Saturday, July 9, 1921. Revolution in Mongolia.

Mongolian communists declared themselves to be in control of Mongolia.

Revolutionaries in Mongolia, 1921.

Events in Mongolia make for a confused story, but basically Mongolia had been a Chinese province for many years, but one that had little direct interference from China. In the late Quing Dynasty period, prior to the 1911 Chinese revolution, this began to change due to Chinese fears of Russian encroachment.  This was highly unpopular in Mongolia, which was faced with an official Chinese policy of settlement and cultural replacement, and rebellion broke out. That lead to a Mongolian theocracy coming into power that negotiated a state of semi independence from China.

When the Russian Revolution and Civil War broke out, Mongolia reluctantly requested Chinese troops, who were sent, but who when asked to leave, did not.  This sparked an independence movement that sought Soviet help  In the meantime Russian White forces crossed into Mongolia.

Initially the Chinese were successful in expelling the Russian Whites, which caused the badly over stretched Soviets to forego intervening in Mongolia.  The Whites invaded a second time in February, however, and then the Soviets reversed course.

The presence of the Russian Whites combined with a local insurrection gave the Soviets the opening they needed, and the Red Army invaded Mongolia.  Seeing the inevitable the Chinese withdrew, but they did not recognize Mongolian sovereignty.   The country would remain subject to Chinese claims for many years thereafter although its association with the Soviet Union effectively made it a Soviet satellite.  The country would become fully independent, and non communist, in a third revolution following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

The People's Republic of China recognized Mongolia as a state in 1946. The Nationalist had done so the prior year, but withdrew their recognition shortly thereafter.  Nationalist recognition was preconditioned on the Soviets withdrawing support for the Chinese Communists.  It would take until the 21st Century for the government in Taiwan to recognize Mongolia as an independent state.

Jack Johnson, former world heavyweight boxing champion, was released from prison.  He was serving time for violation of the Mann Act.  He would receive a posthumous pardon from Donald Trump.