Final answer:
Nicholas II was the last Tsar of Russia, ruling from 1894 until his abdication in 1917, prior to the USSR's establishment. He led in an autocratic traditional manner but was overthrown by the Bolsheviks, leading to Russia becoming a Communist state under Lenin.
Step-by-step explanation:
The last leader of the Russian Empire before the establishment of the USSR was Nicholas II, who reigned from 1894 until his forced abdication in 1917 during the Russian Revolution. Nicholas II was a traditional monarch who held nearly complete authority over the political and religious structures of Russia. The immense power of the Tsars had resisted the forces of modernity that influenced the rest of Europe, and Nicholas II ruled similarly to his ancestors.
However, under Nicholas II's rule, the Russian Empire faced numerous challenges, and he was eventually overthrown during the tumultuous period marked by World War I and the subsequent Russian Civil War. The Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, emerged victorious and began the transformation of Russia into a Communist state. The last Tsar and his family were executed, and the USSR was officially formed in 1922, following Lenin's initiatives to change the country's political system.
The title previously held by the emperor of Russia was 'Tsar', which is a Russian term derived from 'Caesar.' The lineage of rule began with figures such as Ivan III and Ivan IV (Ivan the Terrible), who expanded the Russian Empire and solidified its authority. This imperial history set the stage for the eventual conflicts leading to the establishment of the USSR.