Seventy years ago, the Soviet people were able to defeat a dangerous and very powerful enemy. And practically all Soviet people, all nations and nationalities, all regions of a large country contributed to this. But one cannot but recall the feasible contribution of our allies. No, this article will not be about the Anglo-American coalition, whose contribution to the victory over fascism is also indisputable. The distant and weak Mongolia, with a small population, with a backward economy, itself under the threat of Japanese invasion, helped the Soviet Union as much as it could.
The first brotherly state
Until the end of the 1940s, Mongolia and another small state, the Tuva People's Republic, which later became part of the RSFSR, remained the only true allies of the Soviet Union. This was explained by the fact that with the direct participation of Soviet Russia in both Central Asian states, people's democratic governments, oriented towards the socialist path of development, came to power. Of course, it was very difficult to modernize Mongolia and Tuva, which are extremely backward, living in a medieval feudal and in some places tribal way of life. But the Soviet Union provided invaluable support to local progressive figures in this. In turn, Mongolia and Tuva became strongholds of Soviet influence in Central Asia. At the same time, the larger Mongolia also fulfilled the important task of a buffer between the territory of the USSR and China, in which there was practically no single statehood at that time, and territories controlled by hostile Japan were located near the Soviet borders. As early as March 12, 1936, a Protocol of Mutual Assistance was signed between the Soviet Union and the Mongolian People's Republic. When the armies of Japan and the puppet state of Manchukuo invaded Mongolia in 1939, the 1st Army Group, commanded by Georgy Zhukov, took the side of the Mongolian People's Republic. As a result of the battles on the Khalkhin Gol River, the Red Army and the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Army (MNRA) were able to defeat the Japanese and Manchu troops. Meanwhile, in the summer of 1938, Soviet and Japanese troops clashed in battles near Lake Khasan.
The history of the Soviet-Mongolian military friendship goes back to the more distant past - during the turbulent years of the Civil War in Russia itself. In fact, the people's revolution in Mongolia in 1921 won with the direct support of Soviet Russia, which provided all-round assistance to the Mongolian revolutionaries. In 1920, anti-Chinese groups operating in Urga, which included Sukhe-Bator (pictured) and Choibalsan, the future leaders of the Mongolian revolution, came into contact with the Russian Bolsheviks. Under the influence of the Bolsheviks, the Mongolian People's Party was formed on June 25, 1920. On August 19, 1920, the Mongolian revolutionaries went to Irkutsk, where they received assurances of support from Soviet Russia in exchange for the creation of a people's government in Mongolia. After that, Sukhe-Bator and Choibalsan remained in Irkutsk, where they underwent military training under the leadership of the Bolsheviks. Thus, the leaders of the Mongolian revolution were in fact the first Mongolian military personnel trained in Soviet Russia. Sukhe-Bator himself already had experience in military service with the rank of sergeant-major in the machine-gun squadron of the old Mongolian army, and Choibalsan was in the past a monk and a simple laborer. In early February 1921, Choibalsan and another revolutionary, Chagdarzhav, returned to Urga. On February 9, Sukhe-Bator was appointed commander-in-chief of the Mongolian revolutionary army, who began recruiting soldiers - tsiriks among the Mongolian cattle breeders - arats. On February 20, clashes began with a few Chinese units. The Provisional Government of the Mongolian People's Republic was formed, in which the status of Sukhe-Bator as commander-in-chief was also confirmed. On March 18, the number of the young Mongolian army increased to 400 soldiers and commanders, and battles with Chinese troops began.
On April 10, 1921, the Central Committee of the Mongolian People's Party and the Provisional Government of the Mongolian People's Republic appealed to the Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR with a request to provide military assistance in the fight against the detachments of "whites" who had retreated to Mongolia. This is how the cooperation between the Soviet and Mongolian armies began. The Red Army, Mongol formations, the People's Revolutionary Army of the Far Eastern Republic acted jointly against the Chinese militarists, the Asian division of Baron R. Ungern von Sternberg and smaller groups. The Asian division of Baron Ungern failed to take Kyakhta by storm - the young Mongol army defeated the baron's units, which suffered heavy losses, and he was forced to retreat back to Buryatia. Soon, Ungern's division was defeated, and he himself was captured by the Mongols, and then by the red partisans of P. G. Shchetinkin. On June 28, Soviet-Mongolian troops entered the territory of Mongolia, and on July 6, they took the capital of Mongolia, Urga, without a fight. Subsequently, Soviet military specialists helped the Mongolian command in organizing and training the first regular units of the revolutionary army. In fact, the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Army was created with the direct participation of Soviet military advisers and specialists. So, the first two years of the existence of the Mongolian army, its General Staff was headed by Soviet military specialists Lyatte, P. I. Litvintsev, V. A. Huva, S. I. Popov.
- cavalrymen of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Army
After the defeat of the whites and the ousting of the Chinese troops from Mongolia, the young people's republic had a new serious opponent. The northeastern part of China, weakened by internal contradictions, was occupied by Japan. On the territory of a number of provinces, the puppet state of Manchukuo was created, headed by Emperor Pu Yi, who claimed legitimate power throughout China. In Inner Mongolia, the state of Mengjiang was created, which was also actually under the complete control of Japan. Both states and Japan behind them were fierce opponents of the Mongolian People's Republic. Japanese and Manchu troops constantly carried out provocations on the border with the Mongolian People's Republic, "breaking through" the level of border protection. During 1932-1935. conflicts in the border zone were constant, several dozen Mongolian soldiers and commanders received military awards for their valor in battles with Japanese and Manchu troops. Pilot D. Demberel and Jr. commander Sh. Gongor received the country's highest award - the title of Hero of the Mongolian People's Republic. The need to protect the state interests of the Mongolian People's Republic was dictated by the signing of the Protocol on Mutual Assistance between the Mongolian People's Republic and the USSR in 1936. Also, the Soviet Union provided assistance to the Mongolian army in the training of personnel, supplied the Mongolian troops with weapons and ammunition. So, in 1936 Mongolia began to receive Soviet-made armored cars. The first batch received 35 Ba-6s and 15 FAIs. After that, the creation of the Mongolian armored brigade began, and an armored squadron of 9 BA and 9 FAI was included in each cavalry division of the MHRA.
As soon as Nazi Germany and its allies on June 22, 1941committed aggression against the Soviet Union, unleashing a war, on the same day a joint meeting of the Presidium of the Central Committee of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party, the Presidium of the Small State Khural of the MPR and the Council of Ministers of the MPR was held. It was decided to express the unequivocal attitude of the Mongolian government and the people of Mongolia to the beginning of the aggressive war of Nazi Germany and its allies against the Soviet state. The meeting decided to reaffirm loyalty to the commitments made by Mongolia in accordance with the Protocol on Mutual Assistance between the Mongolian People's Republic and the USSR of March 12, 1936. The most important task of the Mongolian people and state was proclaimed to provide assistance to the Soviet Union in the struggle against Nazi Germany. It was emphasized that only a victory over fascism can ensure the further freedom and effective development of Mongolia. It should be noted that this statement by the Mongolian leadership was far from declarative. Almost immediately, it was followed by real practical actions by Mongolia and its citizens to support the Soviet Union.
Everything for the front, everything for the victory
In September 1941, a Central Commission was formed under the government of the Mongolian People's Republic, similar commissions were created in every aimag of the country. Their tasks included organizing work to provide assistance to the Soviet Red Army, fighting against the fascist invaders. A massive wave of donations to aid funds for the Red Army began throughout Mongolia. Many ordinary Mongols, workers and pastoralists, literally carried the last of their modest supplies. After all, the population of the Mongolian People's Republic did not have a high standard of living anyway. At the call of the government of the MPR, brigades for the procurement of furs and meat were created in the aimags. Warm clothes and meat products were sent to the Soviet Union - for transfer to the fighting units of the Red Army. Mongolian workers worked and after the end of the work shift, cattle breeders transferred meat and wool. That is, all representatives of the working people of Mongolia made their contribution to collecting aid for the fighting Red Army. It should be noted that this assistance was of great importance for replenishing food and clothing stocks of the Red Army, organizing its medical support. But most importantly, it demonstrated the nationwide solidarity of the Mongols in support of the Soviet people, who are waging a bloody war against the fascist invaders.
In October 1941, the first echelon, formed by the citizens of the country, was sent from Mongolia with gifts to the soldiers of the Red Army. He was carrying 15 thousand sets of winter uniforms, about three thousand individual gift parcels for a total of 1.8 million tugriks. In addition, the State Bank of the USSR received 587 thousand tugriks in cash for expenditure needs. In just the first three years of the war, eight echelons were sent from Mongolia to the Soviet Union. They delivered foodstuffs, uniforms and other necessary things for a total of 25.3 million tugriks. The last ninth echelon of 127 wagons was dispatched at the beginning of 1945. Here is an approximate list of those delivered by only one of the echelons - in November 1942: short fur coats - 30 115 pcs.; felt boots - 30,500 pairs; fur mittens - 31,257 pairs; fur vests - 31,090 pcs.; soldier's belts - 33,300 pcs.; woolen sweatshirts - 2,290 pcs.; fur blankets - 2,011 pcs.; berry jam - 12 954 kg; gazelle carcasses - 26,758 pcs.; meat - 316,000 kg; individual parcels - 22,176 items; sausage - 84 800 kg; oil - 92,000 kg. (Semenov A. F., Dashtseren B. Squadron "Mongolian Arat". - M., Military Publishing, 1971).
General Secretary of the Central Committee of the MPRP Y. Tsedenbal in his report at a meeting of the party activists of the city of Ulan Bator on October 6, 1942, declared: “It is necessary to understand and explain to every working man of the MPR that only the defeat of Hitlerism will save our country from the threat of a military attack, from all those horrors, which the peoples of the belligerent countries are now experiencing, that all that we can, we must give in order to achieve this goal, without which no momentary well-being will be lasting "(Quoted from: Semenov A. F., Dashtseren B. Squadron" Mongolian Arat ". - M., Military Publishing, 1971). And the population of Mongolia heeded this appeal of the leadership of the party and state, sharing the latter for the sake of helping the front. Thus, many arats donated their monthly and even annual earnings to help the front, and gave a significant part of the livestock and horses.
In the fall of 1942from the city of Khovd came a caravan of camels. The caravan was unusual. Firstly, it was the largest in the history of the Great Silk Road and consisted of 1200 camels. Secondly, he was carrying things that were very necessary for the warring Red Army. Thoroughly tailored by Mongolian women 5 thousand jerseys and 10 thousand short fur coats, 22 thousand pairs of socks and mittens made of camel hair, seven tons of dried meat, funds for the construction of the T-34 tank - all this was collected by the nomads of the steppe country for the Red Army. The caravan had to go through a very difficult path - almost a thousand kilometers through semi-desert, mountains, overcoming the Chuisky tract. The final destination of the caravan was the city of Biysk. The caravan was headed by 19-year-old B. Luvsan, the commander of the Komsomol detachment, who was instructed to accompany the cargo. In November 1942 the caravan left Khovd. On the Chike-Taman pass, several dozen camels fell into the abyss. It took almost three months to get to Biysk, only occasionally meeting the nomad camps of local residents - the Oirats, who helped the travelers with food, nursed the frozen and sick caravan guides.
B. Luvsan recalled: “In the winter of 1942, we were warmly greeted in the Oirot Autonomous Region,” said the interlocutor. … In the winter of 1942, there were severe frosts. A temperature of minus 30 degrees was considered a thaw. The inhabitants of Gorny Altai gave us their last, so that we could only reach Biysk. I still keep the bell that hung on the neck of a large camel. This is a great relic for me and my family. During the movement of the caravan, we sang the folk song "Silen Boor". She has many verses and told about friendship, love, fidelity and devotion "(Quote: Navanzooch Tsedev, Dashdorzh Munkhbat. Mongolia - the Red Army during the Great Patriotic War // World of Eurasia).
Only in February 1943 the caravan reached its destination. He went back in 10 days. Despite the war, grateful Soviet citizens equipped him with flour, wheat, vegetable oil - those goods that were in short supply in Mongolia and which the nomads really needed. B. Luvsan received the high title of Hero of the Mongolian People's Republic for his leadership of this extremely dangerous transition.
Tank column "Revolutionary Mongolia"
But even more valuable was the contribution of Mongolia to providing the warring Red Army with weapons and horses. On January 16, 1942, a fundraiser was announced to purchase tanks for a tank column. Thanks to the voluntary donations of the citizens of the Mongolian People's Republic, 2.5 million tugriks, 100 thousand US dollars, 300 kg were transferred to Vneshtorgbank. gold items. The funds raised were used to purchase 32 T-34 tanks and 21 T-70 tanks. Thus, the column "Revolutionary Mongolia" was formed, for the transfer of which to the Red Army on January 12, 1943, representatives of the command of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Army, led by Marshal Khorlogiy Choibalsan, arrived in the Naro-Fominsk area of the Moscow region. The transferred tanks had personal names: “Big Khural”, “From Small Khural”, “From the Council of Ministers of the MPR”, “From the Central Committee of the MPRP”, “Sukhe Bator”, “Marshal Choibalsan”, “Khatan-Bator Maksarzhav”, “Mongolian Chekist”,“Mongolian Arat”,“From the intelligentsia of the MPR”,“From Soviet citizens in the MPR”.
The Mongolian delegation carried out the transfer of the tank column "Revolutionary Mongolia" to the command of the 112th Red Banner Tank Brigade. This unit was formed on January 2, 1942, instead of the 112th Panzer Division, which heroically fought in the battles for Tula, for Moscow and lost a significant part of its tanks, guns and personnel. At the same time, the brigade retained the number designation of the abolished division, and the battalions of the brigade - the names of the regiments that were part of the division. By the way, in addition to tanks, the Mongolian delegation brought 237 wagons of food and things for the Red Army. 1 thousand were delivered.tons of meat, 90 tons of butter, 80 tons of sausages, 150 tons of confectionery, 30 thousand short fur coats, 30,000 pairs of felt boots, 30,000 fur padded jackets. October 30, 1943 by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR "For the excellent performance of the command assignments and the heroism and courage shown by the personnel in the battles against the Nazi invaders" the 112th tank brigade was renamed into the 44th Guards Red Banner Tank Brigade "Revolutionary Mongolia". By the way, until the end of the war, Mongolia fully provided the brigade with food and clothing provisions at its own expense.
Squadron "Mongolian Arat"
Mongolia also contributed its help to equipping Soviet military aviation. In 1943, fundraising from Mongolian citizens began to purchase an aviation squadron, which was named "Mongolian Arat". For the purchase of aircraft, 2 million tugriks were transferred in July 1943. On August 18, I. V. Stalin personally expressed gratitude to the leadership of the Mongolian People's Republic for their assistance in the formation of the squadron: “To the Prime Minister of the Mongolian People's Republic, Marshal Choibalsan. On behalf of the Soviet government and my own, I express my heartfelt gratitude to you and in your person to the government and people of the Mongolian People's Republic, who collected two million tugriks for the construction of a squadron of combat aircraft "Mongolian Arat" for the Red Army, which is waging a heroic struggle against the Nazi invaders. The desire of the workers of the Mongolian People's Republic to build a squadron of combat aircraft "Mongolian Arat" will be fulfilled. I. Stalin, August 18, 1943 " (Semenov A. F., Dashtseren B. Squadron "Mongolian Arat". - M., Military Publishing, 1971).
The transfer of 12 La-5 squadron aircraft to the Soviet command took place at the field airfield at Vyazovaya station, in the Smolensk region, on September 25, 1943. The Mongolian Arat squadron became part of the 2nd Guards Regiment of the 322nd Fighter Aviation Division. The first commander of the Mongolian Arat squadron was Captain N. P. Pushkin. The deputy squadron commander was senior lieutenant N. Ya. Zenkovich, adjutant of the squadron - Guard Lieutenant M. G. Rudenko. The technical staff was represented by senior technicians of the guard, senior technician-lieutenant F. I. Glushchenko and guard technician-lieutenant N. I. Kononov. The flight commander was Senior Lieutenant G. I. Bessolitsyn, a flight technician - guard senior technician-lieutenant N. I. Kalinin, senior pilots - guard junior lieutenants A. P. Kalinin and M. E. Ryabtsev, pilots - M. V. Baranov, A. V. Davydov, A. E. Dmitrievsky, A. I. Zolotov, L. M. Masov, A. S. Subbotin and V. I. Chumak. The squadron proved itself to be at its best, in fact confirming its high combat capability and justifying the hopes of the citizens of Mongolia who participated in raising funds for its creation. As in the case of a tank column, the leadership of the Mongolian People's Republic was engaged in food and clothing support of the squadron until the victory. Warm things, meat, butter, sweets - all this was passed on to the fighters from Mongolian herders.
Five hundred thousand horses
Mongolia's contribution to supplying the Red Army with horses was invaluable. In fact, only Mongolia, with the exception of the Soviet Union itself, provided horse assistance to the Red Army. It should be noted that apart from the Soviet Union itself, there was nowhere to take horses for the needs of the Red Army except in Mongolia. Moreover, in such quantities that the front needed. First, only the United States had similar horse resources. Secondly, their delivery from the United States was practically impossible due to the excessive complexity of transportation and the impossibility in a capitalist country to organize their purchase from private owners at cheap prices. So Mongolia became the main supplier of horses for the Red Army.
The first deliveries of horses, the quantity and quality of which Mongolia was famous for, began at the end of 1941.the state organized the purchase of horses at specially set state prices. During the war years, more than 500 thousand horses were delivered from Mongolia to the Soviet Union. In addition, 32 thousand horses (enough to staff 6 cavalry divisions according to wartime states) were supplied to the Soviet Union as gifts from the farms of Mongolian cattle breeders - arats. Thus, every fifth horse of the Red Army was supplied by Mongolia. They were small horses of the Mongolian breed, distinguished by great endurance, unpretentiousness in food and "self-sufficiency" - they fed themselves, nibbling the grass and nibbling the bark of trees. General Issa Pliev recalled that "… an unpretentious Mongol horse next to a Soviet tank reached Berlin."
Food aid to the Red Army, provided by a small population and economically weak Mongolia, was practically equal to the supply of food from the United States. If the American side supplied 665 thousand tons of canned food to the Soviet Union, then Mongolia gave 500 thousand tons of meat for the needs of the front. As we can see, the numbers are practically equal, only the scales of the American and Mongolian economies are completely incomparable. Wool supplies from Mongolia also played a huge role in supplying the Red Army. They even cut off the supply of similar products from the United States - if 54 thousand tons of wool were sent from the United States, then from Mongolia - 64 thousand tons of wool. Naturally, such a large-scale supply of food and things demanded colossal stress from the Mongolian economy. The labor resources of the Mongolian People's Republic were fully utilized. In Mongolia, a ten-hour working day was officially introduced. A huge part of the livestock was withdrawn by the state to support the allied Soviet state. Thus, during the entire period of the Great Patriotic War, Mongolia provided substantial and invaluable assistance to the fighting Red Army and the Soviet people. But still, the main contribution of Mongolia to the Second World War occurred after the victory over Nazi Germany. We are talking about the war with Japan, in which the Mongolian People's Republic took an active part.
Mongol army in the war with Japan
Since from the very beginning of the Great Patriotic War there was a huge risk of Japanese attack on the Soviet Union, the Soviet leadership was forced to keep a millionth contingent of armed forces in the Far East and Eastern Siberia. These forces could have been used in repelling the aggression of Nazi Germany, but were located in the Far East and Eastern Siberia. The role of the auxiliary armed force in this situation was assigned to the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Army. In the event of aggression from militaristic Japan, the MNRA was to play a very important role in supporting the Far Eastern troops of the Red Army. Therefore, the Mongolian leadership in 1941-1944. the strength of the country's armed forces was quadrupled. Under the General Staff of the MNRA, the command and control of the combat arms - tank, motorized, artillery, aviation, medical and veterinary services - were created according to the Soviet model. In October 1943, the Sukhe-Bator Officers' School was opened in Mongolia. On September 8, 1942, 110 citizens of Mongolia were admitted to the universities of the Red Army, a number of citizens of the Mongolian People's Republic went to study at the cavalry military schools of the NKVD troops of the USSR. 10 senior officers of the MHRA were sent to study at the Military Academy. M. V. Frunze.
Defense spending increased significantly, and military training of the population proceeded at an accelerated pace. A law was passed on universal conscription, which extended to all men and even women in Mongolia. These measures of the Mongolian leadership made it possible to take several Soviet divisions from the Far East and transfer them to the European part of the USSR, against the Nazi invaders. When Hitlerite Germany and her European allies were defeated, Japan was left - the last member of the "Axis", who fought in the Asia-Pacific region against British, American, Australian and New Zealand troops. In February 1945 I. V. At the Yalta Conference, Stalin made a promise to declare war on Japan two to three months after the final defeat of Nazi Germany. Stalin kept his promise. On August 8, 1945, exactly three months after the Great Victory, the Soviet Union declared war on Japan.
However, preparations for hostilities in the Far East began much earlier. Back in May 1945, the USSR began the transfer of significant military contingents to the Far East. From May to early August, troops with a total strength of over 400,000 servicemen, 7137 artillery pieces and mortars, 2,119 tanks and self-propelled artillery mounts were deployed to the Far East. Three fronts were formed - the Transbaikal, consisting of the 17th, 36th, 39th and 53rd armies, the 6th Guards Tank Army, the cavalry mechanized group of the Soviet-Mongolian troops, the 12th Air Army and the Air Defense Forces; 1st Far Eastern, consisting of the 35th, 1st Red Banner, 5th and 25th armies, Chuguev operational group, 10th mechanized corps, 9th air army, Primorskaya air defense army; 2nd Far Eastern in the 2nd Red Banner, 15th and 16th armies, 5th separate rifle corps, 10th air army, Priamurskaya air defense army. The Trans-Baikal Front was commanded by Marshal R. Ya. Malinovsky, 1st Far Eastern - Marshal K. A. Meretskov, 2nd Far Eastern - Marshal A. M. Vasilevsky. The Mongolian People's Revolutionary Army under the command of Marshal H. Choibalsan was also to take the side of the Soviet Union. On August 10, 1945, the government of the Mongolian People's Republic declared war on Japan. The mobilization affected practically all the male population capable of carrying weapons in Mongolia. Almost every Mongolian man of working age was drafted into the army - even the Soviet Union during the Great Patriotic War did not know such a mobilization.
Mongolian troops became part of the Mechanized Cavalry Group of the Trans-Baikal Front, commanded by Colonel-General Issa Aleksandrovich Pliev. The chief of staff of the group was Major General Viktor Ivanovich Nikiforov. The Mongolian command was represented by two generals - the deputy commander for the Mongolian troops was Lieutenant General Jamyan Lhagvasuren, the head of the political department of the Mongolian troops was Lieutenant General Yumjagiin Tsedenbal. The Mongolian formations of the mechanized cavalry group included the 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th cavalry divisions of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Army, the 7th motorized armored brigade of the MNRA, the 3rd separate tank regiment and the 29th artillery regiment MNRA. The total number of the mechanized cavalry units of the MHRA numbered 16 thousand servicemen. They were consolidated into 4 cavalry and 1 aviation divisions, motorized armored brigades, tank and artillery regiments, and a communications regiment. It was armed with 32 light tanks and 128 artillery pieces. In addition to the mechanized cavalry group, over 60 thousand Mongolian servicemen were mobilized to the front, the rest of the forces were in the country. 200 MHRA soldiers and officers were killed during the Manchurian operation. For distinction in hostilities, three servicemen received the title of Hero of the Mongolian People's Republic: private - machine gunner Ayush Luvsantserengiin was awarded posthumously, Major Samgiin Dampil and Major Dashiin Danzanvanchig also received stars.
Mongolian troops operated in the Dollonor - Zhekhe and Kalgan directions. In the first week of hostilities alone, the Mongolian army advanced 450 km, liberating Dolonnor and a number of other settlements. The city of Zhanbei was liberated, and on August 19-21, the fortifications on the Kalgan pass, which were of strategic importance, were taken. Mongolian troops, thus, participated together with the Soviet army in the liberation of China from the Japanese invaders. The 7th motorized mechanized brigade of the MPR, commanded by the renowned commander Colonel D. Nyantaysuren, a participant in the battles on Khalkhin Gol, and the cavalry regiment of the Hero of the MPR, Colonel L. Dandar, took the most active part in the battles. On September 2, 1945, on board the American battleship Missouri, Japan signed the act of surrender. The Second World War ended with the complete defeat of the Axis countries. After Japan's surrender, the Mongolian People's Republic government received a grateful telegram from the leadership of the Soviet Union. By the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of September 8, 1945, 21 generals and officers of the MNRA were awarded the orders of the Soviet Union. The commander-in-chief of the MHRA, Marshal H. Choibalsan, was awarded the Order of Suvorov, I degree, the head of the political department of the MHRA, Lieutenant General Y. Tsedenbal, was awarded the Order of Kutuzov, I degree, and the deputy commander of the cavalry-mechanized group, Lieutenant General J. Lhagvasuren, was awarded the Order of Suvorov, II degree.
The main result of the victory in World War II for Mongolia was the official recognition of its independence. Indeed, until 1945, China considered Mongolia - both Outer and Inner - as its territory. After the Soviet and Mongolian troops successfully defeated the Japanese troops on the territory of Inner Mongolia, there was a threat of reunification of the two Mongolian territories. To prevent it, the Chinese government agreed to a referendum on the state sovereignty of Mongolia, which was held on October 20, 1945. 99.99% of Mongolians supported the country's independence. After the establishment of the People's Republic of China, on October 6, 1949, the PRC and the MPR officially recognized each other as sovereign states.
The memory of the military cooperation of the Soviet and Mongolian peoples has been preserved up to the present day. For a long time, meetings were organized between the veterans of the tank column "Revolutionary Mongolia" and the air squadron "Mongolian Arat". On May 9, 2015, on the day of the seventieth anniversary of the Great Victory, a Mongolian delegation headed by the current President of the country Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj visited Moscow. The parade was attended by 80 Mongolian military personnel trained under the leadership of Colonel G. Saykhanbayar, Chairman of the Policy and Strategy Planning Department of the Ministry of Defense of Mongolia. Mongolian President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj congratulated the Russian people on the seventieth anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany. According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, this is natural, since Mongolia, throughout the Great Patriotic War, really supported the Soviet Union in the fight against fascist aggression.
Photo materials from the site https://siberia-minis.7910.org/forum/showthread.php?fid=29&tid=192 were used.
