U469  Mongolia:  Theocracy, Communism, Democracy
(formerly Mongols of the 20th Century)
Week 9:  Thursday
 

Insurrections and the New Turn Policy (shine ergilta-yin bodolga):

  1. Insurrections and emigration
    1. Widespread resistance to Leftist policies
      1. Those in border areas emigrated from 1930 on
      2. Those in northwest couldn’t emigrate, revolted
      3. Noted emigres included Diluwa Khutugtu (former patriotic figure)
    2. Disturbances in Spring, 1930
      1. Outbreaks in Uws province
      2. Links to resistance in Tuva
      3. Crushed in months
      4. Further purges, "counter-revolutionary conspiracy of Eregdendagwa"
        1. Appeal to Panchen Lama and to China
    3. Rebellion and Civil War, summer 1932
      1. Broke out from the monasteries again, April-October 1932
        1. Wide support from party, league members
        2. Not led by high lamas
      2. Appeals to Panchen Lama (and sometimes to Japan)
        1. Appeal to Shambala (millenarian ideals, defense of faith)
        2. Appeal to theocratic ideals
      3. Military suppression by Monoglian Rev. Red Army
      4. Political reprisals and executions led by Lhümbe (Party Schooler)
  2. New Turn Policy dictated by Moscow
    1. Leftist period dominated by Comintern: Amagaev, Natsov, Raiter
    2. Japanese invasion of Northeast China, Mongolian rebellion alarms Stalin
    3. Stalin and Soviet Communist Party take Comintern "off the case"
      1. March, 1932: Politburo’s "Mongolian Commission"
        1. Members Stalin cronies, foreign policy experts (no Buriats!)
      2. May, 1932: Shalva Eliava (Georgian crony) to Mongolia
        1. Replaced most leftist leaders
        2. August report: Blamed insurrections on leftist policies
        3. Proposal: limit party, strengthen gov’t, improving economy
    3.
  3. The New Turn Policy in Mongolia
    1. Strong leadership (as in 1925-1928)
      1. Oirat-Khalkha split: Badarakhu supports Oirat aut., union with USSR
      2. Gendün as Prime Minister; criticized others as too harsh
      3. Amur as head of state (chairman of State Conference/Baga Khural)
      4. Lubsangsharab (former lama, later active in purges) as party head
      5. Demid as Army chief, Khalkha
      6. Some other leftists also retained: Eldeb-Wachir, Lhümbe in party
    2. Lhümbe affair: first large scale "spy ring" "discovered" by torture
      1. Buriats in Barga have social ties to Buriats in Mongolia
      2. Pursued by OIS Chief Namsrai (Gendün ally):  443 convictions, 60 shot
      3. Mostly Buriats, but most remaining leftists also dragged in (esp. Lhümbe)
    3. Religious policy
      1. 1933: imprisoned lamas released, Gendün acknowledges B-ism.
      2. Monasteries given limited tax exemption
    4. Economic policy:
      1. Collectives abolished, taxes lightened
      2. Private domestic trade reestablished (but not foreign trade)
      3. Soviets give favorable terms of trade, leaders push Soviet trade
    5. Cultural Policy
      1. Latinization rejected
      2. Shagja and others criticize new language teaching, reform script
      3. Works Mongolian history, ethnography actively written, reprinted
      4. Patronymic reform intended to replace clan affiliation
    6. Stalin ratifies New Turn then pushes for changes on lamas
      1. Eighth Party congress (1934), and Gendün delegation to Moscow