The Soviet's Role in the Revolutionary Uprising of Petrograd

The benshevik leanings of the soviet leadership meant they still saw events unfolding according to the old two stage theory of revolution. According to this formula, what they believed was happening right now was the revolutionary transfer of power from the mediaeval czar to the new democratic order of the bourgeoisie. Since they believed this was not just how things ought to go, but how things must go, it naturally followed that the role of the soviets was to support the overthrow of the czar and the assumption of power by the doma.