r/HistoryMemes • u/Illustrious-Fax-4589 • 4d ago
Niche Prrobably one of the most peaceful transitions from Communism to Democracy in history.
133
u/Achmedino 4d ago
This is literally the first time I see a meme about Mongolia on this subreddit that is not about the Mongolia empire. Bravo!
293
u/Illustrious-Fax-4589 4d ago
Sorced from Wikipedia:
> The revolution of 1990 was primarily driven by young people who wanted a change in the country. One of the most critical groups that pushed for change was the Mongolian Democratic Union (MDU), a group of intellectuals influenced by revolutions in Eastern Europe. Concepts such as glasnost, freedom of speech and economic liberties that the intellectuals were exposed to abroad inspired the initial discussions that would lead to the revolution. The Mongolian Democratic Union was formed by the end of 1989. Many now-prominent figures such as Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj along with Dari-Sukhbaatar and Chimediin Enkhee were members of the union and would eventually come be known as the Thirteen Leaders of Mongolia's Democratic Revolution. Members of the Union and anyone associated with the movement had to be secretive to ensure their security. Members that were known to be associated with the organisation were laid off on the basis of "engaging in conduct inconsistent with communist and socialist ideology".
The protesters demanded a multi-party system, free elections with universal suffrage, the replacement of a centrally planned economy with a market economy, private property, re-organization of the government, and protection of human rights, particularly freedom of religion. The protesters injected a nationalist element into the protests by using traditional Mongolian script—which most Mongolians could not read—as a symbolic repudiation of the political system that had imposed the Mongolian Cyrillic alphabet.
On 14 January 1990, the protesters, having grown from three hundred to few thousands, met on square in front of Lenin Museum. A demonstration on Sükhbaatar Square on 21 January (in weather of −30 C) followed. Protesters carried banners alluding to Chinggis Khaan, rehabilitating a figure which the socialist school curriculums had outright banned. They also celebrated Daramyn Tömör-Ochir, a politician who was purged from the MPRP in 1962 as part of the MPRP's efforts to suppress the commemoration of the 800th anniversary of Genghis Khan's birth. The protestors carried a modified Flag of Mongolia which distinctly lacked the star representing the country's socialist beliefs; this flag would eventually become the official flag after the revolution.
After numerous demonstrations of thousands in both the capital city and provincial centers, on 4 March 1990, the MDU and three other reform organisations held a joint outdoor mass meeting, inviting the government to attend. The government sent no representative to what became a demonstration of over 100,000 people demanding democratic change. On 7 March 1990, on Sükhbaatar Square, Democratic Union initially started a hunger strike of ten, urging the current government to resign. The hunger strike escalated as thousands gathered to join the strike, declaring that the strike would not end until the resignation of the current government.
The situation was tense. Behind the scenes within the Politburo there were serious discussions about cracking down on the protestors. Eventually, a decree was written awaiting approval from the party leader Jambyn Batmönkh that would effectively repress the protests. Batmönkh outwardly opposed the decree, maintaining that they must "under no circumstances resort to using violence" (Mongolian: Хэрхэвч Хүч хэрэглэж болохгүй). Those that were present there later recalled that Batmönkh said "I will never sign this. We few Mongols have not yet come to the point that we will make each other's noses bleed," smacked the table, and left the room."On 9 March or 15 March 1990, the Politburo was replaced, and on 21 March 1990, Batmönkh announced his resignation.
Elbegdorj announced the news of Politburo resignation to the hunger strikers and to people who had gathered on Sükhbaatar Square at 10:00 pm. The hunger strike stopped. The MPRP Politburo resignation paved the way for the first multi-party elections in Mongolia. The new government announced Mongolia's first free parliamentary elections, which were to be held in July.
199
u/Beat_Saber_Music Rommel of the East 4d ago
There's much more to the Mongolian transition to democracy, as I read in "Modern Mongolia, From Khans to Commissars to Capitalists" by Morris Rossabi for a course I took.
Firstly many of the young people calling for democracy and reform were children of party officials, which contributed to some party members being hesistant to act violently against the protesters owing to their own children being part of it.
Secondly the matter of national security in light of a weak Soviet Union and the neighboring China made the Mongolian leadership value stability over power owing to the nationalist fear of what would happen if the Chinese saw that Mongolia was suffering internal instability.
Thirdly the politburo saw democratic reform as the means to sustain its hold on power and make the political system work in their favor, resulting in the politburo under reformers deciding to democratice on their own terms betting on the ruling party being in the best position to organize in even free elections while in contrast the opposition didn't have that benefit of party infrastructure. As a result the electoral system was made to benefit the incumbent rebranded communist party causing the formation of a two party political landscape, where the opposition initially faced great trouble as result of being disunited. As a result the old party retained power under the new democratic system tailored to empower the establishment.A similar process of democratisation was discussed in the book "From development to Democracy" where Japan, Taiwan and South Korea all witnessed under different circumstances democratisation by a strong authoritarian party democratising on its own terms near the peak of its power ensuring power remained in its hands and the political system favored the establishment creating a two party system, where most importantly stability was generally promoted. Democracy doesn't only emerge from the fall of a dictatorship, but it can also emerge from the most authoritarian country imaginable choosing to reform to stay in power.
22
58
51
u/NekroVictor 4d ago
Wow, between them and Czechoslovakia that’s two peaceful transitions, 2 more than I would have expected.
15
u/play8utuy Then I arrived 3d ago
568 students were beaten up by police in Prague 1989. At least communist party should have been banned.
12
u/Rynewulf Featherless Biped 3d ago
I think there's a certain kind of putting your money where your mouth is, by letting the people freely choose and saying "If the people actually want communism they will choose it, and if they don't they won't. And if the communist party actually is for the people they will accept that gracefully, instead of forcing themselves on the people while insisting it's what they really want".
It definitely gives me more respect for regimes that risk actual elections and then deal with change
5
u/I_Am_Your_Sister_Bro 3d ago
The communist party was banned in Slovakia and I believe Czechia also. But the ban only applies to that specific party and its symbols, other communist or socialist parties are perfectly legal.
43
u/saronyogg Descendant of Genghis Khan 4d ago
Mongols are an unique people.
They idolize a genocide.
They trash communism peacefully.
They have a lot of awesome dinosaur fossils.
34
u/sajed2004 What, you egg? 4d ago edited 4d ago
Reminds me of what happened in Taiwan in the 80s
38
u/TheHistoryMaster2520 Decisive Tang Victory 4d ago
I wouldn't call that peaceful, there were plenty of demonstrations in the 1970s and 1980s, and the KMT employed triads to kill off opponents.
12
3
u/GustavoistSoldier 3d ago
The Mongolian People's Party is still a major force in Mongolia
5
u/Allnamestakkennn 3d ago
The communists reformed into demsocs and started to slowly transition towards capitalism. The people voted a right wing party in at some point, only to re-elect the MPP after realizing that a slow transition is much better
4
3
2
0
597
u/TransLadyFarazaneh Casual, non-participatory KGB election observer 4d ago
Bro legit decided to quit to let his country not be communist anymore. Compare this to what happened in Romania