What major land policy was enacted in 1917 by the Bolsheviks?

• A. It relied on a broad popular vote to legitimize rule.
• B. It centered on restoring monarchy.
• C. They discredited monarchy/aristocracy and centralized power within a socialist framework.
• D. Kronstadt rebellion.

Answer: (C)

The key idea here is the land reform the Bolsheviks introduced in 1917, known as the Decree on Land. This policy ended private ownership of land and redistributed estates from landlords to the peasantry, stripping the old feudal privileges that supported the monarchy and aristocracy. By transferring control of land into the hands of the people and the new Soviet state, it moved the country toward a socialist framework where major resources are governed under state and collective authority rather than a hereditary elite. This shift helped undermine the old ruling class and signaled the Bolsheviks’ commitment to reshaping political and economic power around socialist principles. The other options don’t describe this land policy: seeking a broad popular vote for legitimacy, restoring the monarchy, or Kronstadt were unrelated to the 1917 land reform.