What term refers to wealthy farmers whose land was confiscated during Stalin's rule in the Soviet Union?

The term "kulak" specifically refers to wealthier farmers in the Soviet Union who owned larger farms and were often seen as class enemies during Stalin's rule. Under Stalin’s policies, particularly during the collectivization era of the late 1920s and early 1930s, many kulaks had their land seized by the state, and they were subjected to severe repression, including exile, imprisonment, or execution. This categorization was part of Stalin's broader efforts to eliminate private ownership of land and promote state-controlled collective farming.

Understanding the role of kulaks is essential in grasping the impact of Stalin's agricultural policies and the resulting socio-political landscape in the Soviet Union, which aimed to transform the agrarian economy into a communist one. The other terms described do not accurately represent this specific group of farmers. For instance, "peasants" broadly refers to the working-class agricultural populace, "proletariat" pertains to the working class in industrial contexts, and "kolhozy" refers to collective farms rather than the specific wealthy individuals whose properties were targeted during this tumultuous period.