Sühbaatar

Sühbaatar or Sukh (1893?-1923?) was a Mongolian military leader known for his competent horsemanship capabilities. Sukh (which means ax in the Mongolian language) was probably born in Ulaanbaatar and joined the nation's army in 1911. He was forced to leave the army because of charges of insubordination. In 1917, he joined another army, found against the Chinese, and earned the moniker of baatar (hero).

Mongolia remained part of China until 1911, when the collapse of dynastic rule in China allowed them to assert their independence. The Chinese, however, tried to reinforced their claim to Mongolia by an invasion in 1919. However, they were unsucessful largely due to the effort of Sühbaatar. He stands today as a hero of the Mongolian people, when he, as commander-in-chief of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Army, defeated the Chinese with the help of the Soviet Union and declared Mongolia's independence from China.