the kpd reorganised in the western part of germany, and received 5.7% of the vote in the first bundestag election in 1949. but the onset of the cold war and imposition of an undisguised communist dictatorship in east germany soon caused a collapse in the party's support. at the 1953 election the kpd only won 2.2 percent of the total votes and lost all of its seats, never to return. the party was banned in august 1956 by the federal constitutional court of germany. the decision was upheld by the european commission of human rights in "communist party of germany v. the federal republic of germany". the ban was due to the aggressive and combative methods that the party used as a "marxist-leninist party struggle" to achieve their goals.