Mongolian military Day () is a public celebration day in

Mongolia Mongolia is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south and southeast. It covers an area of , with a population of 3.5 million, making it the world's List of countries and dependencies by po ...

is celebrated on 18 March annually. Being the official holiday of the

Mongolian Armed Forces The Mongolian Armed Forces () is the collective name for the Mongolian military and the joint forces that comprise it. It is tasked with protecting the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Mongolia. Defined as the peacetime co ...

, it is the equivalent of Defender of the Fatherland Day in

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

and/or the male version of

International Women's Day International Women's Day (IWD) is celebrated on 8 March, commemorating women's fight for equality and liberation along with the women's rights movement. International Women's Day gives focus to issues such as gender equality, reproductive righ ...

Background

In March 1921, during the early stages of the

Mongolian Revolution of 1921 The Mongolian Revolution of 1921 was a military and political event by which Mongolian revolutionaries, with the assistance of the Soviet Red Army, expelled Russian White movement, White Guards from the country, and founded the Mongolian People' ...

, a Mongolian guerrilla army led by

Damdin Sükhbaatar Damdin Sükhbaatar (2 February 1893 – 20 February 1923) was a Mongolian revolutionary, founding member of the Mongolian People's Party, and leader of the Mongolian partisan army that took Khüree during the Mongolian Revolution of 19 ...

as Supreme Commander launched an offensive at the Chinese garrison at Kyakhta Maimaicheng ( Altanbulag, Selenge). The offensive followed a failed attempt by the

Mongolian People's Party The Mongolian People's Party (MPP) is a social democratic political party in Mongolia. It was founded as a communist party in 1920 by Mongolian revolutionaries and is the oldest political party in Mongolia. The party played an important role ...

central committee to reach an ultimatum with Chinese troops. Despite Sükhbaatar's 400-man army being heavily outnumbered by the Chinese, he led his troops to victory in taking the town. This event is considered to be the date that gave birth to the modern Mongolian Armed Forces and the preceding

Mongolian People's Army The Mongolian People's Army (, ), also known as the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Army () or the Mongolian Red Army (), was an institution of the Mongolian People's Party, Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party constituting as the armed forc ...

Celebrations

The holiday is celebrated in many different ways as it is both a civilian and military holiday. The military side usually conducts promotion and award ceremonies. The Chief of General Staff usually takes part in a wreath laying ceremony on Sükhbaatar Square. The

President of Mongolia The president of Mongolia is the executive head of state of Mongolia.Montsame NW Agency. ''Mongolina''. 2006, , p. 42 The current president is Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh. Political parties with representation in the State Great Khural nominate ...

in his/her position as commander-in-chief usually sends greetings on the holiday, often visiting the country's

National Defense University National Defence (or Defense) University (or College) may refer to: :''Alphabetical by country'' University * Marshal Fahim National Defense University, Afghanistan * National Defense University (Azerbaijan) * People's Liberation Army National Defe ...

Military tattoo A military tattoo is a performance of music or display of armed forces in general. The term comes from the early 17th-century Dutch phrase ' ('turn off the tap'), a signal sounded by drummers or trumpeters to instruct innkeepers near military g ...

s are held in the capital of

Ulaanbaatar Ulaanbaatar is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities in Mongolia, most populous city of Mongolia. It has a population of 1.6 million, and it is the coldest capital city in the world by average yearly temperature. The municipa ...

as well as gala

concert A concert, often known informally as a gig or show, is a live performance of music in front of an audience. The performance may be carried by a single musician, in which case it is sometimes called a recital, or by a musical ensemble such as an ...

s. The 100th anniversary of the armed forces was celebrated in 2021.

References

{{Reflist Culture of Mongolia Summer in Mongolia Public holidays in Mongolia March observances Armed Forces days Military of Mongolia