Peljidiin Genden

People's Revolutionary Party of Mongolia

1892 or 1895 Khujirt, Övörkhangai, Outer Mongolia, Qing China

November 26, 1937 (aged 42–45) Moscow, Russian SFSR, USSR

13 March 1930 – 13 March 1931

In this Mongolian name, the given name is Genden. Peljid is a patronymic, not a family name. Peljidiin Genden (Mongolian: Пэлжидийн Гэндэн ; 1892 or 1895 – November 26, 1937) was a prominent political leader of the Mongolian People's Republic who served as the country's first President (1924 to 1927; Navaandorjiin Jadambaa was just the acting president) and the ninth Prime Minister (1932–1936). As one of three MPRP secretaries, Genden was responsible for pushing rapid and forced implementation of socialist economic policies in early 1930s. In 1932 he secured Joseph Stalin's backing to become Prime Minister, but then increasingly resisted pressure from Moscow to liquidate institutional Buddhism and permit increased Soviet influence in Mongolia. His independent temperament, outspokenness (he became famous for fearlessly confronting Stalin during their public meetings in Moscow and was one of the few to stand up to Stalin's strong personality), and growing nationalist sentiments ultimately led to his Soviet-orchestrated purge in March 1936. Accused of conspiring against the revolution and spying for the Japanese, he was executed in Moscow on November 26, 1937.