The latter left the League to found the Social-Democratic Workers' Party, while the former kept control of the SDB, which was soon banned by the government.
The founders hoped that the old social structures would be replaced by a united progressive Netherlands, the Breakthrough.
From 1946 and 1958, PvdA leader Willem Drees served as prime minister of a broad coalition.
In 1946 the CPN performed particularly well as it had gained support due to the role played by communists in the Dutch Resistance.
In 1957 the Pacifist Socialist Party (PSP) was founded out of the developing peace movement and provided an alternative to the pro-American PvdA and the pro-Soviet CPN.
In 1967 the Nieuw Links, a group of young socialists within the PvdA gained control of the party and set out on a new course, which included both social-democratic and New Left ideals, such as a strong welfare state, women's liberation, environmental protection and international development.
He forms an unprecedented purple coalition with progressive and conservative liberals which implements a Third Way policy, including privatisation of public companies, legalisation of prostitution and euthanasia and some institutional reforms.
Since 2004, GreenLeft has radically renewed its image and is now promoting itself as a left-liberal party, breaking with its socialist roots.