Xu Shuzheng (second from right)
Generally speaking, modern China is poor and weak, and warlords have taken the initiative to sell China's sovereignty to the great powers in exchange for their own interests, regardless of whether the people are alive or dead. However, there are also patriots among the warlords, Xu Shuzheng is the pillar general of the Anhui warlords, in 1919, it was he who recovered Outer Mongolia, this event must not be underestimated, which is regarded as the greatest achievement of Xu Shuzheng's life.
Beiyang Army
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="17" >, the "autonomy" of Outer Mongolia</h1>
In 1911, taking advantage of the Xinhai Revolution in China and the great turmoil in the central government of the Qing Dynasty, at the instigation of Tsarist Russia, the feudal princes of Outer Mongolia expelled the Qing Dynasty's minister in Outer Mongolia, Sanduo, and declared "independence". The puppet regime of Outer Mongolia was not recognized by China and other countries in the world (except for Tsarist Russia) at that time, so the "independent" Outer Mongolia was actually a puppet government of Tsarist Russia.
After the establishment of the Republic of China, the government of the Republic of China wanted to recover Outer Mongolia, but it was rejected by both diplomacy and force. By 1913, yuan shikai's government, which could not defeat Tsarist Russia, had to sign the Sino-Russian Declaration and the Sino-Russian-Mongolian Entente with Tsarist Russia, which recognized the special interests of Tsarist Russia in Outer Mongolia; however, China had suzerainty over Outer Mongolia, Outer Mongolia revoked "independence," and China recognized Outer Mongolia's "autonomy." The "Sino-Russian Declaration" is actually an unequal treaty signed under the coercion of Tsarist Russia, "suzerainty" is different from sovereignty, Outer Mongolia is China's inherent territory, but the document has forcibly transformed the relationship between Beijing and Outer Mongolia between the central and local governments into a relationship between China and North Korea, and together with the so-called "autonomy", the central government of Beijing will not be able to exercise any sovereignty over Foreign Mongolia, and in fact it will recognize the "independence" of Outer Mongolia in disguise.
Yuan Shikai
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="15" > second, the precursor to the return of Outer Mongolia</h1>
From the "autonomy" of Outer Mongolia to 1919, the "autonomous" government of Outer Mongolia controlled the four parts of Khalkha and the two districts of Kobdo and Tangnu Wulianghai, with a total area of more than 1 million square kilometers, and its political system was a feudal system of theocracy, which completely relied on the support of Tsarist Russia. In other words, the "autonomous" regime in Outer Mongolia is an extension of the Tsarist regime in Russia, and once Tsarist Russia is destroyed, the "autonomy" of Outer Mongolia cannot be maintained. Under these circumstances, the October Revolution in Tsarist Russia in 1919 collapsed, the Tsarist Russia that supported Outer Mongolia collapsed, the "autonomous" government of Outer Mongolia that lost foreign aid was instantly paralyzed, and the destroyed patriotic reunification forces of Outer Mongolia were able to stretch out, and finally set off a call for return to China in Outer Mongolia.
Four parts and two districts of Outer Mongolia
On August 4, 1919, in Kulun, the capital of Outer Mongolia, some patriotic princes publicly raised their call for return to China for the first time, and they issued a formal request to Chen Yi (not Marshal Chen Yi), the capital envoy of the Central Committee of Beijing at that time stationed in Kulun, and Chen Yi immediately began to fight for the recovery of Outer Mongolia. But the request for a return was opposed by the separatist monks and princes. The patriotic faction and the Mongolian independence faction were intolerant of fire and fire, and after repeated fires, the representative of the Mongolian independence faction and the living Buddha Jebtsundamba even sent people to Beijing to exert pressure, slander Chen Yi, and demand that Beijing depose him. The incident of the representative of the Living Buddha entering Beijing caused a huge shock to Beijing, because his purpose of entering Beijing was "to ask for the assistance of American envoys", and Britain and France also sent people to the representative office of the Living Buddha to inquire, showing the ambition of the great powers to get involved in the issue of Outer Mongolia, which made the situation in Outer Mongolia gradually get out of control and Beijing was in a dilemma.
Outer Mongolian Lama
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="13" > third, the arrival of the northwest chip envoy</h1>
Xu Shuzheng, a Beiyang general, the main force and core figure of the Duan Qirui Group in Anhui, Xu Shuzheng is also Duan Qirui's confidant. Around 1919, it was the time when the Anhui clan occupied Beijing and dominated China. On June 13 of that year, Xu Shuzheng was appointed as the envoy of the Northwest Frontier, in charge of the administrative, military, and financial powers of Rehe, Chahar, Suiyuan, Gansu, Inner and Outer Mongolia, and Xinjiang.
With the failure of Chen Yi's activities and the situation in Outer Mongolia spiraling out of control, Xu Shuzheng, as the nominal supreme leader of the northwestern regions, had two choices: either remain silent and allow the chaos in Outer Mongolia to show the world Beijing's loss of control over Outer Mongolia; or he would make a desperate bet to recover Outer Mongolia. Xu Shuzheng decisively chose the latter. On October 23, Xu Shuzheng issued a military order: "Do not leave the post of (chipper) for one day ... Regardless of diplomacy, regardless of affection, regardless of land, they should bear their full responsibility. So he led a brigade of troops out of Beijing for Outer Mongolia, and arrived in Kulun on the 29th, taking over all the affairs of Chen Yi.
Xu Shuzheng
Originally, in the Qing Dynasty, the central government adopted a policy of differentiation in Outer Mongolia, that is, the princes managed secular government affairs and the monks managed religious affairs. However, in modern times, after Outer Mongolia broke away from the central government, the monks became bigger, and Outer Mongolia became a feudal area where the church and state were integrated, and some princes were not willing to submit to the monks, in order to regain power, they also agreed to return to China, while the monks stubbornly adhered to the policy of separatism in order to consolidate their rights. At the time of Chen Yi, he mainly co-opted the patriotic princes and attacked the monks, resulting in chaos in Mongolia. Therefore, after Xu Shuzheng came to Outer Mongolia, his main kung fu was used to deal with the biggest reactionary separatist force, the monks. Xu Shuzheng saw that Montessori believed in Buddhism and that monks had strong mental control, so he did not expect to completely abolish the monks' control over politics.
On November 1, Xu Shuzheng held a political consultation meeting in Kulun, attended by officials of the Beijing government, namely Chen Yi, the envoy of the capital protection, Enhua, the deputy envoy of the capital protection, Chu Qixiang, the brigade commander who accompanied Xu Shuzheng into Outer Mongolia, and Yang Zhicheng, the staff officer. At the meeting, Xu Shuzheng established two principles for targeting monks and recovering Outer Mongolia: first, it is clear that the sovereignty of Outer Mongolia lies with the Chinese government; second, it is necessary to divide and win over the feudal forces in Outer Mongolia.
Cullen (present-day Ulaanbaatar)
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="11" > Fourth, Outer Mongolia voluntarily revoked autonomy</h1>
Xu Shuzheng saw that the monastic class was mainly controlled by four people, Batmadorji, Dashabi Shangzotba, Tachuk, and Gunbu, among the four, The "Autonomous" Government's Prime Minister and Chief of Internal Affairs, Batmadorji, was the starting point for dividing the monks. Because Batmadorzi is nominally the supreme leader of Outer Mongolia, but at the religious level, he still has a living Buddha above him; and at the secular level, the senior lamas of his same level, Such as Tachuk, have been awarded the title of "prince" by the living Buddha, but the title of Batma dorji is only king, one level shorter than them, which makes them have a gap between them. Therefore, Xu Shuzheng mainly befriended Batmadorzi. During the negotiations on 11 November, Batmadorzi wanted to give himself the title of "Prince", and Xu Shuzheng immediately promised that once Outer Mongolia revoked its autonomy, "the title of king could be crowned true, and his brothers would be double-handed." Subsequently, Xu Shuzheng lobbied the living Buddha, promising that the existing religious etiquette and treatment would not be changed, and that "the Buddha would not be disgraced", but the living Buddha did not comment.
After that, Xu Shuzheng reviewed the Outer Mongolia army, and according to Xu Shuzheng's calculations, the total strength of the entire Outer Mongolia was less than 5,000, and the equipment was backward, so Xu Shuzheng showed his muscles to the feudal forces in Outer Mongolia. He used the Chu Qixiang Brigade (an Anhui unit, subordinate to the Northwest Frontier Defense Army, which accepted Japanese loans and was equipped with Japanese weapons, which was a unit with stronger combat strength in China at that time) as a model, showing the strength of the central army. Subsequently, through the efforts of Xu Shuzheng and the patriotic princes of Outer Mongolia, it was finally decided that Chu Qixiang's brigade would be changed to the Central Defense Force in Kulun, and the stationing of the central armed forces made the feudal forces in Outer Mongolia frightened, and the matter of The return of Mongolia was already a foregone conclusion.
Northwest Army
By the 14th, except for the unclear attitude of the living Buddha, the rest of the feudal forces agreed to return to China. On the 15th, Xu Shuzheng threatened that if the living Buddha did not agree, he would be "extremely critical", fearing that the living Buddha would "be difficult to bear the sin of misfortune" and would even escort the living Buddha to Beijing. Immediately the living Buddha conceded defeat. On the 17th, the feudal princes and monks of Outer Mongolia jointly sent a telegram to Beijing, requesting the revocation of Outer Mongolia's "autonomy." On the 22nd, at the request of Outer Mongolia, Beijing announced the abolition of "autonomy" in Outer Mongolia at the request of Outer Mongolia, "that is, to submit to the request, in order to comply with the Mongolian situation", which actually means the return of Outer Mongolia.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="9" > Wen Shijun said</h1>
The return of Outer Mongolia has had a positive impact on the politics, military, economy and diplomacy of the Republic of China. Politically, the pro-central forces in Inner Mongolia were pulled, and just a month after the return of Outer Mongolia, that is, in late December, the Hulunbuir Autonomous Government sent a telegram to the Beijing Central Committee, "because of the return of the ruling power of Outer Mongolia to the Central Government ... Since then, Inner Mongolia has been firmly controlled by the central government, and the complete return of Inner mongolia has realized the republican and unified unity of the five ethnic groups since the Xinhai Revolution. Diplomatically, it shattered Russia's ambition to occupy China's territory, enhanced China's international status, and demonstrated to the world China's determination to safeguard national territorial integrity and sovereignty. Militarily, the reconquest of Outer Mongolia consolidated China's northern border defenses, and also cut off Japan's ambition to invade Outer Mongolia (Japan sent troops to Northern Manchuria in Siberia, with hidden ambitions to resist Soviet Russia, invade Outer Mongolia, and plunder resources). Economically, China's economic interests were safeguarded, and there were a large number of resources in Outer Mongolia, but during the period of Outer Mongolia's independence, these resources were cheaply and predatorily exploited by Russia, resulting in a huge outflow of resources. As the warlord Xu Shuzheng who directly led the historical act of recovering Outer Mongolia, he is undoubtedly commendable.
< h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="7" > references</h1>
Wang Yanmin: The Biography of Xu Shuzheng, Huangshan Book Club, 1993.
Zhang Qixiong, "Representations on the Ownership of Foreign Mongolian Sovereignty (1911-1916)", published by the Institute of Modern History of the Academia Sinica, Taiwan, 1995.
(Author: Haoran Wenshi Purple Orange)
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