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Typed letter signed and dated ("J. Stalin 8 January 1940") and countersigned ("V. Molotov"), in blue pencil, in Russian, 1 page (11⅞ x 8¼ in., 302 x 209 mm), 8 January 1940, to Khorloogiin Choibalsan, Communist leader of the Mongolian People's Republic; skillful repair to center vertical fold.
Letter is typewritten and signed by Stalin and Molotov in 8 January 1940.
In the letter, Stalin request thousands of tons of wool and down to clothe their troops. In the throes of World War II, Stalin and Molotov write to Mongolian leader Choibalsan with a request for 30,000 tons of sheep's wool, 8,000 tons of camel's wool and 1,000 tons of goat's down. Stalin and Molotov were making preparations for the Red Army for next Winter Campaign. Although Soviet won the Finnish Winter war, Soviet Army suffered heavy casualities of 126,875 dead or missing, 264,908 wounded, 3,543 tanks, 261–515 aircrafts. Finnish Winter war or "talvisota" began with a Soviet offensive on 30 November 1939 and ended by peace treaty which was signed in Moscow on 12 March.
No doubt, Soviets had learned a harsh lesson from the Finnish campaign of 1939 where the Soviet Army had been so poorly prepared for winter warfare.
Should the government of the Mongolian Republic comply with this request, Stalin and Molotov declare the Soviet government will make every effort to comply with Choibalsan's request to help the Mongolian People's Republic. We are pretty confident that Mongolia fulfilled this request of Stalin and sent much aid to Soviet army.
One year year earlier Khalkhin Gol Fighting broke out between Mongolia and Japan in 1939, when Japanese troops stationed in northern China launched an invasion of eastern Mongolia.
A joint Soviet-Mongolian counter-offensive, led by Soviet general Georgy Zhukov, heavily defeated the Japanese, and a pact was signed in which Japan recognised Mongolia's "territorial integrity". Japan did not attempt to invade Mongolia again.
During the war 2, Mongolia was ruled by the communist government of Horloogiyn Choybalsan, and was closely linked to the Soviet Union. Mongolian People's Republic provided supplies, warm sheep skin clothes and raw materials to the Soviet military.
In between 1942-1944, Mongolian government provided full aid of establishment of Air escadron "Mongolian people" «Монгольский арат», tank brigad "Revolutionary Mongolia" (In Russian «Революционная Монголия») to support Soviet war effort to fight against Nazi Germany.
Above picture: a soviet pilot standing on a fighter airplane with writing "Mongolian People".
Towards the end of the war, on 10 August 1945, Mongolia declared war on Japan once again, and took part in the Soviet invasion of Japanese-occupied northern China.
The question remains whether Russia, which inherited Soviet legacy, admits Mongolian aid and contribution to the war effort.
By research unit of MonInfo News Service
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