The Russian Revolution was caused by multiple factors including defeats in the Russo-Japanese War and World War I that weakened the Russian state. The political system was outdated and inefficient while the economy was underdeveloped. Reforms failed to prevent revolution as the Tsar and nobility resisted change. The Bolsheviks, led by Lenin, believed that Russia's weak capitalism required a transition directly to socialism through revolution and overthrow of the ruling classes. After seizing power, the Bolsheviks withdrew from World War I, fought a civil war against opposing forces, and established the Soviet Union with a revolutionary dictatorship led by Lenin and governed through soviets.
