Modern History

The history of modern Mongolia commenced with the 1921 People’s revolution and the establishment of new Mongol state as a result. Mongolia still annually celebrates July 11 as a national holiday commemorating the victory of the People’s revolution.

The external requirements promoting the victory of the 1921 People’s revolution were directly associated with the policies pursued on the parts of Tsarist Russia and China following the establishment of Bogd Khan in Mongolia . Both its neighbors were carrying out policies aimed at infringing upon the independence of Mongolia and placing the country under their rule. China intensified its efforts, aiming at the invasion of Mongolia . To keep Mongolia under Russian influence, Tsarist Russia undertook such steps as credit granting, training of Mongolian soldiers, equipping them with weapons, founding banks, financial and industrial enterprises, and expanding its trade with Mongolia .

The political situation in Mongolia was further exacerbated by excursions into Mongolian territory by the White Russian units defeated by and driven out of Russia by the Russian red Army. Baron Ungern von Schternberg with his Asian Cavalry Division seized the capital city of Ikh Khuree and returned Bogd Zavzundamba to the throne, declaring the restoration of independence of Mongolia .

Thus, in the 1920s, Mongolia became a battlefield of struggle and contradictions between Chinese and Russian military forces. Because of these, patriotic spirited people, ecclesiastics and military forces formed secret revolutionary circles, which later formed a political organization called the People’s Party, whose purpose was to restore state independence, preserve the state and religion, and liberate the land and the people of Mongolia . They worked out their program and sent a delegation to Moscow to ask for military and loan aids, and to establish relations with the Russian government formed after the victory of the October revolution. Bogd Zavzundamba gave his support and affixed his stamp on the message sent to Moscow .

On February 3, 1921 , Baron Ungern again attacked Ikh Khuree, expelled the Chinese Kuomintang troops and restored Bogd Zavzundamba to the throne. However, Baron Ungern’s reign of terror, plundering, violence and destruction aroused anger and strong opposition.

After Sukhbaatar’s Mongolian Army had won a stunning victory over superior Chinese forces in Khiagt, Red (Soviet) Army units began driving the White Russian troops out of Niislel Khuree and on June 6, 1921 , they captured the city. On July 11, the Bogd Khan’s Government was replaced by a new People’s Government of Mongolia.

On July 11, 1921 , Bogd Khan was elevated to the throne as head of a limited monarchy by the People’s Government of Mongolia.

The victory of the People’s revolution enabled the country to embark on a new course of development, focusing on strengthening the state independence of Mongolia .

During the period from 1921 to 1924, the new government carried out important changes in the political, economic and social spheres of the limited monarchy of Mongolia .

On May 20, 1924 Bogd Zavzundamba Khutagt died. In connection with this, the People’s Government issued a resolution to form Mongolia as a People’s Republic, with supreme power to be vested in the State Ikh Khural (State Great Meeting).

The first State Ikh Khural meeting was held on November 8, 1924 . During this meeting, the first Constitution of the People’s Republic of Mongolia was approved. The first Constitution stated that Mongolia should be renamed the People’s Republic, where all power belonged to the people. The people exercised their power through the State Ikh Khural and through the Government, it elected.

Thus, in the 20th century Mongolia obtained the new name of the People’s Republic of Mongolia and commenced a new stage of its development.

Mongolia , with two thousand years of history, restored its independence at the beginning of the 20th century and made the transition to a new political and social system, making its aim to found a socialist society in a world then divided into socialist and capitalist camps.

The country, which at the end of the 19th century was viewed by Western historians and some scholars as an almost extinct nation, succeeded in achieving considerable progress in promoting its national economy in such areas as animal husbandry, agriculture, industry, etc. by improving the standards of living of its population, and by raising its education and cultural level, evidence of which can be seen in its economic and social parameters. The country’s population increased threefold at the end of the 20th century, reaching 2 million. The population’s annual growth rate increased 3.5 per cent since 1960. Just 80years ago the majority of the population was illiterate, but by 1960 the MPR’s completely adult population was able to read and write due to measures undertaken to eradicate mass illiteracy. For such striking progress, a special prize was granted from the UNESCO. During the 1960s, the objective of ensuring that all school age children received secondary education was successfully realized.

The 20th century witnessed the progress made by Mongolia in fostering the development of its culture, arts, sport and sciences. Mongolian citizen J.Gurragchaa, participated in a space flight together with his Soviet colleagues, and carried out tests and studies, showing that Mongolians intellectual and physical abilities are at the highest level of modern civilization.

Significant changes have taken place in the country’s social system and structure during the 20th century. The 1960s constitution of the MPR underlined that a new social order and structural pattern, including working classes, herdsmen and intelligentsia had been fully established. The new Constitution also denoted that the MPRP was the leading social and political force. The 14th congress of the MPRP held in 1961 emphasized that the Mongolia with a prevailing development of animal husbandry had turned into an agricultural and industrial country.

As well as significant achievements made during the 1960s in the national economy and social sphere, the country also strengthened its prestige and position in the international arena. In 1961, Mongolia became a member of the United Nations, regarded as an official worldwide acknowledgement of the country’s independence and sovereignty. Starting from the 1960s Mongolia extended its foreign relations outside the so-called “socialist block”, establishing and maintaining diplomatic relations with 106 countries (up to 1990) in Western Europe , Africa , Asia , and Australia in political, economic and cultural spheres.

The statehood, independence and traditions of the Mongol Empire founded by the great Chinggis Khan eight hundred years ago and interrupted due to the Manchu oppression were restored in 1911 by Bogd Khan and further strengthened by the new Mongolian state formed as a result of the 1921 People’s Revolution. Proclaimed in 1924 as the Mongolian People’s Republic, successfully overcoming subsequent political and military hardships and trials menacing the country’s fate and becoming a fully-fledged member of the result of the Mongolian people fulfilling their historical role in the 20th century.

A totalitarian system of one-party rule and ideological bounds were established in 20th century Mongolia is political, economic, and social spheres just like in any other countries of the socialist block.

Although in the Constitution and other laws of Mongolia , it was stated that the rights and freedom of citizens should be respected, in reality it turned out that the MPRP's leadership had a tendency to prevail over the law and the party itself fell under the influence of its leader, being at the head of both the party and state.

During the socialist era the population of Mongolia increased and the living standards, and educational and cultural level of the people was considerably raised, but human rights were violated and all the rights of people to vote, to be elected to public organizations, and freedom of speech and publication were restrained within the bounds set out according to the ruling party’s political policy, ideology and direction.

Since the 1980s, the process of perestroika and reform launched in the former USSR has made that nation the vanguard of socialist countries. The development of the socialist block’s member countries was apparently hindered. The new leadership of the communist party in the former USSR began carrying out policies of reform, democracy, openness and pluralism, which influenced eastern European countries and Mongolia .

Such changes in the political sphere and external and internal conditions had much impact on Mongolian society. A movement aimed at democratic reform of the social systems of the USSR , eastern European countries became more politicized, and by the end of 1989, the movement for democracy intensified in Mongolia .

The Mongolian democratic movement had intensified in the 90s turning into a more organized and unified movement and gaining the support of Mongolian people.

In the course of launching the movement for democracy, new political forces such as the New Progress Union, the socialist democratic Movement, the Mongolian Green Party, the Mongolian National Progress Party, the Mongolian Free Labor Party and the Mongolian Social Democratic Party formed expanding the scope of the movement. Also in the ranks of the MPRP there appeared fractions consisting of young communists standing for the party renewal and composing policies of reform and restructure.

The movement for democracy had achieved progress step by step in a few short months. The resignation of the leadership of the party, whose role was set out by the Constitution of the MPR since the 1960s and which alone used to decide the direction of the country’s political, social and economic spheres over the past seven decades was the outcome attained by the movement for democracy.

Efforts for strengthening the outcome of the struggle for democracy have been undertaken persistently since the year 1990 in Mongolia . The period of transition from a one-party rule political system to a parliament functioning on a standing basis continued from December of 1990 to July of 1992.

With the purpose of strengthening the democratic system being formed in Mongolia by its due reflection in the Constitution, the Small Khural issued a resolution on October 4, 1990 and set up its working group to draw up the draft of a new Constitution.

The new Constitution set out that the MPR should be renamed Mongolia as it was previously. The new Constitution stated that the State Great Khural of Mongolia is its highest authoritative body and the legislative power is vested with the State Great Khural and the President of Mongolia is the leader of the state securing the consolidation of the Mongolian people.

The president will coordinate and direct the relations between the highest legislative and executive powers. In addition, the session decided to hold the elections of the Great People’s Khural of Mongolia (old name) within June of 1992, to form the State Great Khural (new name) and a new government, as well as the new Constitution of Mongolia to be put in effect from February 12, 1992 .

The first election of the State great Khural, the highest organ of State power of democratic Mongolia , was successfully carried out on June 28, 1992 nationwide.

The historical outcomes of the elections were the establishment of a standing parliament named the State great Khural to be the highest authority of a democratic state, because of the democratic movement launched by the Mongolian people since the 1990s exercising its right to elect and be elected in compliance with the democratic laws.

The Mongolian people enter the new millennium by re-affirming the outcomes of those democratic elections within the successive regular elections to the State Great Khural held in 1996, 200 and the presidential elections that took place in 1996 and 2001, establishing and strengthening its democratic state and governing system. The Conception for Development of Mongolia, adopted in May of 1996 by the State Great Khural, identified the major objectives of the country for the next 15 to 25 years. According to the conception, Mongolia has set the goal to become an industrial country with a relatively self-supporting economy, an adequate political system based on democratic values, and high levels of culture and spiritual development.