Final answer:
Bolshevik ideals were inspired by Karl Marx, and the Soviet Union's first communist leader was Vladimir Lenin. Marx's works, particularly alongside Engels, laid out the groundwork for communism which Lenin and the Bolsheviks would adapt and implement after seizing power in Russia. Their actions were pivotal in the formation of the Soviet Union and the spread of communist thought across the world.
Step-by-step explanation:
Bolshevik ideals were inspired by communist principles developed by German revolutionary philosopher Karl Marx, and the first leader of Russia's communist party was Vladimir Lenin.
Marx, alongside Friedrich Engels, authored The Communist Manifesto, advocating for a classless society and emphasizing that genuine change can only ensue from a revolution. Lenin, during the fall of 1917, led the Bolsheviks, later known as the Communist Party, to seize power and embark on establishing a socialist state, based on Marx's vision but adapted to the context of Russia by advocating for a vanguard party to lead the revolution and build the new society.
Both Lenin and Marx were significant figures in shaping the Soviet Union after the Bolsheviks victory. The success of the Marxist-Leninist revolution in Russia inspired Marxists globally, though Lenin's approach caused divisions within the international socialist movement on the methods of achieving the socialist state envisioned by Marx.