Which document established the structure of government in the RSFSR in 1918, underscoring the leading role of the Soviets in governance?

• A. RSFSR's 1918 Constitution establishing the Soviet state and the leading role of the Soviets in governance.
• B. The Decree on Land redistributed to peasants.
• C. The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk.
• D. The Decree on Peace.

Answer: (A)

The main idea tested here is how the RSFSR formalized its government structure in a legal document that made the Soviets the central power in the state. The 1918 Constitution of the RSFSR did exactly that: it proclaimed the Soviet state, defined the organs of power, and explicitly established the leading role of the Soviets in governance. It set up the All-Russian Congress of Soviets and its Central Executive Committee as the supreme bodies, with the executive power exercised by the Council of People’s Commissars under the guidance of the Soviets. This gave a constitutional foundation to how the new Soviet state would be run, beyond the immediate decrees of the revolution.

By contrast, the Decree on Land dealt with land redistribution to peasants, the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk ended Russia’s participation in World War I, and the Decree on Peace addressed overseas diplomacy and wartime cessation. These are important policies and actions, but they do not establish the lasting constitutional structure of the government or codify the Soviets’ central role in governance in the way the 1918 Constitution does.