The independence of Outer Mongolia is an eternal pain in the hearts of the Chinese people, but who should bear this responsibility? In the past, the Kuomintang, which allowed Outer Mongolia to hold a referendum, was always regarded as the culprit. But in fact, the Qing Dynasty , the Beiyang government , the Kuomintang and ourselves have all made mistakes on the issue of independence in Outer Mongolia. The reasons for historical mistakes can only be found in history.
The Outer Mongolia region in the Qing Dynasty
The reason why Outer Mongolia separated from the Chinese territory and became independent is that the connection with the mainland of China is not close enough and there is a lack of "centripetal force" to identify with the Central Plains. This gives external forces the opportunity to intervene in Outer Mongolia's affairs and lead to its independence.
Many people will probably say, didn’t the Qing Dynasty have a “Manchu-Mongolian marriage ”? Didn’t the Mongolian concubines occupy the harem of the Qing Dynasty? Why do you still say that Outer Mongolia is not closely connected with the mainland?
In fact, although the Qing Dynasty ruled the Mongolian region, it did not treat all Mongolian tribes and Mongolians equally.
Outer Mongolia includes the Khalkha, Oirat Durbot, Altai Ulianghai and other tribes. The Khalkha tribe, as the main part, did not submit to the Qing Dynasty until the 30th year of Kangxi (1691), much later than the other tribes in Inner Mongolia. Other tribes in Outer Mongolia submitted to the Qing Dynasty even later than Yongzheng and Qianlong years.
Although the Qing Dynasty had General Ulyasutai and Kobdo Counselor and Minister in Outer Mongolia, there were very few troops stationed there, and there were not as many officials as there were in the provinces in the interior. The entire Outer Mongolia region actually enjoyed a high degree of autonomy in the Qing Dynasty. The Khalkha tribe had 4 alliances and 86 banners, and the Durbot tribe had the Saiyinji Yahatu alliance, allowing them to divide and rule. For the princes and nobles of Outer Mongolia, except for a few Khans, Princes, and Baylors, most of the titles given to them by the Qing Dynasty were Zasak first-class Taiji , which belonged to the lowest rank among the princes and nobles of Zasak. They were far less noble than those of princes, princes, and Belles from various ministries in Inner Mongolia.
The Khalkha Mongolian princes and nobles in the late Qing Dynasty
Because the Qing Dynasty's rule over Outer Mongolia was far inferior to the three deputy capitals of Rehe, Chahar, and Suiyuan set up in Inner Mongolia. The unified (general) jurisdiction was so direct and powerful that the princes of Outer Mongolia did not have a high status within the Qing court as the princes of Inner Mongolia. It was too far away from the capital. The superposition of multiple factors caused the centrifugal force here towards the Central Plains. This also gave the Tsarist Russian forces that coveted Chinese territory an opportunity to take advantage of it and laid the root of the independence of Outer Mongolia.
If the Qing court had treated all Mongolian tribes equally, treated the Khalkha tribe as a guest of honor, and promptly established a province in Mongolia like Xinjiang, Outer Mongolia might not have embarked on the road to independence.
During the Beiyang period, Xu Shuzheng once regained Outer Mongolia, but he did not station troops here for a long time after that. The Beiyang government did not send military and political officials such as governors, patrol envoys, patrol envoys, envoys, and garrison envoys. The Beiyang government's rule here was still blank. The newly born Soviet Russia was concerned about this piece of "fat meat". Five years after Outer Mongolia announced the cancellation of its independence, it planned the "Mongolian People's Republic" in 1924, making Outer Mongolia a puppet regime actually controlled by Soviet Russia and later the Soviet Union.
Xu Shuzheng regained Outer Mongolia
In August 1945, the Kuomintang and the Soviet Union signed the "Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship and Alliance". One of the prerequisites proposed by the Soviet Union was to allow Outer Mongolia to choose independence based on the results of the referendum. Under the dual pressure of the Yalta system and the Soviet Union's strong pressure, Chiang Kai-shek finally agreed to the Soviet Union's request. In the end, the Soviet Union manipulated Outer Mongolia to vote for independence, and the Kuomintang authorities announced their recognition.
Most Chinese people were insulted by this, but at that time some left-wing people in the country also expressed their views that the international imperialist reactionaries were trying to incite the Han chauvinist feelings of some Chinese people and oppose the establishment of an independent people's state by the people of Outer Mongolia. This was wrong. He also believes that the people of Outer Mongolia have the right to demand "liberation".
This argument seems ridiculous now, but it was still very popular among the "pro-Soviet faction", "left-wingers" and some people who held "internationalist" ideas at the time, and believed that it was part of the "worldwide proletarian revolution". Perhaps, this is the so-called historical limitation!
Soviet Foreign Minister Molotov and Kuomintang Foreign Minister Wang Shijie signed a treaty
When the People's Republic of China was founded, our party announced that it would not recognize any international agreements and treaties of old China. But regarding the independence of Outer Mongolia, although we tried to integrate Outer Mongolia back in the early days of the founding of the People's Republic of China, we had no choice but to no longer insist on our opinion due to the strong opposition of the Soviet Union. After taking power, Khrushchev directly stated that the Soviet Union would no longer respond to questions about the return of Outer Mongolia to China. This completely closed the door to discussions between China and the Soviet Union on the status of Outer Mongolia.
In fact, we were in a weak position at the time and needed support from the Soviet Union. Even if we wanted to take back Outer Mongolia subjectively, we were objectively powerless. When China and the Soviet Union were in the "honeymoon period", some people were considered "anti-Soviet" and labeled "rightists" because they had objections to the independence of Outer Mongolia. This shows that the banditry of the Soviet Union at that time had to a certain extent been covered with the legal cover of "internationalism" and was out of reach of ordinary people.
In 1961, Outer Mongolia officially joined the United Nations. This also means that Outer Mongolia's independence has been widely recognized by the international community.
New China and the Soviet Union signed the "Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship, Alliance and Mutual Assistance"
Interestingly, Chiang Kai-shek, who was defeated and fled to Taiwan, still resented it. In 1953, Taiwan's "Legislative Yuan" passed a resolution to abrogate the Sino-Soviet Treaty and its annexes, and the announcement on the independence of Outer Mongolia naturally became invalid. Therefore, on the territory of Taiwan's "Republic of China", Outer Mongolia is still part of China. For a period of time, the Taiwan authorities used this to flaunt their anti-Soviet and anti-"Mongolian independence" and attack mainland China. But everyone knows that this is just a farce directed and staged by the Taiwan authorities to cover up their mistakes.
The reason why Outer Mongolia can be separated from Chinese territory cannot be attributed to one person or one government alone. It is inseparable from the short-sightedness of the Qing Dynasty, the incompetence of the warlords and Chiang Kai-shek. Our own understanding of this issue also has certain historical limitations, and of course it is also inseparable from the aggression and greed of Tsarist Russia and its heirs. As far as the integrity of China's territory is concerned, Tsarist Russia and its successors are complete sinners.
But the facts have been established. All we can do now is to guard every inch of territory and not give in an inch when dealing with the current territorial disputes.
