Yumjaagiin Tsedenbal

Yumjaagiin Tsedenbal (Mongolian: Юмжаагийн Цэдэнбал; September 17, 1916 - April 20, 1991) was one of the leaders of Mongolia from 1952 to 1984. During his political life, he served as prime minister and general secretary of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party.

Early life

Tsedenbal was born to an ethnic Dörvöd poor nomadic family in Zorigt Khan hoshuun of the Unen Zorigt Khan aimag (present day Davst sum in Uvs aimag). He was the fifth of eleven children in his family (three of his siblings died in infancy). In 1925 Tsedenbal became among the first students in the newly organized public school in Ulaangom, graduating in 1929. The same year Tsedenbal went to Irkutsk to continue his education. He spent about nine years between Irkutsk and Ulan-Ude, and obtained a degree from the Siberian Finance and Economics Institute.

Career

In 1939, having returned to Ulaanbaatar, Tsedenbal worked first as a deputy minister, and then as a minister of finance. In 1940, at the 10th Congress of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party, he became the party's General Secretary.

After taking over premiership in 1952 with Marshal Khorloogiin Choibalsan's death, Tsedenbal successfully purged his political rivals: Dashiin Damba in 1958-59, Daramyn Tömör-Ochir in 1962, Luvsantserengiin Tsend in 1963, and the so-called Lookhuuz-Nyambuu-Surmaayav "anti-party group" in December 1964. He held this office until 11 June 1974, when he became head of state.

His foreign policy was marked by efforts not only to bring Mongolia into ever closer cooperation with the USSR but also aggressive attempts to incorporate Mongolia into the Soviet Union. Tsedenbal's attempts to bring Mongolia into Soviet Union and make it the 16th Republic of the Soviet Union met strong opposition from other patriotic politicians and Tsedenbal was accused of treahery. With the full backing of the Soviets, Tsedenbal successfully purged his political oppennents. It is said that during his time as head of the state, Tsedenbal times submitted "Mongolia Submission Request" five to eight times to the Soviets for approval and each time he was dismissed by other Mongolian politicians or rejected by the Soviets themselves who accused him of attempts to degrade the image of Soviets in the eyes of the world. At the time of the Sino-Soviet split, Tsedenbal decisively sided with the Soviet Union and incurred China's wrath. In Mongolia Tsedenbal is remembered for successfully maintaining a path of moderate socialism during the Cold War.

Tsedenbal was forced into retirement in August 1984 in a Soviet-sponsored move, allegedly on the account of his old age and mental weakness. Jambyn Batmönkh became the general secretary of the MPRP. Tsedenbal remained in Moscow until his death; his body was brought to Mongolia, where it was buried.

His Russian wife, Anastasia Ivanovna Filatova (Анастасия Ивановна Филатова), was often said to be the most powerful political figure in Mongolia due to her close relationship with the Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev.