Old Guard faction

The Old Guard faction was an organized group in the Socialist Party of America (SPA) that sought to retain the organization's traditional orientation towards electoral politics by fighting the Militant faction of generally-younger party members who factionally organized to promote greater efforts at direct action in advancing the cause of revolutionary socialism.

The Old Guard had its roots as the "Regulars" in the inner party factional war of 1919, which resulted in the fragmentation of the Socialist Party into the Communist Party of America and Communist Labor Party of America. In 1935, the personal and political friction between the Old Guard and the Militants (and their "Progressive" allies) led to an organizational split, with the Old Guard faction leaving to establish the Social Democratic Federation (SDF).