Twentieth Century Mongolia

Book Description
Baabar's Twentieth Century Mongolia is a unique history book. It is the first history of Mongolia available in English to draw upon both academic scholarship and archival data that only became available with the collapse of the socialist regime in 1990. In doing so, it highlights the role of international politics - involving Russia/the Soviet Union, China and Japan - in the shaping of Mongolia's history. Baabar himself feels that the role of China in determining Mongolia's fate is under-appreciated in Western scholarship. The volume is composed of three 'books'. The first offers a survey of the history of Mongolia up to the 1911 revolution. The second looks at the political situation in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, up until the early socialist period (the early 1920s). While drawing upon Western sources, it also incorporates some newly available materials from the period. The last book is in many ways the most interesting, for it is in this section of the work that Baabar draws most heavily upon new material. It makes extensive use of archival material that has been made newly available with the collapse of the socialist regime. In doing so, it offers a richer picture and fuller understanding of the events of the 1920s and 1930s in Mongolia - a key period in the country's history. Although the socialists were unable to establish a fully socialist society, during this period Soviet influence became dominant, and they faced the most serious threats to their power. This part of the book, which concludes with the official recognition of Mongolia's independence by China in 1946, also examines the destruction of the Buddhist church and nobility by the socialists. TABLE OF CONTENTS: Editor's Preface Author's Introduction BOOK ONE. THE STEPPE WARRIORS Introduction. Plano's Report to the Vatican Chapter One. The Origin of the Mongols Chapter Two. Greater Asian History: Preparing the Way for Chinggis Khaan Chapter Three. The Rise of the Mongol Empire Chapter Four. The Legacy of Chinggis Khaan Chapter Five. Chinggis Khaan's Successors Chapter Six. Religion in the Post-Chinggis Era Chapter Seven. Hubilai Khaan and the Yuan Dynasty Chapter Eight. The Fourteenth to the Sixteenth Centuries Chapter Nine. The Manchu's Qing Dynasty Chapter Ten. The Rise of Tibetan Buddhism Chapter Eleven. Mongol Relations with Russia Chapter Twelve. The Zuungar Khanate Chapter Thirteen. The Fall of the Zuungar Khanate Chapter Fourteen. The Subjugation of Mongolia BOOK TWO. INCARNATIONS AND REVOLUTIONARIES Introduction. The Troublesome Toy Chapter One. Mongolia Proclaims its Independence Chapter Two. Winds of Change in Nineteenth Century European Politics Chapter Three. The Assault on China Chapter Four. Russia's Plans for Mongolia Chapter Five. The Fight for North China Chapter Six. China Undertakes Reform Chapter Seven. Unrest among the Mongols Chapter Eight. The 1911 Republic of China Chapter Nine. The Mongols Seize the Day Chapter Ten. Russia and China Respond Chapter Eleven. The Russo-Mongol Treaty of 1912 Chapter Twelve. The Sino-Russian Declaration on Mongolia Chapter Thirteen. The Mongols Respond to the Declaration Chapter Fourteen. The Tripartite Conference Chapter Fifteen. Life in 1913 Mongolia Chapter Sixteen. The Chinese High Commissioner in Hree Chapter Seventeen. World War I Chapter Eighteen. Chaos in Russia8 Chapter Nineteen. China and Japan Vie for Spoils Chapter Twenty. The Chinese Invade Mongolia Chapter Twenty-One. The Resistance Chapter Twenty-Two. The Mongolian People's Party Chapter Twenty-Three. The Mad Baron's Reign in Mongolia Chapter Twenty-Four. The Mongols Seek Recognition Chapter Twenty-Five. The 1921 Soviet-Mongol Friendship Talks Chapter Twenty-Six. The First Purge Chapter Twenty-Seven. The Soviets Become Entrenched in Mongolia BOOK THREE. A PUPPET REPUBLIC Introduction. The Ghost of Prime Ministers Past Chapter One. Chinese Politics in the 1920s Chapter Two. The Sino-Soviet Joust for Outer Mongolia Chapter Three. Mongolia Becomes a Soviet Republic Chapter Four. Mongolia's Transition to Communism Chapter Five. The Soviet Constitution for Mongolia Chapter Six. Communism Infiltrates China Chapter Seven. Mongolia Continues to Seek Independence Chapter Eight. Power Struggles in China Chapter Nine. Soviet Policy Change in Mongolia Chapter Ten. Stalin's Brutal Reign in Russia Chapter Eleven. Communist Hysteria Sweeps Mongolia Chapter Twelve. Soviet Reforms in Mongolia Chapter Thirteen. Class Struggle Chapter Fourteen. Mongols Protest the Oppression Chapter Fifteen. The "New Reform Policy" in Mongolia Chapter Sixteen. Stalin's Vengeance against the Buriads Chapter Seventeen. Japanese Politics in the 1930s Chapter Eighteen. Continued Japanese Interest in Mongolia Chapter Nineteen. Genden Falls into Disfavor Chapter Twenty. The Rise of Choibalsan Chapter Twenty-One. The Great Purge Chapter Twenty-Two. Reflections on the Great Terror Chapter Twenty-Three. Choibalsan's Continued Leadership Chapter Twenty-Four. The 1939 Halhyn Gol Incident Chapter Twenty-Five. World War II Chapter Twenty-Six. The Post-War Map of Asia Chapter Twenty-Seven. The Fate of Mongolia's Independence Notes Bibliography Index

About the Author
Batbar, currently serving as Finance Minister, is perhaps best known as an author of samizdat and a founder of the Mongolian Social Democratic Party. He began writing samizdat in the early 1980s. At first critical of socialism from within a socialist framework, by the mid-1980s he had begun to question socialism itself. He continued his writing into the 1990s, often offering highly opinionated views of Mongolian society.


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