Mongolian People’s Republic and Japan in Advance of the Khalkhin Gol Incident

Introduction. The year 2024 celebrates the 85th anniversary of the Battles of Khalkhin Gol. The slashing war (May-September 1939) ended with a truce agreement signed on 15 September 1939 and immediately followed by ceasefire. The warring sides agreed on the latter, settlements of territorial claims, POW and KIA exchanges. The events proved another significant milestone in the national history and shaped a new stage in Soviet-Mongolian cooperation. The multiple penetrations of Japanese units deep into Mongolia’s territory under various pretexts did attest to those were preparing for war. On 11 September 1939, Japanese troops invaded the Mongolian People’s Republic in the Khalkhin Gol area. As a faithful ally the Soviet Union granted its military support to the nation. The historical significance of the incident still attracts attention of scholars from various countries, including from the direct participant ones. Goals. The article examines some border conflicts between the MPR and Manchukuo, i.e. the events that had preceded the invasion of Mongolia by Japanese-Manchu troops. Materials. The paper examines published archival materials, collected documents, and scholarly writings. Results and conclusions. The tense relations between the MPR and Japan on the eve of the hostilities were somewhat a manifestation of the complicated political agenda then witnessed worldwide. Japan did have certain influence on Mongolia’s foreign policy, since it had launched aggression across Northeast China in 1931 only to create the state of Manchukuo in 1932 and, thus, find itself bordering the former. So, Japan in the form of Manchukuo started posing an evident threat to the independence and sovereignty of the MPR: it would articulate claims to the Khalkhin Gol area. Since 1934, Mongolia was facing border violations that led to a full-scale military attack. There was no clear borderline between the MPR and Manchukuo across the disputed area, which made both the sides begin negotiations. However, the rounds of 1935 and 1937 ended with null results. The Soviet-Mongolian victory would further strengthen mutual political, economic, and military ties.

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