The primary conflict during the Roman Republic that led to its transformation into an Empire was the struggle for power and control among various political factions, particularly the conflict between the Patricians and Plebeians. This internal strife, marked by a series of civil wars such as the conflicts led by Julius Caesar, ultimately culminated in Caesar's rise to power and the establishment of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. This shift from a republican system to an imperial rule fundamentally changed the governance of Rome, leading up to the reign of Rome's first Emperor, Augustus.