Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, born in 1870, was a seminal Russian political leader and theorist whose impact reverberated through twentieth-century history. As the pivotal force behind the Russian Revolution, Lenin is credited with adapting and advancing Marxist theory to suit the socio-economic conditions of Russia. Notably, he diverged from Karl Marx by advocating for a proletarian revolution in Russia's rural context, challenging Marxist ideas of necessary industrial capitalism precursors. Lenin asserted that workers needed a structured party to achieve socialism, as discussed in his influential work, What Is To Be Done?

Biographically, Lenin's revolutionary zeal was partly ignited by personal tragedy, including the execution of his brother for political activism. His career was marked by exile and prolific writing, including The Development of Capitalism in Russia, which argued for Russia's readiness for socialism. His leadership of the Bolshevik Party—a faction he built amidst revolutionary factionalism—was critical in the October Revolution of 1917, leading to his role as head of the Soviet state.

Lenin's works, often political essays and polemics, were pivotal in shaping Soviet ideology. Materialism and Empirio-Criticism stands as a significant philosophical statement, scrutinized by critics like Mikulak for its ideological stance on the 'party' nature of science and philosophy. His theoretical contributions, such as those in The State and Revolution, are seen not as mere utopianism but as integral to Soviet political strategy, a view supported by Barfield and Evans. Lenin's critique of imperialism, seen in Imperialism, The Last Stage of Capitalism, linked capitalism to global conflict, exemplified by World War I.

Beyond his politics, Lenin's influence extended to culture and literature, as explicated by Morawski. After his death in 1924, Lenin's legacy persisted, entwined with Bolshevism and later Soviet practices. As Toynbee notes, his importance endures despite the eventual fall of communism, illustrating his complex and lasting impact on history and ideology.