Two trends led to the formation of AKP(m–l): • The radical movements of
Western academic environments in the late 1960s and early 1970s, particularly within the context of the
Vietnam War. • The
Sino-Soviet split between the
Soviet Union and
China, which caused an ideological crisis among an older generation of communists. The founders of AKP(m–l) came from what was then known as SUF, or
Sosialistisk Ungdomsforbund (Socialist Youth League). SUF had been started as the youth wing of the
Sosialistisk Folkeparti, but broke away in 1969 as it developed into a marxist-leninist direction. Following the split SUF was renamed SUF(m–l). As a result of the activity duty, many party members practiced "self-proletarisation" on the party's orders, working as manual labourers, especially in the period from 1974 to 1976. Later, the party encouraged its well-educated members to take work as teachers, particularly in higher education. As a part of their policy, AKP members have joined and tried to influence several voluntary organisations in socialist direction, particularly those related to "feminism", labor unions and anti-racism. AKP did not put its name on election ballots, choosing instead to work through
Red Electoral Alliance (RV), originally AKPs electoral face, but from 1990 a party of its own without any formal link to AKP, though most of AKPs members were also members of RV. In March 2007, AKP and
Red Electoral Alliance (RV) merged, and formed the party
Red, a revolutionary party with a programme supporting communism. Some former members of AKP have argued that since the party Red does not have activity duty or democratic centralism, it is not a communist party, while others have argued that a communist program and the fact that like traditional communist parties, Red is organized in cells, it is a communist party. Some former members of AKP, especially members of AKP's student organization, NKS, formed a marxist-leninist front,
KP(m–l) together with the
Marxist-Leninist Group Revolusjon. This front was meant to be an organisation with the purpose of building a traditional
marxist-leninist party.
Klassekampen (Class Struggle) used to be the party's daily newspaper in the 1970s, but it has been associated with a slightly wider political spectrum since the 1990s.
Red now owns 20% of the stocks in
Klassekampen, the amount AKP owned before the merge with RV. AKP was also associated to
Oktober Forlag, a
publisher. From early 2000s the party published the monthly newspaper
akp.no, named after the party's website, and throughout its existence it published a quarterly magazine for Marxist debate, first named
Røde Fane (Red Standard), then from 2005
Rødt! (Red! – this name might have inspired the name of the new party). The newspaper
akp.no continues as Red's party newspaper, under the name
Rødt Nytt (Red News). The magazine
Rødt! is continued under the ownership of the party Red. In 2017, it changed its name to
Gnist. == Controversy ==