Political And Economic Relations Between Russia (the S.U.) And The Outer Mongolia(1911-1945)

The period of time from 1911 to 1945 marked the most volatile changes in the Outer Mongolia area. During this period, the Outer Mongolia, as a strategic rear in China's frontier, deserves our consideration, for it obtained independence for several times. It is well-known that its independences had a lot to do with Russia (the S.U.),so there is no denying the fact that the study on the relations between two sides mentioned above during this period is necessary.In this paper, the author fuses large amounts of research results including latest declassified documents by foreign scholars, Russian and Mongolian alike, with the counterparts in China. In addition, the author utilizes theories and methods concerned in Politics, International Politics, International Law, International Relations and Ethnics with materialist conception of history by Marx at the core. On the basis of such, relatively comprehensive and objective study on Russia—the Outer Mongolia political and economic relations (1911—1945) is conducted, the historical course during this period is outlined, and the characteristics, nature of their relations as well as their far-reaching impacts on China and the Northeast Asia are expounded and analyzed.Apart from introduction and conclusion parts, the other parts constitute the main body of the paper where three issues are expounded: historical review, political relations between Russia and the Outer Mongolia from 1911 to 1945 and their economic relations during this period.The paper starts with systematic study on political and economic relations before 1911 between the two countries, for it paves the foundation for their bilateral relations afterwards.Despite the changes of its policy towards the Outer Mongolia from 17th century to 1911, Russia's plot to annex it stayed unchanged. With annexation at one swoop impractical, Russia adopted various ploys for its own benefits and imposed political influence on the Outer Mongolia. Firstly, Russia's encroachment on the Outer Mongolia area. The border treaty between the Qing Dynasty and Russia didn't prevent Russia legitimizing tracts it encroached and its further activity in this respect; secondly, Russia snatched partial political rights from the Outer Mongolia based on treaty of inequality and merged the encroached tracts with its own; then, Russia roped in the upper royalty and nobility to foster pro-Russian party; lastly, Russia colluded with others countries to make the Outer Mongolia its own prerogative intact.At the beginning of the 17th century, the establishment of direct trade relations between Russia and the Outer Mongolia upset the latter's trade structure, leaving china's mainland no longer its single trade partner. Russia had attempted to incorporate it into its own economic circle so that it could monopolize economic benefit from the Outer Mongolia, however, their bilateral trade, due to various factors, hadn't made great progress until 1860, though their trade relations kept intact. After 1860, their economic relations had undergone radical changes, because Russia snatched a series of economic privileges through treaties of inequality and embarked on its large-scale economic expansion. In spite of the above-mentioned, mainland China maintained the largest and most important trade partner of the Outer Mongolia.All in all, although Russia hadn't realized its dream to annex the Outer Mongolia and monopolized its economic interests, its political and economic impacts there had already been strengthened.Then, the author comprehensively analyzes the political relations between Russia and the Outer Mongolia from 1911 to 1945.During the period of 30 years, Russia(the Soviet Union included) formulated and implemented 3 different policies towards the Outer Mongolia in the light of then current international situations and its own, that is,"autonomy"policy towards the Outer Mongolian under china's suzerainty(1911—1919); from its attempt to resume the"autonomy"of the Outer Mongolia to the policy of acknowledging China's whole sovereignty over it(1919—1924);"strategic buffer"policy to safeguard its own security(1925—1945).The above-mentioned three policies were formulated and implemented purely out of serving Russia's national interest, among which the first stage and the third state are most detrimental to China, especially the latter. At the first stage, the Outer Mongolia belonged to China superficially, which saved some face for China to some extent. When it comes to the third stage, the Outer Mongolia was made independent artificially, which shamed China totally. As to the second stage, dialectical analysis is conducted. The Soviet Union once attempted to assume the Outer Mongolia's autonomy, which was one and the same as what it had done at the first stage. It was none other than resuming once Russia's political and economic advantages in that area and this was undoubtedly an infringement on China's sovereignty. In 1924, under the influence of many factors, the Soviet Union acknowledged legally the fact that the Outer Mongolia was a part of China's territory and China exercised the whole sovereignty over it.In the light of the above-mentioned policies by Russian side (the Soviet Union included), Chinese Central Government responded by many constructive diplomatic negotiations, however, China was submitted to Russian side owing to international environment and its own domestic hindrances. Although the negotiations once contained Russia's further aggression, China couldn't prevent its final independence from it. This fact proved that China's policy toward this issue was a failure.For the Outer Mongolia, Russian side was its backer patron in its independence from China. That was why the Outer Mongolia had been sparing no effort to use and depend on Russian side to achieve its own goal. However, Russia's policies didn't tally with what it expected, so there was also great disagreement between them. This proves the viewpoint held by many scholars wrong that the Outer Mongolia totally followed the lead of Russian side. It is what the author expounds more in this paper that Russian side and the Outer Mongolia proceeded from their own interests and found the common interest amid conflicts.The period from 1911—1945 witnessed two large-scale pan-mongolianism which aimed to establish a large Mongolia among all the mongolian people in the world,Which contradicted the Soviet Union's interests,for it had long been against such movements. In spite of conflicts, the Outer Mongolia didn't stop its once practise to depend on and use the Soviet Union, and it strengthen their bilateral relations for its dream to build an independent nation. On the other hand, the Soviet Union's support for the Outer Mongolia was obviously not out of good deeds of international assistance,but for its national interests: the independence of the Outer Mongolia would build a buffer zone in Northeast Asia for the Soviet Union.It was a sure thing that the Soviet Union would not allow the Outer Mongolia to rely on other country, so it had to give what it had expected to some extent but at the expense of its interference with internal affairs on the mongolian side. However, there had been a political party on the side of the Outer Mongolia who held that they should develop on their own, and this party had long been on the lead, it goes without saying that their stance was against that of the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union interfered with the internal affairs according to its own interests and make the outer Mongolia move towards what it had set politically.Due to bloody purge and slaughter by the Soviet Union, the Outer Mongolia gradually adapted itself to the politically arrangement by the Russian side. By the end of the late 1930, all the partis advocating development on its own had almost been eradicated, which marked the beginning of trully setting foot on the political orbit set by the Soviet Union. It is no exaggeration to say that the Soviet Union played a vital role in the political orientation of the Outer Mongolia. However, the Soviet Union didn't take the political and social conditions in the Outer Mongolia into account when implementing its won political doctrine and quicken the pace of revolution and social reform, bringing about negative effect on their bilateral relaitons. At the same time, the Soviet Union became accustomed to the political environment on the Mongolian side and cultivated Pro—Russian parties holding the leading role.At last, economic relations between Russia (the Soviet Union included) and the Outer Mongolia (1911—1945) is deeply analyzed.Since 1911, the Russian side had plotted to incorporate the Outer Mongolia into its own economic circle with a view to monopolizing its economic interests. Their bilateral economic relations, though greatly influenced by their political relations, promoted their political evolution. The period from 1911—1945 witnessed three historical stages concerning economic relations:abnormal economic relations from 1911—1917;dependent economic relations from 1917—1940;and integration economic relations from 1941—1945. At different stages, bilateral economic relations exhibited corresponding characteristic and operation modes.Due to China's domestic changes and the volatile situations in the Outer Mongolia, Russia further snatched more economic privileges from the Outer Mongolia and became its leading trade partner from 1911—1917. However, their bilateral economic relations became tapering off and basically severed off in 1917. On the whole, their bilateral economic relations developed abnormally. Although Russia side established its economic status in the Outer Mongolia, it didn't monopolize its market and lost its acquired economic influences there in time.The period from 1917—1940 saw the whole process of their bilateral economic relations featuring the establishment of trade relations, the transplantation of economic development mode on the side of the Soviet Union to the Outer Mongolia, the Soviet Union monopolized the foreign trade on the Mongolian side and mainland China's businessmen were ousted. Both sides gradually established dependence economic relations. Such was the result of the changes of the Soviet Union's policies towards the Outer Mongolia. Of course, this result brought both sides closer politically.The period from 1941—1945 was important for the Soviet Union for it was busy with its war against German invasion, which was also a pivotal period in terms of the Second World War. The Soviet Union and the Outer Mongolia had already enjoyed a close political relations and the war had a vital bearing on the future of both, so mutual bilateral economic assistance and trade were more frequent than ever and a new economic relations featuring integration came into being. The Outer Mongolia served as the Soviet Union's supply base, which added substance to their political cooperation and resulted in a far-reaching impact.It had been the will of the Soviet Union to incorporate the Outer Mongolia into its own economic circle and monopolize its economic interests. We can say that the Russian side really got it dream come true. The realization of this goal made businessmen from mainland China ousted from this market and relations between mainland China and the Outer Mongolia were cut off. In order to get independence from China, the Outer Mongolia used and depended on the Soviet Union at the expense of the loss of its economic privileges, thus, the Outer Mongolia embarked on the road relying on the Soviet Union economically. There is no denying the fact that this dependence economic development mode not only helped the Outer Mongolia achieved its goal of economic independence from China, but promoted its economic modernization to some extent. At the same time, however, we must notice that this kind mode imposed greatly negative impact on the economic and social development of the Outer Mongolia.On the basis of comprehensive analysis of the political and economic relations between Russian (the Soviet Union included) from 1911—1945, we can draw such conclusions: it had always been the proceeding point for the Russian side in formulating and implementing its policies towards the Outer Mongolia to maintain its national interests and optimize national interests. The Russian national interests orientation towards the Outer Mongolia jeopardized China most, which not only made mainland China cut off with the Outer Mongolia economically, but made China unable to exercise its sovereignty over it and lose large tracts of land amounting to 1 million sq.km. Policies towards the Outer Mongolia on the Russian side were not always correspondent to the will of the Outer Mongolian side, and there existed many discords behind their intimate cooperation. Although discords ran through the whole course of their bilateral relations, the Outer Mongolia regarded the Russian side as its strong prop to attain independence and become stronger all the time, therefore, both sides move towards"harmony"gradually with the coercion of the Russian side.