
During the tumultuous period of World War II, Outer Mongolia, officially the Mongolian People's Republic, played a complex role as a Soviet satellite state under the communist leadership of Khorloogiin Choibalsan. With fewer than a million inhabitants, Mongolia's sovereignty was not widely recognized, and many nations viewed it as a breakaway province of China. Nevertheless, Mongolia aligned itself firmly with the Soviet Union, providing critical economic and military support to the Allies while navigating its precarious geopolitical position.
Pre-War Alliance with the Soviet Union
Mongolia's relationship with the Soviet Union had been solidified through a "gentlemen's agreement" in 1934, formalized by the 1936 mutual assistance pact. These agreements were primarily aimed at countering Japan, which had occupied Manchuria and posed a growing threat along Mongolia’s borders. The Soviet-Mongolian alliance ensured the defense of the Soviet Trans-Siberian Railway and Mongolia’s territorial integrity.
In 1937, as Japan expanded its presence in East Asia, the Soviets stationed troops in Mongolia along its southern and southeastern borders. The Mongolian government consented under duress, influenced by fabricated Japanese invasion plans. These deployments coincided with the Great Terror, during which purges and political violence gripped Mongolia under Soviet direction. By 1939, the alliance was tested in the Battles of Khalkhin Gol, where Mongolian troops joined Soviet forces to repel Japanese incursions in a decisive four-month conflict that served as a prelude to the broader Second World War.
Mongolia During World War II
Although geographically distant from the European theater, Mongolia contributed significantly to the Soviet war effort against Nazi Germany. Officially maintaining neutrality, Mongolia nonetheless supported the Allies by providing livestock, raw materials, and financial assistance to the Soviet military. It financed key Soviet units, including the "Revolutionary Mongolia" Tank Brigade and the "Mongolian Arat" Squadron. Half a million horses were sent to the Eastern Front, highlighting Mongolia's pivotal role in supplying the Soviet war machine. Additionally, over 300 Mongolian volunteers fought on the Eastern Front, a testament to the nation’s commitment to its Soviet ally.
Mongolia's direct military involvement came during the Soviet invasion of Manchuria in August 1945, a campaign that marked the final chapter of World War II. Mongolian forces, attached to the Soviet-Mongolian Cavalry Mechanized Group under Colonel General Issa Pliev, participated in operations against Japanese forces and their Manchu and Inner Mongolian allies. Mongolian units included several cavalry divisions, a motorized armored brigade, and artillery and aviation regiments.
The Little Khural, Mongolia’s parliament, formally declared war on Japan on August 10, 1945, after its troops had already crossed into Japanese-occupied China alongside Soviet forces. Mongolia’s contribution to the campaign was modest but symbolic, reflecting its alignment with Soviet interests and its role in the broader Allied effort.
Legacy
Mongolia’s active support of the Soviet Union during World War II, though underreported, was crucial in maintaining Soviet logistical and military strength. The war effort solidified Mongolia’s position as a loyal Soviet ally while reinforcing its strategic importance as a buffer state. However, Mongolia’s alignment with the Soviet Union also entrenched its status as an unrecognized satellite state, its sovereignty overshadowed by its powerful northern neighbor.
The war marked a period of transformation for Mongolia, as its contributions on the battlefield and beyond shaped its post-war trajectory. Its alliance with the Soviet Union laid the groundwork for Mongolia’s participation in the global communist bloc, even as its identity as an independent state remained contested on the international stage.