Mongolia Early General Magsarjav

[new world]

Here's nice early Russian Civil War period photo.

I was told this is Mongolian General Magsarjav. He looks Mongolian to me, but wears RKKA uniform.

Does anyone have any info on this person?

William

[Ed_Haynes]

Quite nice, let me look. To help me in my illiterate idiocy, do you have the name in Cyrillic, to aid me in my search?

[Ed_Haynes]

See:

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=10329

S. Magsarjav was awarded the RSFSR Red Banner in March 1922 (same time as Sukhbaatar and Choibalsan).

He was also awarded the title of Hero of Mongolia in 1936 (effective date of 24 April 1924) but did not survive to receive the accompanying badge in 1941.

Whataver it is, Unit 023 is named in his honor:

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=10218&st=58

Wearing Soviet (of nealy-Soviet) uniforms in the early days was common, and Magsarjav clearly goes back to "the beginning".

Shall seek more. I know I'm forgetting something obvious and important and need to remember what.

[new world]

Ed, Sorry - I don't know his Russian spelling.

[Ed_Haynes]

Ed, Sorry - I don't know his Russian spelling.

Found him. Cyrillic Mongolian: Maгсaржaв.

[Ed_Haynes]

OK, I thought I knew him.

First of all, the photo you show or Magsarjav, William, is the same as is given in the 50th anniversary history (= picture-book) of the Mongolian People's Army and he was clearly one of the "great early ones".

Sandagdargiyn (Khatan Baatar) Magsarjav was responsible for the liberation of western Mongolia (and, presumably, got his "Hero" and Red Banner in that context). With the "passing" (= removal) of Sukhbaatar and Danzan, Magsarjav moved in as Minister of War when Choibalsan took over as Commander in Chief of the Army in 1924, though he held less power under Choibalsan than Choibalsan had enjoyed under either Sukhbaatar or Danzan. It seems Magsarjav tried to flex "deviationist" muscles that he did not possess and was executed sometime ca. 1925-26 (I can't find exact date just now) and Choibalsan moved to assume more and more power in Mongolia.

Until the 1970s he remained a historical non-person.

Does this help?

[new world]

Ed,

Many thanks!

Looks like he was great figure in Mongolian revolution; his life ended so early and in a tragic way

The photo is actually a postcard.

William

[Ed_Haynes]

From that nice series on heroes (showing his date of death as 1927).