card

“INDEPENDENCY: HISTORY AND VALUE”

The 13th academic year of the "Student Researcher" scholarship program, organized by the AMT, successfully took place on October 25, 2023, from 18:00 to 20:30 at the AMT.

          As a guest lecturer, Dr. (Ph.D.), Associate Professor D. Bayarsaikhan, a faculty member of the Department of History at the National University of Mongolia, delivered a lecture on the topic "Independence: History and Value." He advised the audience, saying that just as one cannot learn to swim by jumping into the water, a good researcher must start from the basics and gradually learn, emphasizing the importance of reading and studying. Additionally, the "Zavkhan Studies Center" presented samples of their series of works to our center’s library.In brief, the content of the lecture focused on:

         In the 20th century, the only thing the Mongols longed for was independence. In other words, the end of the Thirty Years' War in 1648 and the signing of the Treaty of Westphalia began to define the sovereignty of countries in a new way. The Treaty of Westphalia introduced the concept of the modern nation-state, and the first country recognized by this treaty was Switzerland. Why did Danzan compare Mongolia to Switzerland? He compared it to Switzerland because, like Switzerland, Mongolia sought recognition of its independence from Russia and China. This shows that our ancestors always fought to gain independence.

       The term "nation-state" refers to a political entity with defined geographical boundaries and a centralized government that creates laws and regulations within those borders.

         The sovereignty of states, when viewed from this principle, means that even if a country is small or weak, if it is recognized by neighboring states, there is no authority greater than its government within its borders.

        When examining the sovereignty of a country, the concept of "status-quo" emerged. This refers to the acceptance by other countries of the current state of a nation’s territory. At the beginning of the 20th century, independence took on a broader meaning, not just the population and territory, but also the recognition of its governance and government.

          In international treaties, "status-quo" is written in two forms: "status-quo ante," meaning the state of affairs as it was before, and "status-quo ante bellum," meaning the state of affairs before the war.

         The sovereignty of a nation-state can exist in two forms: De facto and De jure. De facto refers to when a country’s governance is accepted by another country without formal recognition. De facto recognition guarantees the stability of the new regime and its ability to expand relations. However, without De jure recognition, a country cannot establish formal diplomatic relations.

          De jure means official recognition of one country by another. When recognized De jure, the country can establish diplomatic relations and coexist with equal rights. Mongolia, after conquering half the world in the 13th century, returned to its homeland in 1368 and underwent political fragmentation. By 1691 and 1758, all Mongolian territories had fallen under the control of the Qing Empire. Over the next 200 years, Outer Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and other regions lost their independence and came under foreign control.

         In the 20th century, figures like B. Chingunjav and U. Amarsanaa led attempts for independence, but these efforts were unsuccessful. After the Opium War of 1840, the Qing Empire weakened, eventually collapsing after revolutions in 1909 and 1910.Mongolia declared its independence on December 28, 1911. However, it was only Tibet that recognized Mongolia’s independence in 1912. The Mongolian government, focused on gaining recognition from major powers, relied on diplomatic efforts such as the 1913 mission of Sain Noyon Khan Namnansüren.

        In 1911, a revolution for independence was launched with the participation of figures like Khalkh's Chingvan Handorj and the prominent Buddhist monk Tseregchimed.In 1913, Mongolia sent 10,000 soldiers to Inner Mongolia in a move to assert its independence, led by commanders such as Barga’s Damdinsüren and Inner Mongolian Prince Uday.

        A three-country agreement in Kyakhta in 1914-1915 confirmed Mongolia’s status as an autonomous region under China’s suzerainty, allowing Mongolia to maintain its internal affairs independently.After 1919, the influence of Japanese nationalists expanded in Northeast Asia, and in February 1919, a conference in Chita declared the establishment of a Great Mongolia. However, this failed to materialize.In 1921, the Mongolian People's Government declared independence and gained international recognition by the Soviet Union and China.Later, the concept of "buffer states" became relevant, referring to small countries sandwiched between two great powers. Mongolia, situated between Russia and China, fits this description and has navigated its path through complex geopolitical dynamics.Mongolia’s foreign policy, termed as multi-polar, emphasizes active participation in globalization and the establishment of an economically, socially, and culturally developed country.

             

Хүсэлт илгээх