Editing Demchugdongrub (section)

==Expansion into Suiyuan==
In March 1936, Manchukuo troops occupying Chahar Province invaded northeastern Suiyuan, which was controlled by the [[Shanxi]] warlord [[Yan Xishan]]. These Japanese-aligned troops seized Bailingmiao in northern Suiyuan, where the pro-Japanese Inner Mongolian Autonomous Political Council maintained its headquarters. Three months later Demchugdongrub, as the head of the Political Council, declared that he was the ruler of an independent Mongolia, and organized an army with the aid of Japanese equipment and training.<ref name="Gillin230">[[#Gillin1967|Gillin (1967)]], p. 230</ref>

On 21–26 April 1936 Demchugdongrub and Li Shouxin met with the Japanese Special Service Chief Captain [[Takayoshi Tanaka]] at West Wuchumuhsin. Representatives from places in Inner Mongolia, [[Qinghai]] and [[Mongolia]] also attended the meeting, which was called the "State-Founding Conference". A plan was drawn up to create a Mongolian State which would include all of Mongolia and Qinghai. It was to be a monarchy, but would initially be run by an interim committee. A Mongolian Congress was planned and most importantly there was a plan to organize a Mongolian military government and an army. The Mongol Military Government was formed on 12 May 1936.  A mutual assistance agreement with Manchukuo was also concluded in July 1936, with Japan providing military and economic aid.

After the conclusion of the treaty, Demchugdongrub set out to enlarge and equip the [[Inner Mongolian Army]] for the expansion of his new state into Suiyuan. The Prince increased his army from three cavalry divisions to nine with the aid of Takayoshi Tanaka and his Japanese advisors. The Japanese provided arms captured from the Northeastern Army, but Tanaka ignored the advice of the Mongolian leaders{{Citation needed|date=August 2009}} and recruited poorly armed levies and ex-bandits from various regions.

Because it had no ideological unity, poor training, and only enough rifles for half of the soldiers, this force had poor morale and cohesion. It totaled about 10,000 men. A puppet Chinese army, the [[Grand Han Righteous Army]] under [[Wang Ying (ROC)|Wang Ying]] was attached to Demchugdongrub's Inner Mongolian Army.<ref>[[#Jowett2004|Jowett (2004)]], p. 57</ref>