Mongolian People's Republic (1924–1992)

Mongolian People's Republic Бүгд Найрамдах Монгол Ард Улс
1924–1992
Flag Coat of arms
Capital	Ulaanbaatar
Official languages	Mongolian
Dominant mode of production	Socialism
Government	Marxist-Leninist state
History
• People's Revolution	March 1 1921
• People's Republic proclaimed	November 26 1924
• Counterrevolution	March 9 1990
• Current constitution	February 13 1992
Area
• Total	1,564,116 km²
Population
• 1992 estimate	2,318,000

The Mongolian People's Republic was a socialist state that existed from 1924 to 1992. Under socialism, the life expectancy increased and illiteracy was eliminated.

History

Revolution

See main article: Mongolian People's Revolution

Mongolia was feudal society and part of the Qing Dynasty until its collapse in 1911. In 1921, with the support of the Soviet Red Army, the Mongolian Revolutionary Army captured the capital city of Örgöö, which was renamed Ulaanbaatar. The Bogd Khan kept the title of limited monarch but no longer held actual power.^:297–300

Founding

On 1924 June 3, the Politburo of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee created a plan for forming a republican government. After the Third Party Congress in 1924 August, elections to the Grand Hural were held. 77 delegates were elected, including 71 peasants (arat), six former nobles, 44 Party members, and six members of the Revolutionary Youth League. The Hural opened on November 8.^:315–6

On 1924 November 26, the Grand Hural approved Mongolia's first constitution and proclaimed the People's Republic of Mongolia.^:316 It launched a policy of liquidating the aristocracy and clergy, who still controlled 30% of the country's livestock, and recognized the independence of the Tuvan People's Republic in 1925.^:320

The publication Ünen (Mongolian: Үнэн), meaning "truth", was the central organ of the MPRP.

Construction of socialism

In 1925, Soviet troops left Mongolia. At this point, the nobility still controlled 30% of the country's livestock, and there were 700 monasteries with a total of 100,000 lamas. Capitalist companies controlled 60.7% of exports and 77.6% of imports in 1926.^:321–6

In 1925 and 1926, the Grand Hural created a new legal code and abolished the shabinar department^:323 (serfs of the monasteries). In 1926 December, it introduced a national currency, the tögrög, which weakened foreign capital. The Presidium of the Little Hural introduced a progressive tax system that exempted poor peasants from all taxes.^:323

In 1926 September, Mongolia separated the church and state. When the lamas began searching for a reincarnation of the Bogd Khan, the MPRP abolished the institution of chubil khans,^:323–4 the clergy leadership who had been considered "living gods" since medieval times.

Anti-rightist struggle (1924–1928)

The Third Party Congress had exposed Soliin Danzan as a rightist who represented the interests of the comprador bourgeoisie. Later rightist such as Dambadorj and Jadambaa tried to delay the attacks against the feudal nobility and supported foreign companies in Mongolia. They promoted pan-Mongolian nationalism while Jamsaranai Sebeen promoted Lamaism and tried to identify Buddhism with Marxism. Their policies led poor peasants to lose their lands and herds to feudal lords.^:325–6

The Party rejected the rightist line at its Sixth Congress in 1927 September and October and purged the rightists from its Central Committee at its Seventh Congress in late 1928.^:327

Anti-feudal revolution

Between late 1929 and early 1930, over 600 of 729 large estates were confiscated and their livestock were given to poor peasants who owned no or very few cattle. By 1932 April, over 11,000 feudal estates had been redistributed. In 1930 December, Mongolia introduced a state monopoly on foreign trade, with that year capitalist exports and imports at only 26% and 9.8%, respectively. In 1931, the country redrew its administrative divisions.^:328–30

Ultra-leftist errors (1930–1932)

After the redistribution of land and livestock, peasants formed basic cooperatives. The Eighth Party Congress in 1930 adopted a plan for full collectivization of agriculture. They rapidly formed communes that were poorly organized and lacked labor discipline, leading the country to lose 32% of its 23.5 million livestock by 1932. Extreme anti-religious policies that targeted low-ranking clergy in addition to the nobility, leading to a Lamaist rebellion in western Mongolia that was defeated in 1932. The Central Committee held a meeting in 1932 and purged Shijee, Badrakh, and other ultra-leftists.^:330–3

New Course

The Party adopted the New Course in 1932 and allowed peasants to leave collective farms if they wanted to. Prime Minister Peljidiin Genden distorted this decision and dissolved voluntary peasant cooperatives. A new law allowed monasteries to keep their property but banned them from excessively exploiting peasants. In 1933, income tax was replaced by a tax based on the number of livestock owned that further lowered taxes for peasants and made poor peasants completely exempt from paying taxes.^:337–8

In 1933, Mongolia opened a mechanical wool-washing factory in Hatkhyl. In 1934 March, Mongolia began industrial production of leather and wool products. The number of industrial workers in 1934 was ten times higher than in 1928. Low-ranking lamas joined the 33 producers' associations that had over 1,000 members. The government began building roads, with car travel increasing twelve times between 1932 and 1934. In 1937, the Central Committee began competition in state and cooperative enterprises.^:338–40

Sino-Soviet Split

For the first decade after the Sino-Soviet split, Mongolia was neutral. In January 1966, Mongolia and the Soviet Union signed a mutual defense treaty. In the first half of 1969, over 4,000 livestock shelters were built that were capable of protecting over 1.8 million animals from the cold.

Counterrevolution

In 1990, a color revolution occurred and bourgeois parties were allowed to compete in elections. The Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party still won but eventually became a social democratic party by 1991. The current constitution of Mongolia was adopted in 1992. After the adoption of the new constitution, the name of the state became "Mongolia".

Government

Central government

Hurals, a rural variation of soviets, governed Mongolia. The Grand Hural, initially composed of 77 delegates, held supreme power and elected a 30-member Little Hural to administer between its sessions. The Little Hural elected a Presidium of five members and 12-member executive government.^:316–9

Local government

Local hurals existed in addition to the Grand Hural.^:318

Elections

Under the MPR's 1924 constitution, soldiers and all citizens aged 18 or older who earned a livelihood with their own labour could vote regardless of gender. Former members of the clergy and secular nobility could not vote.^:316

Space program

In 1978, aeronautical engineer Jügderdemidiin Gürragcha (Mongolian: Жүгдэрдэмидийн Гүррагчаа) was selected to participate in the Soviet Union’s eighth international Intercosmos mission, as a researcher on the Soyuz 39 mission. On March 22, 1981, he launched into space from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, becoming the first Mongolian cosmonaut. He spent nearly eight days in space, carrying out scientific experiments on the Soviet space station Salyut 6. Gurragcha left the space program on March 30, 1981, and was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union.

Further reading

• History of the Mongolian People's Republic: Part Two