Under Vladimir Lenin, the Soviet Union was governed by the ideology of Marxism-Leninism. This ideology combined the theories of Karl Marx with Lenin’s adaptations, emphasizing the need for a vanguard party to lead the proletariat in overthrowing capitalist systems. Lenin believed that a socialist revolution could occur in a less developed nation, like Russia, and sought to dismantle the bourgeois state, establish a dictatorship of the proletariat, and nationalize industries. Lenin's policies aimed to transition the state towards communism, laying the groundwork for future developments in Soviet policy and governance, while influencing communist movements worldwide.