One reason the Bolsheviks gained peasant support during the Russian Revolution was because the Bolsheviks promised to

One reason the Bolsheviks gained peasant support during the Russian Revolution was because the Bolsheviks promised to

• A. They promised to industrialize the countryside quickly
• B. They promised to provide widespread free healthcare
• C. They promised to maintain traditional land ownership
• D. They promised to redistribute land

Answer: (D)

Land reform is the key idea here: peasants most wanted to own the land they worked. The Bolsheviks tapped into that urgent desire by pledging to seize land from landlords and distribute it to the peasantry. This promise gave peasants a concrete, immediate gain—property and security in their livelihoods—which the party could deliver through measures like the Decree on Land. Because owning land directly affected daily life and future prospects for countless families, this pledge made the Bolsheviks especially attractive in rural areas and helped build the broad support needed to advance the revolution. The other options miss what peasants prioritized: industrializing the countryside doesn’t address land ownership, free healthcare is valuable but not the decisive factor for peasant loyalty, and keeping traditional land ownership would keep peasants dissatisfied.

Land reform is the key idea here: peasants most wanted to own the land they worked. The Bolsheviks tapped into that urgent desire by pledging to seize land from landlords and distribute it to the peasantry. This promise gave peasants a concrete, immediate gain—property and security in their livelihoods—which the party could deliver through measures like the Decree on Land. Because owning land directly affected daily life and future prospects for countless families, this pledge made the Bolsheviks especially attractive in rural areas and helped build the broad support needed to advance the revolution. The other options miss what peasants prioritized: industrializing the countryside doesn’t address land ownership, free healthcare is valuable but not the decisive factor for peasant loyalty, and keeping traditional land ownership would keep peasants dissatisfied.