Anandyn Amar

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Anandyn Amar bigraphy, stories - Former president of Mongolia

Anandyn Amar : biography

1886 – 1941

Anandyn Amar ( 1886–July 10, 1941) was the head of state of the Mongolian People’s Republic from 1932 to 1936 and twice served as prime minister from 1928–1930 and again from 1936–1939. A widely respected politician, Amar was known for his eloquent defense of Mongolian independence in the face of increasing Soviet domination. Despite this, he proved powerless in preventing Minister of Interior Khorloogiin Choibalsan and the Soviet NKVD from carrying out mass purges of nearly 30,000 Mongolians during his second term as prime minister between 1937 and 1939. Amar’s popularity ultimately led to his purge by the pro-Soviet Choibalsan who had him charged with counterrevolution in 1939. Amar was sent to Moscow for trial and executed on July 10, 1941.

Prime minister (second term)

Amar was appointed prime minister for the second time (and concurrently foreign minister) on March 22, 1936 following Peljidiin Genden’s removal from from both offices. Genden had resisted Soviet pressure to destroy Mongolia’s Buddhist churchesBaabar, B., History of Mongolia, 1999, ISBN 999-0-038-5. p. 345 and had publicly scolded Josef Stalin at a Mongolian Embassy reception. Although Amar was the new prime minister, Khorloogiin Choibalsan became Stalin’s new favorite and as head of the newly created Internal Affairs Ministry was the de facto most powerful person in Mongolia.Sanders, Alan J. K., Historical Dictionary of Mongolia, 1996, ISBN-0-8108-3077-9. Choibalsan increased his power in May 1936 when he had rules Internal Affairs Committee rules amended to facilitate the detention high ranking politicians without first consulting political superiors.

Shortly after becoming prime minister in 1936, Amar and Dansranbilegiin Dogsom, the chairman of the presidium of the Small Hural, aggravated Choibalsan and Moscow alike when they pardoned prisoners implicated in the Lkhümbe affair in honor of the fifteenth anniversary of the revolution. Amar’s enemies, particularly Choibalsan, used the event to connect him to the fictitious Lkhümbe spy ring. Amar was increasingly accused of participating in counterrevolutionary activity causing Choibalsan to exclaim “We must get rid of this feudal trouble maker Amar!" Baabar, p. 354

Stalinist Repressions

Amar was powerless to prevent the large scale purges that Choibalsan and NKVD advisers embedded within the interior ministry unleashed on the country from 1937 to 1939. At the first show trial, staged at the Central Theater from October 18 to 20, 1937, Amar openly wept as close friends were sentenced to death.

Purged

Stalin was eager to eliminate Amar and instructed Choibalsan to have party leader Dorjjavin Luvsansharav launch a propaganda campaign against the popular prime minister.Baabar 1999, p. 367 On March 6, 1939 Luvsansharav denounced Amar at an enlarged meeting of the MPRP Central Committee saying he “had helped anti-government plotters, opposed their arrest, and neglected the defense of the borders. He betrayed his own country and was a traitor to the revolution." Once Choibalsan seconded the condemnation, opinions within the Central Committee rapidly turned against Amar.

When Amar took the floor in his own defense he said:

“Although I believe in religion, the one thing that I believe in even more is that Mongolia should stand firmly on her feet to become an independent country. I love my country. I have shown this with my work. I have been among the first to devote myself to the cause of my country’s development, and my heart is breaking to finally witness myself being called a traitor and being subjected to castigation” Baabar, p. 367"

At the end of the one day trial, Amar was found guilty, removed from the office of prime minister, and expelled from MPRP. He was then arrested by Ministry of Internal Affairs. In July 1939 Amar’s case passed to NKVD, and Amar was sent to Siberian town of Chita and then on to Moscow. With Amar’s removal, Choibalsan was named prime minister and became Mongolia’s uncontested leader, simultaneously holding the office of prime minister, minister for internal affairs, minister of war, and Commander in Chief of the Mongolian armed forces.