In its earliest years, the party supported the Syrian Revolt of 1925, but was quickly repressed, and could only begin building in earnest after party leaders were released from prison in 1928. The party was represented at the 6th Congress of the Communist International in 1928 by Fu'ad al-Shimali. It was also in 1928 that the party, despite operating in what is now both Syria and Lebanon, adopted the name "Communist Party of Syria ("Al-Hizb Al-Shiouy'ie al-Suri"), reflecting its commitment to Syrian unity and rejection of the division of the historic region under colonial mandates. However, it later reverted to its original name. Under the French Mandate it was an underground organization, then legalized in 1936–1939 by the French Front Populaire government, and again in 1941. The party took a new option of collaboration with the nationalist movement and playing down its socialist themes in 1936, in accordance with the 7th Congress of the Communist International in 1935.