the year 1952 signalled the end of mass influence on the part of italian left communism as its sole remaining representative, the internationalist communist party, split in two sections: the group led by bordiga took the name international communist party, while the group around damen retained the name internationalist communist party. the gauche communiste de france (gcf) dissolved in the same year. left communists entered a period of almost constant decline from this point onwards, although they were somewhat rejuvenated by the events of 1968.