ABSTRACT
In 1990, nearly seven decades after Sükhebaatur’s revolution re-established an independent Mongol state, modern Mongolia experienced its second great transformation with the end of the one-party system and the launching of rapid political and economic liberalization. As in 1921, the forces mandating drastic change originated far from Ulaanbaatar, and followed the collapse of an empire. Mongolia’s first transformation led to communism, the second away from it; but both moves were led by a small group of leaders who sought to ensure national security. The shared, if not always articulated, understanding of Mongolia’s delicate geopolitical situation has constrained domestic politics, but also has enabled a peaceful and rapid transition from communism.
