It was established even before the October Revolution on 11 June 1917[2] by the Petrograd Soviet as part of three measures to create state forms that would guarantee federal and autonomous solutions to national questions in the Russian Revolution: This decision was made in response to the crisis triggered by the Central Council of Ukraine's demands for autonomy for national territories and a seat at any peace conference.
Narkomnats was set up as an organ of the Soviets to prepare for the Constituent Assembly, particularly in regards to how Ukrainian autonomy could be handled.
It provided for the organisation of a congress of representatives from all of Ukraine, which in turn would set up a Ukrainian Constituent Assembly.
[3] This came at a time when Kerensky and Mensheviks like Nikolay Chkheidze were arguing for a unified state.
[4] In 1918, Joseph Stalin as the chairman presided over five or six of the first seven meetings of the Narkomnats Collegium, but failed to attend the next twenty one.