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MongoliaPeacetime Development, 1946-52
On February 27, 1946, Mongolia and the Soviet Union signed
the ten-year renewable Treaty of Friendship and Mutual Assistance
and the first Agreement on Economic and Cultural Cooperation.
With the war over and Chinese and Japanese threat eliminated from
Mongolia, the way for renewed assertion of Soviet influence in
Mongolia was clear. Mongolia was a strong defense buffer, a
trading partner, and a dependable ally in international
conferences for the Soviet Union. A further indication of close
ties was Mongolia's adoption in February 1946 of the Cyrillic
alphabet for use in schools and military units
(see Ethnic and Linguistic Groups
, ch. 2).
Secure in its relations with Moscow, Ulaanbaatar expanded its
other international ties. Diplomatic relations were established
with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) and
the new communist governments in Eastern Europe. Mongolian
participation in communist-sponsored conferences and
international organizations increased; Mongolia applied for
membership in the United Nations, but representatives from
Ulaanbaatar were not seated until 1961
(see Socialist Construction under Tsedenbal, 1952-84
, this ch.). Mongolia was
among the first countries to recognize the new People's Republic
of China in October 1949.
In its shift to postwar development, the party and the
government reduced defense expenditures and shifted personnel
from military to civilian enterprises. Rationing was curtailed,
and prices for some manufactured items and foodstuffs were
reduced. Attention was given to redeveloping the livestock and
the agrarian sectors at the same time that modern mining,
industrial, transportation, and communications sectors were being
established. Initiatives also were taken in raising education and
health levels and in improving the general well-being of the
people. The First Five-Year Plan (1948-52), presented at the
Eleventh Party Congress in December 1947, was important in
carrying out postwar construction
(see Socialist Framework of the Economy
, ch. 3). The first session of the national hural held
since 1940, was convened in February 1949 as the Ninth National
Great Hural.
Data as of June 1989
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