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In 1917, Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov (alias Lenin) seized Russia's control in the aftermath of the Russian Revolution, created the Soviet Union, and ruled it until his death in 1924. Lenin was one of the leading political figures in the 20th century. He was the revolutionary thinker behind the USSR idea (a.k.a. The Great Soviet Union), fought to materialize it, and masterminded the Bolshevik bloody takeover of power in Russia after Russia's withdrawal from World War One. Lenin's reign as the head of the newly created Soviet Union was brief, but his influence stretched throughout the 20th century.

==How did Lenin become a Marxist?==

Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov was born on 22 April 1870 in Simbirsk on the Volga River into a well-educated family. He excelled at school and chose to pursue law studies and a career. However, while he was at university, Aleksandr Ulyanov was involved with “Narodovoltsy” – a revolutionary terrorist society. In 1891, he was arrested and executed for taking part in an assassination plot against Tsar Alexander III. His brother's execution radicalized Vladimir. He turned his anger towards =the ruling Tsarist regime. His brother's execution, along with his father’s death, marked a turning point in his life and shaped his path in the future.

Soon after his brother's execution, Lenin was expelled from the university to participate in student protests against the Tsarist regime. He was forced to continue his law studies as an external student at St. Petersburg University. Around this time, he also became passionately interested in Karl Marx’s works. He joined Marxist groups when he was 21 and, in essence, became a professional revolutionary. Lenin became involved with various Marxist societies and radical groups and published his writings on politics and Marxism.

==Why did Lenin leave Russia?==

Once Lenin was released, he continued to work on his views regarding social imbalance passionately and formed the Bolsheviks. The Bolsheviks would become the preeminent party of Russian Marxists shaped the future Communist Party.<ref>Initially establishing the so-called Russian Social Democratic Worker's Party and later – Communist Party.</ref> The synthesis of Lenin’s views combined with those of Karl Marx created what we now know as “Marxism-Leninism” or the basis of whole Communist doctrine throughout the 20th century.

Away from Russia, he continued to publish and won more followers on his side. He published his newspaper “Iskra” (“Spark”) in Munich with the motto “From Spark to Flame!” Aided by foreign funds, Lenin actively challenged the ruling Tsarist regimes' doctrine, policy, and institution.

==Why did World War I weaken the Romanov Regieme?==

In 1917, exhausted by World War One, Tsarist Russia was a wreck. It was the perfect chaotic moment for Lenin to return home. Germany, in an attempt to destabilize Russia, sent Lenin back to Russia. They hoped Lenin would undermine the Russian war efforts. Instead of being arrested and exiled again, Lenin was welcomed home and supported by other radical thinkers such as Leon Trotsky. He quickly became the Marxist movement leader and led the Bolsheviks in the bloody, violent Red October Revolution. Lenin, much to his surprise, effectively ended the Russian Empire rather easily and established the Soviet state. [[Why did the Russian Romanov Dynasty collapse in 1917?|The Romanov Dynasty]] had become brittle and incredibly unpopular and Russians were willing to embrace Lenin's revolution.

Lenin proved decisive and ruthless from the very beginning. He neglected his fellow countrymen's sufferings because he was focused on crushing any internal opposition or riots. The Red Army or as it was also commonly referred to - The Great Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army - was raised by Lenin’s Bolsheviks to oppose the various military collectively known as the White army during the Russian Civil War. After 1922, the Red Army was transformed into the Army of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics by the new regime.