Who were considered "kulaks" in the Soviet Union?

In the context of the Soviet Union, "kulaks" referred specifically to wealthier peasants who owned larger farms and had more agricultural resources compared to their counterparts. The term emerged in the early 20th century, particularly during the period of collectivization in the late 1920s and early 1930s, when the Soviet government aimed to consolidate individual landholdings into collective farms.

The kulaks were often characterized as those who resisted collectivization because they had more to lose in the process. The Soviet regime viewed them as class enemies and a barrier to socialist policies, leading to severe repercussions for many kulaks, including deportation, imprisonment, and execution during the Great Purge. Thus, the definition of kulaks as wealthy landowners accurately reflects their role and status in Soviet society at that time.

Urban workers, peasants with small farms, and factory managers do not fit this definition. Urban workers were typically employed in industrial settings and did not own agricultural land, peasants with small farms lacked the wealth and influence associated with kulaks, and factory managers were part of the industrial leadership rather than the agricultural class.