Initially, the organisation consisted only of Kühnen, but he soon made contact with like-minded individuals across West Germany, resulting in a nationwide network of cells.

With the ANS/NA banned, Kühnen turned his attention to the fledgling Free German Workers' Party (FAP) and encouraged his supporters to infiltrate and take over the group.

With rumours spreading that he was to be arrested, Kühnen fled to Paris in early 1984 and sought refuge with the neo-Nazi group Fédération d'action nationale et européenne (FANE), with whom he had previously established contacts.

Whilst working with FANE, he visited Spain and met with Léon Degrelle, establishing relations with the former Waffen-SS man who had become a central player in the Spanish Circle of Friends of Europe (CEDADE).

[8] In response to critics within the neo-Nazi movement, he argued that his lack of a family meant he had more time to devote to militancy, and he pointed out that Ernst Röhm was also a gay Nazi.

The FAP split, with Kühnen's former ally Friedhelm Busse leading the larger anti-gay wing, which held effective control of the party by 1989.

[9] Again implementing his direct action approach, Kühnen led a group of white power skinheads to Frankfurt an der Oder on 8 April 1991, to protest against the opening of the Polish border.