List of left-wing rebel groups

This is a list of left-wing rebel groups around the world. These groups are seeking change through armed conflict or illegal protest in opposition to an established government. This list does not contain those legal armed forces in communist states.

List of ACTIVE groups

All groups still engaging in armed struggle today.

Country	Group	Strength	Official Ideology
International	Animal Liberation Front		Animal rights
International	Earth Liberation Front		Environmentalism
	Afghanistan Liberation Organization		Maoism
	Communist (Maoist) Party of Afghanistan		Marxism–Leninism–Maoism
	Bhutan Communist Party (Marxist–Leninist–Maoist) Bhutan Tiger Force	600–1,000	Marxism–Leninism–Maoism
	Maoist Communist Party of China	Unknown	Marxism–Leninism–Maoism
	National Liberation Army	1,380 - 3,000	Marxism
	Popular Liberation Army	90–200	Hoxhaism
	Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia—People's Army Clandestine Colombian Communist Party	7,000–10,000	Marxism–Leninism
	Communist Party of Ecuador–Red Sun	Unknown	Marxism–Leninism–Maoism
	Group of Popular Combatants		Hoxhaism
	ETA	50	Revolutionary socialism
	Revolutionary Struggle	Unknown	Anarchist communism
	Sect of Revolutionaries	Unknown	Far-left
	Akhil Bharat Nepali Ekta Samaj	Unknown	Maoism
	Communist Party of India (Maoist) People's Liberation Guerrilla Army People's Militia	People's Liberation Guerrilla Army: 8,000–9,000 (September 2013) People's Militia: 38,000 (armed with bows, arrows, and machetes)	Marxism–Leninism–Maoism
	Maoist Communist Party of Manipur New People's Militia	Unknown	Marxism–Leninism–Maoism
	National Socialist Council of Nagaland	~4,500	Maoism
	People's Liberation Army of Manipur	3,800 (2008)	Maoism
	Communist Party of Iran (Marxist–Leninist–Maoist)	Unknown	Marxism–Leninism–Maoism
	Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan	Unknown	Democratic socialism
	Party of Free Life of Kurdistan	Unknown	Libertarian socialism
	People's Mujahedin of Iran	Unknown	Islamic socialism
	Worker-communist Party of Iran – Hekmatist	Unknown	Workerism
	Informal Anarchist Federation	Unknown	Insurrectionary anarchism
	Japan Revolutionary Communist League (Revolutionary Marxist Faction)		Trotskyism
	Popular Revolutionary Army	Unknown	Maoism
	Zapatista Army of National Liberation	Unknown	Neozapatismo
	Abu Nidal Organization	Unknown	Arab socialism
	Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades		Socialism
	Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine National Resistance Brigades	Unknown	Marxism–Leninism–Maoism
	Palestine Liberation Front		Marxism–Leninism
	Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine Abu Ali Mustapha Brigades	Unknown	Marxism–Leninism
	Paraguayan People's Army	50–80	Communism
	Shining Path	4,200	Marxism–Leninism–Maoism
	Bagong Alyansang Makabayan	Unknown	Marxism–Leninism–Maoism
	Communist Party of the Philippines New People's Army National Democratic Front New Patriotic Alliance	4,000	Maoism
	Moro National Liberation Front	Unknown	Egalitarianism
	Revolutionary Workers' Party	Unknown	Marxism–Leninism
	Revolutionary Workers Party – Mindanao	Unknown	Trotskyism
	New Revolutionary Alternative	Unknown	Insurrectionary anarchism
	People's Protection Units Women's Protection Units International Freedom Battalion	50,000	Libertarian socialism
	Kurdistan Workers' Party People's Defence Forces Free Women's Units	15,000 active fighters	Libertarian socialism
	Communist Labour Party of Turkey/Leninist	Unknown	Marxism–Leninism
	Communist Party of Kurdistan	Unknown	Communism
	Communist Party of Turkey/Marxist–Leninist	Unknown	Marxism–Leninism–Maoism
	Communist Party of Turkey/Marxist–Leninist (Maoist Party Centre)		Marxism–Leninism–Maoism
	Devrimci Karargâh	Unknown	Marxism–Leninism
	Kurdistan Workers' Party People's Defence Forces Free Women's Units	15,000 active fighters	Libertarian socialism
	Maoist Communist Party		Marxism–Leninism–Maoism
	Marxist–Leninist Communist Party	Unknown	Hoxhaism
	Party of Free Life of Kurdistan	Unknown	Libertarian socialism
	Revolutionary Party of Kurdistan	Unknown	Marxism–Leninism
	Revolutionary People's Liberation Party–Front	Unknown	Marxism–Leninism
	Revolutionary People's Party	Unknown	Communism
	Borotba	Unknown	Marxism–Leninism
	Continuity Irish Republican Army	50 or less "hard-core" operatives and fewer than 200 members in total	Irish republican socialism
	Óglaigh na hÉireann	50 members	Irish republicanism
	Real Irish Republican Army	250–300	Irish republicanism
	Black Guerrilla Family	100-300 full members with 50,000 associates	Marxism–Leninism
	Polisario Front Front Polisario Khat al-Shahid	6–7,000 active soldiers	Islamic socialism

List of successful groups

All groups who no longer exist because they have met their goals, some are now the established government in their respective region.

Group	Strength	Official Ideology
National Liberation Movement	70,000	Marxism–Leninism
Front de l'Indépendance		Communism
Khmer Rouge Communist Party of Kampuchea		Maoism
Communist Party of China People's Liberation Army	2,285,000 active and 510,000 reserve (as government army)	Marxism–Leninism
26th of July Movement	Unknown	Revolutionary socialism
Eritrean People's Liberation Front		Marxism–Leninism
National Liberation Front Greek People's Liberation Army Political Committee of National Liberation United Panhellenic Organization of Youth Organization for the Protection of the People's Struggle National Solidarity		Communism
National Republican Greek League	ca.12,000 (October 1944)	Socialism
Pathet Lao		Marxism–Leninism
Gwardia Ludowa		Communism
Bolsheviks	Unknown	Leninism
Viet Cong		Marxism–Leninism
National Liberation Front	Unknown	Marxism
Yugoslav Partisans	80,000 – 800,000	Communism

List of failed groups

All groups that have failed at their end goal or have dissolved, and no longer exist.

Group	Strength	Official Ideology
Popular Front for the Liberation of Bahrain	Unknown	Marxism–Leninism
Partisans Armés	\|Communism
Ñancahuazú Guerrilla	29 Bolivians 25 Cubans 3 Peruvians 1 Argentine-Cuban (Che) 1 Argentine-German (Tania)	Revolutionary socialism
FLQ	\|Left-wing nationalism
Soviet Republic of Naissaar	\|Revolutionary socialism
Finnish Socialist Workers' Republic	\|Revolutionary socialism
Action directe Elisabeth Van Dyck Commando		Libertarian socialism
Paris Commune Communards National Guard	On paper, 200,000; in reality, probably between 25,000 and 50,000 actual combatants	Revolutionary socialism
Alsace Soviet Republic	14	Soviet republicanism
Anti-Imperialist Cell	2	Anti-imperialism
Bavarian Council Republic	Unknown	Socialism
Communist Party of Germany	360,000 in 1932	Marxism
European Union	\|Socialism
Free Workers' Union of Germany	Unknown	Anarcho-syndicalism
Militante gruppe (mg)	Unknown	Communism
Revolutionary Cells		New Left
Spartacus League	Unknown	Luxemburgism
Armed Proletarians for Communism		Communism
Autonomia Operaia	\|Autonomism
Lotta Continua	\|Communism
October 22 Group		Marxism–Leninism
Political-Military Communist Party		Communism
Potere Operaio	\|Workerism
Prima Linea		Marxism–Leninism
Red Brigades	Unknown	Marxism–Leninism
Arab Communist Organization	Unknown	Communism
Front of Patriotic and National Parties Union of Working People's Forces	Unknown	Left-wing nationalism
Lebanese National Movement Sixth of February Movement	18,700 in 1976	Left-wing nationalism
Lebanese National Resistance Front Lebanese Armed Revolutionary Factions	1,000–2,000	Left-wing nationalism
Organisation of Yemeni Revolutionary Resistors	Unknown	Socialism
Revolutionary Democratic Party of Yemen	Unknown	Marxism–Leninism
Dhofar Liberation Front	Unknown	Marxism
Popular Front for the Liberation of Oman	Unknown	Marxism
Popular Front for the Liberation of the Occupied Arabian Gulf	Unknown	Marxism
Arab Palestine Organization	Unknown	Nasserism
Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – Special Command	Unknown	Marxism–Leninism
Puka Llacta		Maoism
Revolutionary Left Movement		Marxism
Túpac Amaru Revolutionary Movement		Marxism–Leninism
Black Guards	Unknown	Anarchist communism
Green armies	Unknown	Vague Leftism
Kronstadt rebels	17,961 at highest	Leftist Anti-Leninism
Left Socialist Revolutionaries	Unknown	Socialism
Mensheviks	Unknown	Orthodox Marxism
Socialist Revolutionary Party	Unknown	Agrarian socialism
Arab Socialist Action Party – Arabian Peninsula	Unknown	Nasserism
Arabian Peninsula People's Union	Unknown	Nasserism
Andecha Obrera		Marxism–Leninism
Canary Islands Independence Movement Fuerzas Armadas Guanches		Left-wing nationalism
Catalan Liberation Front		Marxism–Leninism
Catalan Red Liberation Army		Marxism–Leninism
Communist Party of Spain (international) (1975)		Communism
Exército Guerrilheiro do Povo Galego Ceive	\|Revolutionary socialism
First of May Group	\|Left anarchism
Iberian Liberation Movement		Council communism
Liga Armada Galega	\|Marxism–Leninism
Loita Armada Revolucionaria	\|Marxism–Leninism
Los Solidarios	About 11	Anarcho-syndicalism
Organización Obreira	100+	Marxism–Leninism
Popular Liberation Front		New Left
Revolutionary Antifascist Patriotic Front		Marxism–Leninism
Segi		Socialism
Spanish National Liberation Front		Marxism–Leninism
Terra Lliure	\|Marxism
Workers' Front of Catalonia		Socialism
Donetsk–Krivoy Rog Soviet Republic	Unknown	Revolutionary socialism
Revolutionary Insurrectionary Army of Ukraine	103,000 (December 1919)	Anarchist communism
Odessa Soviet Republic	Unknown	Revolutionary socialism
Irish People's Liberation Organisation	Unknown	Irish republican socialism
Irish Republican Army IRA Army Council IRA Northern Command IRA Quartermaster General Teeling Column	14,500 (at maximum) 1,000 (at minimum)	Marxism (later)
King Mob	Unknown	Situationism
Official Irish Republican Army	Unknown	Marxism
Saor Éire	Unknown	Irish republican socialism
Saor Uladh	Unknown	Irish republicanism
The Angry Brigade	Unknown	Left anarchism
Black Liberation Army	Unknown	Socialism
Black Panther Party Angola Three Black Panther Party, Winston-Salem, North Carolina Chapter San Francisco 8	Unknown	Marxism–Leninism
Black Revolutionary Assault Team	Unknown	African-American leftism
Fuerzas Armadas de Liberación Nacional Puertorriqueña	\|Marxism-Leninism
George Jackson Brigade	5 at highest	Communism
John Brown Anti-Klan Committee	Unknown	Radical left
May 19th Communist Organization	Unknown	Communism
MOVE	Most famous the "MOVE 9"	Anarcho-primitivism
National Black Antiwar Antidraft Union	\|African-American leftism
Seattle Liberation Front	Most famous the "Seattle Seven".	New Left
Symbionese Liberation Army	16 in total	Communism
The Camden 28	28	Christian left
United Freedom Front	Known as the "Ohio 7"	Marxism
Weather Underground Seattle Weather Collective Women's Brigade of Weather Underground	Unknown	Marxism–Leninism
Up Against the Wall Motherfuckers	\|Left anarchism
White Panther Party	Unknown	Revolutionary socialism
Youth International Party Chicago Seven	Most famous the "Chicago Seven".	Anarcho-communism
2 June Movement	14	Left anarchism
Red Army Faction		Marxism–Leninism
Rote Zora		New Left
Tupamaros West-Berlin	Unknown	Marxism
Revolutionary Left Movement	Unknown	Marxism

List of former groups

All groups that still exist today, but no longer engage in armed struggle as they did in the past.

Group	Strength	Official Ideology
National Liberation Front National Liberation Army	300,000	Arab socialism
MPLA Armed Forces for the Liberation of Angola	Unknown	Marxism–Leninism
MPLA Front de libération du Québec	Unknown	Left-wing nationalism
All-Ethiopia Socialist Movement	Unknown	Marxism–Leninism
Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front Oromo Peoples' Democratic Organization Tigrayan People's Liberation Front	Unknown	Marxism
Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Party	Unknown	Marxism–Leninism
African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde	10,000	Marxism
Al-Mourabitoun	1,000 regular fighters and 2,000 reservists	Nasserism
Communist Action Organization in Lebanon	Unknown	Marxism–Leninism
Lebanese Communist Party Popular Guard	2,000	Marxism–Leninism
Nasserist Unionists Movement	Unknown	Nasserism
Popular Nasserist Organization	Unknown	Nasserism
Progressive Socialist Party	5,000	Socialism
Toilers League	Unknown	Nasserism
Basutoland Congress Party Lesotho Liberation Army		Left-wing nationalism
FRELIMO	10,000–15,000	Marxism–Leninism
SWANU	Unknown	Democratic socialism
SWAPO People's Liberation Army of Namibia	Unknown	Democratic socialism
Sandinista National Liberation Front		Sandinismo
African National Congress Umkhonto we Sizwe	Unknown	Left-wing nationalism
Azanian People's Organisation	Unknown	Socialism
Pan Africanist Congress of Azania Azanian People's Liberation Army	Unknown	African socialism
Communist Party of Spain	Unknown	Communism
Communist Party of Spain (Reconstituted) First of October Anti-Fascist Resistance Groups	\|Marxism–Leninism
Confederación Nacional del Trabajo	Unknown	Anarcho-syndicalism
ETA Segi	50 in the year 2011	Revolutionary socialism
Irish National Liberation Army		Marxism–Leninism
Provisional Irish Republican Army Active service unit Direct Action Against Drugs Internal Security Unit NORAID Provisional IRA Belfast Brigade Provisional IRA East Tyrone Brigade Provisional IRA South Armagh Brigade		Irish republicanism
Communist Party of Venezuela		Marxism–Leninism
Red Flag Party		Marxism–Leninism

2 June Movement26th of July MovementAbu Ali Mustapha BrigadesAbu Nidal OrganizationAction directe (armed group)Active service unitAfghanistan Liberation OrganizationAfrican National CongressAfrican Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape VerdeAfrican socialismAfrican-American leftismAgrarian socialismAkhil Bharat Nepali Ekta SamajAl-Aqsa Martyrs' BrigadesAl-MourabitounAll-Ethiopia Socialist MovementAlsace Soviet RepublicAnarchist communismAnarcho-communismAnarcho-primitivismAnarcho-syndicalismAndecha ObreraAngola ThreeAnimal Liberation FrontAnimal rightsAnti-imperialismAnti-Imperialist CellAnti-LeninismArab Communist OrganizationArab Palestine OrganizationArab socialismArab Socialist Action Party – Arabian PeninsulaArabian Peninsula People's UnionArmed conflictArmed forcesArmed Forces for the Liberation of AngolaArmed Proletarians for CommunismAutonomia OperaiaAutonomismAzanian People's Liberation ArmyAzanian People's OrganisationBagong Alyansang MakabayanBasutoland Congress PartyBavarian Council RepublicBhutan Communist Party (Marxist–Leninist–Maoist)Bhutan Tiger ForceBlack GuardsBlack Guerrilla FamilyBlack Liberation ArmyBlack Panther PartyBlack Panther Party, Winston-Salem, North Carolina ChapterBlack Revolutionary Assault TeamBolsheviksBorotbaBusiness InsiderCanary Islands Independence MovementCatalan Liberation FrontCatalan Red Liberation ArmyChicago SevenChristian leftClandestine Colombian Communist PartyCommunardsCommunismCommunist (Maoist) Party of AfghanistanCommunist Action Organization in LebanonCommunist Labour Party of Turkey/LeninistCommunist Party of ChinaCommunist Party of Ecuador–Red SunCommunist Party of GermanyCommunist Party of India (Maoist)Communist Party of Iran (Marxist–Leninist–Maoist)Communist Party of KampucheaCommunist Party of KurdistanCommunist Party of SpainCommunist Party of Spain (international) (1975)Communist Party of Spain (Reconstituted)Communist Party of the PhilippinesCommunist Party of Turkey/Marxist–LeninistCommunist Party of Turkey/Marxist–Leninist (Maoist Party Centre)Communist Party of VenezuelaCommunist statesConfederación Nacional del TrabajoContinuity Irish Republican ArmyCouncil communismDemocratic Front for the Liberation of PalestineDemocratic Party of Iranian KurdistanDemocratic socialismDevrimci KarargâhDhofar Liberation FrontDirect Action Against DrugsDonetsk–Krivoy Rog Soviet RepublicEarth Liberation FrontEgalitarianismElisabeth Van Dyck CommandoEnvironmentalismEritrean People's Liberation FrontETA (separatist group)Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic FrontEthiopian People's Revolutionary PartyEuropean Union (resistance group)Exército Guerrilheiro do Povo Galego CeiveFar-left politicsFARCFinnish Socialist Workers' RepublicFirst of May GroupFirst of October Anti-Fascist Resistance GroupsFLQFree Women's UnitsFree Workers' Union of GermanyFRELIMOFront de l'IndépendanceFront de libération du QuébecFront of Patriotic and National PartiesFront Polisario Khat al-ShahidFuerzas Armadas de Liberación Nacional PuertorriqueñaFuerzas Armadas GuanchesGeorge Jackson BrigadeGreek People's Liberation ArmyGreen armiesGroup of Popular CombatantsGwardia LudowaHoxhaismIberian Liberation MovementInformal Anarchist FederationInsurrectionary anarchismInternal Security UnitInternationalInternational Freedom BattalionIRA Army CouncilIRA Northern CommandIRA Quartermaster GeneralIrish IndependentIrish National Liberation ArmyIrish People's Liberation OrganisationIrish Republican Army (1922–69)Irish republican socialismIrish republicanismIslamic socialismJapan Revolutionary Communist League (Revolutionary Marxist Faction)John Brown Anti-Klan CommitteeKhmer RougeKing MobKronstadt rebellionKurdistan Workers' PartyLebanese Armed Revolutionary FactionsLebanese Communist PartyLebanese National MovementLebanese National Resistance FrontLeft anarchismLeft Socialist RevolutionariesLeft-wing nationalismLeft-wing politicsLeninismLesotho Liberation ArmyLibertarian socialismLiga Armada GalegaList of active rebel groupsList of communist partiesList of guerrilla movementsList of Trotskyist organizations by countryLoita Armada RevolucionariaLos SolidariosLotta ContinuaLuxemburgismMaoismMaoist Communist Party (Turkey)Maoist Communist Party of ChinaMaoist Communist Party of ManipurMarxismMarxism-LeninismMarxism–LeninismMarxism–Leninism–MaoismMarxist–Leninist Communist Party (Turkey/Northern Kurdistan)May 19th Communist OrganizationMensheviksMilitante gruppe (mg)Moro National Liberation FrontMOVEMPLAÑancahuazú GuerrillaNasserismNasserist Unionists MovementNational Black Antiwar Antidraft UnionNational Democratic Front (Philippines)National Guard (France)National Liberation Army (Algeria)National Liberation Army (Colombia)National Liberation Front (Algeria)National Liberation Front (Greece)National Liberation Front (Yemen)National Liberation Movement (Albania)National Republican Greek LeagueNational Socialist Council of NagalandNational Solidarity (Greece)NeozapatismoNew LeftNew People's ArmyNew Revolutionary AlternativeNORAIDOctober 22 GroupOdessa Soviet RepublicOfficial Irish Republican ArmyÓglaigh na hÉireann (Real IRA splinter group)Organisation of Yemeni Revolutionary ResistorsOrganización ObreiraOrganization for the Protection of the People's StruggleOromo Peoples' Democratic OrganizationOrthodox MarxismPalestine Liberation FrontPan Africanist Congress of AzaniaParaguayan People's ArmyParis CommunePartisans ArmésParty of Free Life of KurdistanPathet LaoPeople's Defence ForcesPeople's Liberation ArmyPeople's Liberation Army of ManipurPeople's Liberation Army of NamibiaPeople's Liberation Guerrilla Army (India)People's Mujahedin of IranPeople's Protection UnitsPolisario FrontPolitical Committee of National LiberationPolitical-Military Communist PartyPopular Front for the Liberation of BahrainPopular Front for the Liberation of OmanPopular Front for the Liberation of PalestinePopular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – Special CommandPopular Front for the Liberation of the Occupied Arabian GulfPopular GuardPopular Liberation ArmyPopular Liberation Front (Spain)Popular Nasserist OrganizationPopular Revolutionary ArmyPotere OperaioPrima LineaProgressive Socialist PartyProvisional IRA Belfast BrigadeProvisional IRA East Tyrone BrigadeProvisional IRA South Armagh BrigadeProvisional Irish Republican ArmyPuka LlactaReal Irish Republican ArmyRed Army FactionRed BrigadesRed Flag PartyRevolutionary Antifascist Patriotic FrontRevolutionary Cells (German group)Revolutionary Democratic Party of YemenRevolutionary Insurrectionary Army of UkraineRevolutionary Left Movement (Peru)Revolutionary Left Movement (Venezuela)Revolutionary Party of KurdistanRevolutionary People's Liberation Party–FrontRevolutionary People's PartyRevolutionary socialismRevolutionary StruggleRevolutionary Workers Party – MindanaoRevolutionary Workers' Party (Philippines)Rote ZoraSan Francisco 8SandinismoSandinista National Liberation FrontSaor Éire (1967–75)Saor UladhSeattle Liberation FrontSeattle Weather CollectiveSect of RevolutionariesSegi (organization)Shining PathSituationismSixth of February MovementSocialismSocialist Revolutionary PartySoviet republic (system of government)Soviet Republic of NaissaarSpanish National Liberation FrontSpartacus LeagueSWANUSWAPOSymbionese Liberation ArmyTeeling ColumnTerra LliureThe Angry BrigadeThe Camden 28Tigrayan People's Liberation FrontToilers LeagueTrotskyismTúpac Amaru Revolutionary MovementTupamaros West-BerlinTypes of socialismUmkhonto we SizweUnion of Working People's ForcesUnited Freedom FrontUnited Panhellenic Organization of YouthUp Against the Wall MotherfuckersViet CongWeather UndergroundWhite Panther PartyWomen's Brigade of Weather UndergroundWomen's Protection UnitsWorker-communist Party of Iran – HekmatistWorkerismWorkers' Front of CataloniaYouth International PartyYugoslav PartisansZapatista Army of National Liberation

External links (7)

www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/...

www.businessinsider.com.au/...

www.independent.ie/...

www.internationalviewpoint.org/...

www.start.umd.edu/...

www.state.gov/...

books.google.co.uk/...

Templates (6)

Cite bookCite webExpand listFlagReflistRevolutionary socialism