The major political change that occurred in Russia after the fall of the Romanov dynasty in 1917 was the rise of the Bolshevik Party and the establishment of a socialist government. The February and October Revolutions led to the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II and the end of centuries of imperial rule. The Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, implemented radical reforms and sought to redistribute land and power amongst the proletariat. This shift not only transformed Russian society but also set the stage for the formation of the Soviet Union, dramatically altering the course of the 20th century.