leadership consisted of the social democrats, which had formerly belonged to the Socialist Labour Party of Denmark and the Socialist Youth League. During this period, the party made little electoral or popular advancement, declining from 0.5% of the vote in 1924, to 0.4% in 1926, and 0.3% in 1929. The Comintern intervened by means of an open letter to the party in 1929, forcing the removal of the DKP's leadership. For the next 18 months, the party was placed under the direct administration of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU). The new leadership that was appointed consisted of pro-Soviet hardliners, with Aksel Larsen becoming the new Chairman of the Central Committee. This intervention resulted in the DKP making an "ultra-left turn". This was characterized strategically by a designation of the Social Democrats as the primary enemy of communism and the adoption of anti-social democratic rhetoric, such as the labelling of the Social Democrats as "social fascists". Concurrently, the Great Depression was reaching its peak in Denmark, allowing the DKP to channel rising economic dissatisfaction. Particularly, the party grew in popularity amongst the unemployed. The party also grew in popularity amongst students and intellectuals for its anti-fascist activities. In the 1932 elections, the DKP achieved parliamentary representation for the first time, obtaining 1.1% of the vote and 2 seats. This increased to 1.9% of the vote in 1935, and 2.4% in 1939. The 1930s was a period of constant advancement for the party. Ban by German occupation authorities Germany invaded Denmark on 9 April 1940. For the first 14 months of the German occupation, the DKP was allowed to continue operating legally, but more than 300 communists, including members of parliament, were interned by the Danish police on 22 June 1941, following the German invasion of the Soviet Union. The party was subsequently outlawed when the Communist Law was signed into law two months later on 22 August 1941. A national unity government was formed by the other major parties, which cooperated with the Germans, including the outlawing of the DKP. Resistance against German occupation The DKP continued to operate underground, and was a leading force of the Danish resistance. Members of the DKP sat on the Danish Freedom Council, the largest underground resistance force against the German occupation. Following the collapse of the national unity government on 29 August 1943, the DKP, along with other non-socialist resistance forces,