Why did some communist parties in the 1920s use both elections and underground revolutionary activity?

In the 1920s, communist parties utilized a dual approach of participating in elections and engaging in underground revolutionary activity as a pragmatic strategy to advance the goal of global revolution while navigating hostile political environments.1

Following the failure of several direct revolutionary uprisings in Europe, such as those in Germany and Hungary, communist organizations shifted their tactics. By the early 1920s, the Comintern encouraged affiliates to infiltrate existing institutions. This allowed parties to function as pressure groups within parliamentary systems, using legal channels to gain influence, spread propaganda, and maintain contact with the masses.12

Simultaneously, these parties maintained clandestine, underground organizations to prepare for the eventual seizure of power, as they remained committed to the Marxist-Leninist belief that the existing state apparatus would ultimately need to be dismantled. In countries where they faced severe state suppression—such as China, where the CCP was forced to rebuild after brutal crackdowns—this underground work was essential for survival and for establishing power bases among the peasantry or labor movements. This combination allowed them to exploit both the legal opportunities of the state and the revolutionary potential of the working class.2134