas softer. He also warned his party not to see the Social Democrats as their main enemy.

Larsen wanted to create a unique Danish form of communism. These feelings grew stronger after the Comintern suggested working closely with Social Democrats. But the Social Democrats were not friendly to communists. So, Larsen thought it would be better to work with the Social Liberal Party instead. Most of the party leaders agreed with him.

The Comintern worried about the Danish party and Larsen's past. As disagreements grew, letters between Larsen and Moscow became very harsh. The Comintern became impatient with Larsen. They called him to Moscow for talks. This happened after he wrote articles against increasing military spending. He had published these articles without Moscow's approval. His views also went against Soviet interests. Denmark's location was important for controlling the Baltic Sea. A strong Danish defense could stop Nazi Germany from attacking the Soviet Union through Denmark.

Surviving Stalin's Purges

Even though Larsen wanted more freedom for the Danish Communist Party, he supported the Soviet Union. At this time, he was loyal to Joseph Stalin. He defended the Great Purge and the Moscow trials. This was true even though these events affected many of his old friends. He also did not believe all the accusations.

In May 1937, Larsen arrived in Moscow. The city was full of fear and anti-Trotskyist ideas. Many of his old friends had disappeared or were too scared to meet him. His talks with the Comintern turned into a political trial against him. He was still not forgiven for his past. He defended the Danish party's ideas. But he was pressured to sign a paper saying the Danish party would follow the popular front strategy. He was only allowed to leave Moscow after convincing them he needed to go home. His wife was sick, and he had to work in parliament.

Being a member of parliament likely saved his life. It is thought that the Soviet Interior Ministry planned to arrest Larsen. But the Comintern's general secretary, Georgi Dimitrov, stopped it. He did not want to arrest a member of a foreign parliament. Arne Munch-Petersen, who had been in the talks with Larsen, was not protected. He was arrested in July 1937. After weeks of harsh questioning, he confessed to being a Trotskyist. He died in prison in 1940.

Aksel Larsen and the Communist Party leaders learned about Arne Munch-Petersen's arrest in January 1938. They were shocked. But they felt they could not help him without harming their relationship with Moscow. So, they kept it a secret from the public and from Munch-Petersen's family.

Working with the Popular Front

Larsen and the Danish Communist Party followed Moscow's orders. They began working on the popular front policy. In March 1938, after Adolf Hitler took over Austria, Larsen gave a speech. He used more patriotic language than before. He warned that Denmark could face the same fate. After the speech, the communists asked the Social Democrats and Social Liberal Party to join them. Larsen promised "unconditional and loyal support" to the Social Democratic leader.

This new party approach was highlighted at the 1938 party meeting. Larsen gave one of his most important speeches. He said the Communist Party was both Danish and democratic. He stressed the party's wish for unity in the labor movement. The popular front policy gained supporters outside the usual communist areas. Larsen's popularity helped the communists gain more support. However, the Social Democrats still refused to work with them.

Despite Larsen's popularity, the party's voter support was small. In the 1939 election, the communists got 2.4% of the vote. They went from two to three seats in parliament. But this was much less than Larsen had hoped for. Two months later, the communists were disappointed again. They had campaigned for a new constitution in the 1939 referendum. But it was not passed.

World War II: Resistance and Imprisonment

The popular front policy fell apart when the Molotov–Ribbentrop pact was signed in August 1939. Larsen was confused but defended Stalin's decision. The German and Soviet invasions of Poland caused more confusion. The idea of the Soviet Union as a "protector against fascism" was gone.

Larsen tried his best to defend the Soviet Union. This caused him a lot of stress. He asked to resign as chairman, but his requests were denied. They feared a leadership change would weaken the party. He asked again when the Soviet Union pressured Finland. But he was turned down again. The Soviet attack on Finland in November 1939 created strong public sympathy for Finland in Denmark. In contrast, the communists were disliked for supporting the Soviet Union. Larsen became a target of public anger. Soon after the war began, all members of parliament walked out when Larsen spoke.

Peace between Finland and the Soviet Union eased some of the stress. But on April 9, 1940, Germany occupied Denmark. Larsen was in Moscow at the time. He returned to Copenhagen in April with instructions. The Communist Party of Denmark was still legal. But the Comintern and Danish party leaders expected it to be banned soon. The DKP tried to stay legal as long as possible. They used the time to prepare to go underground. However, the Danish police surprised them. Leading communists were arrested on June 22, 1941. The party and its ideas were banned two months later.

Larsen avoided capture and went into hiding. He and the party continued their political work. They became part of the resistance movement. They published illegal writings against the ban on communism. In January 1942, Larsen helped start a resistance group called "Frit Danmark" (A Free Denmark). This group also published an illegal newspaper.

Aksel Larsen was captured in 1942 and sent to Sachsenhausen.

The next month, Larsen led a party meeting. They decided the DKP would sabotage the German occupiers. But Larsen never got to do sabotage work. Danish police arrested him on November 5, 1942. He was taken to Vestre Fængsel prison. The Germans then took him to the Sachsenhausen concentration camp in August 1943. There, he was held in a lonely cell. It was separated from the rest of the camp by a high wall and electric barbed wire.

After the War and Cold War Challenges

Aksel Larsen survived the concentration camp. He was rescued by Sweden in April 1945. He returned to Denmark on May 5 and was seen as a hero. The war had completely changed how people viewed the communist movement. The Soviet Union was praised for its war efforts. The DKP was praised for its role in the resistance.

In the months after the war, Larsen was still recovering from the concentration camp. He did not play a big role in politics. The DKP was given seats in the government. Larsen became a minister without a specific department. While he recovered, Alfred Jensen led the party. The 1945 election was the best ever for the communists. They got 12.5% of the votes and 18 seats in parliament. Larsen himself received the most personal votes.

The friendly relations between Social Democrats and communists soon ended. The old disagreements from before the war started again. The Danish communists became disliked again when the Cold War began. The communist takeover in Czechoslovakia in 1948 also contributed. Larsen again defended the Soviet Union.

Even though the Comintern was gone, he often asked for advice from the Soviet embassy in Copenhagen. His loyalty to Moscow was strong. He was known as "one of Scandinavia's most reliable Stalinists." He helped remove the Norwegian communist leader Peder Furubotn.

Larsen still managed to explain Soviet ideas in a Danish way. His skills as a speaker helped slow down the loss of voter support. But he could not stop it. As the Cold War got worse, the DKP became more isolated.

A controversy happened in March 1949. A newspaper printed secret police records from his wartime interrogations. He was accused of giving too much information to the Germans. He was also accused of betraying his comrades in the resistance. His party and resistance veterans defended him. But his opponents used these records against him for many years.

During a trip to Moscow in 1951, Larsen learned that Arne Munch-Petersen had died in 1940. Even though this case kept appearing in the news, Larsen stayed silent. He denied knowing anything about Munch-Petersen's fate.

The Cold War was a stressful time for Larsen. But he mostly stuck to his communist beliefs. He first started to doubt after Joseph Stalin died. All those accused in the Doctors' Plot trials were cleared. Their confessions had been made under torture. But Larsen's doubts were short-lived. He felt stronger in his views after Nikita Khrushchev's changes in the Soviet Union. A factory strike and more party members convinced Larsen that the party had a bright future.

Final Years as a Communist Leader

Larsen attended a big communist meeting in 1956. But he did not personally hear Khrushchev's "Secret Speech" about Stalin. He first learned about it from The New York Times. Larsen read the speech at the Soviet embassy. He then suggested a party approach that was more independent from Moscow.

A general strike in 1956 had strengthened the DKP. Larsen got his party's support for a more independent path. He also wanted to change the party into a "broad, national, socialistic party."

The good situation for Danish communists changed quickly. This happened after the Soviet invasion of Hungary in October 1956. Once again, the public disliked communists. They became politically isolated. Inside the party, Larsen had to balance between those who supported the invasion and those who opposed it. Internal tension grew. This led to a special party meeting in January 1957. For the first time since 1932, Aksel Larsen gave his report in his own name. The meeting elected new leaders who mostly opposed Larsen's ideas.

The party was full of internal disagreements. The situation became critical when the League of Communists of Yugoslavia invited the Danish party to its 1958 meeting. The Soviet party first accepted, then decided to boycott it. They pressured other communist parties not to go. Larsen wanted to go anyway. The Danish executive committee supported him. But it was decided that Knud Jespersen and Børge Houmann would go instead.

Disagreements continued after the Yugoslav meeting. On July 8, 1958, Larsen brought back his old ideas. He spoke about a unique Danish form of communism. He urged the party leaders to become more independent. Larsen now believed the Danish party should not always support the Soviet Union.

A fierce struggle broke out. Larsen lost the party meeting in October 1958. On November 16, 1958, the communist newspaper announced he had been expelled from the party.

Working with Western Intelligence

In 2005, the Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS) concluded something important. They said that Larsen had a secret working relationship from 1958 to 1971. This was with one of Denmark's allies during the Cold War. They stated that "Larsen... obviously was an agent of a Western intelligence service."

A historian named Peer Henrik Hansen wrote a book in 2005. He suggested that Aksel Larsen was recruited by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). According to Hansen, Larsen first met American agents in November 1958 at his home. A newspaper reported that Larsen was offered information. This information was about the views of hard-line party members. In return, he was asked to cause a split in the party. For years, the CIA had a listening device in the apartment of Alfred Jensen. Jensen was the vice-chairman of the Communist Party of Denmark. From this, they knew about the tensions within the party leadership.

According to Hansen, Aksel Larsen feared revenge from the KGB (Soviet intelligence). He suspected the American agent might be a KGB assassin. So, he brought a friend with a gun to the first meeting as a bodyguard. Another party colleague of Larsen's said Larsen had plans to go into hiding if the Soviets invaded. Hansen believes Larsen's cooperation with the CIA was a trade-off. The CIA got information about communists. In return, Larsen would be protected from the KGB.

Over eight years, Larsen met with the CIA many times. He gave them information about the relationship between the Soviet Union and other communist parties. He was asked if the Danish Communist Party was spying for the Soviets. He was also asked if the party was preparing a secret organization. He said he did not have direct knowledge. But he told the agent that the party had refused Soviet and East German requests for help with espionage. Some sources say Larsen was rewarded with vacations, dinners, and money for his help.

Larsen met with a CIA agent connected to Radio Liberty. He told the Americans a lot about international communism. But he was less willing to talk about Danish communists. Especially about how Moscow funded them. He said many times that he wanted to destroy his former party. He also wanted to destroy others who followed the Soviet Union's orders.

According to Hansen, the Soviets knew about Larsen's cooperation with the CIA. Danish intelligence agencies also learned about it in 1958. The CIA operation was illegal under Danish law. But the Danish intelligence agencies promised not to interfere. In return, they got copies of the debriefings.

The Socialist People's Party Years

Starting a New Party

Even though he was no longer a communist, Larsen was still a socialist. Ideas for a new political party were made public on November 20, 1958. A committee was created the next day, with Larsen as its leader. The Socialist People's Party (SF) was officially registered on November 24. The party held its first meeting in Copenhagen on February 15, 1959. Like the Communist Party, it was based on Marxism. But unlike the DKP, the new party promised to be loyal to Danish parliamentary democracy. It called for a peaceful path to socialism.

Before the 1960 election, polls did not look good for the Socialist People's Party. But Larsen showed his skill with the new medium of television. He spoke to viewers from a hospital bed after breaking his leg in a car accident. The new party won 6.4% of the votes and 11 seats in parliament. The communists, however, lost all their six seats. Many SF members were former communists. So, some other parties thought the Socialist People's Party was just communists in disguise. These suspicions faded over time, and the party became accepted.

The "Red Cabinet" and Last Years

In the 1966 election, the Socialist People's Party and the Social Democrats gained enough votes to form a majority. There were talks about forming a joint government. But the Socialist People's Party could not agree to the Social Democrats' demands. Instead, Jens Otto Krag of the Social Democrats formed a government supported by the socialists. A joint committee was formed between the two parties. This committee was soon called “The Red Cabinet.”

The Red Cabinet lasted until December 1967. At that time, six of the 20 Socialist People's Party members voted against the government's proposal to freeze a payment. A special party meeting was held. Larsen won a majority for his political ideas. But he still had to resign as party leader. However, a split could not be avoided. On December 17, the minority group formed a new party called the Left Socialists. Sigurd Ømann took over as chairman of the Socialist People's Party. Aksel Larsen remained a member of parliament until he died.

Personal Life and Death

Larsen was married three times. He passed away on January 10, 1972. He is buried at Fredens Kirkegård in Odense.

Aksel Larsen's Legacy

Aksel Larsen remained a controversial figure until his death. His new party gained acceptance. His supporters admired him and spoke of a special kind of socialism called "Larsenism." But he was also accused of betraying his principles. People criticized him for being a strong supporter of the Soviet Union. They also criticized him for hiding the truth about Arne Munch-Petersen's fate. However, he was also a respected member of parliament. He was one of Denmark's most popular politicians.

Some people see Larsen's attempts to create a "Third Way" of communism, independent of the Soviet Union, as an early example of eurocommunism.

He is one of the politicians honored with a bust in the hallways of the Folketing (Danish Parliament).

See also

• Popular socialism

Images for kids

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  Frederiksholms Kanal around Slotsholmen, where Larsen gave his row boat speech in 1931.