Prelude to violence: Show trials and state power in 1930s Mongolia

In this article, I examine the role of show trials in 1930s socialist Mongolia as a precursor to state violence. I argue that the show trial I focus on here, held in October 1937, paved the way for imminent state violence by portraying a threat against the state from an extensive conspiracy of high-ranking Buddhist figures and former government leaders. The trial not only served to justify the violence that was to come but also sought to turn people against the Buddhist hierarchy, which posed a threat to the socialist state's sovereignty. Through an examination of the narrative of the conspiracy it presented at the trial, I highlight the ways in which the state attempted to shift allegiances and convince people to accept the coming violence as necessary. Given the contested and precarious position of the socialist government in the 1930s, this study also highlights the role of the show trial in state formation.