After declaring independence in 1911, Mongolia had made ultimately unsuccessful overtures to establish ties with Germany through its representative in Saint Petersburg. After the Mongolian Revolution of 1921, the Mongolian People's Party made establishing economic ties with Germany a high priority, and in 1957 the first batch of 50 Mongolian students, including Dashdorjiin Natsagdorj, the founding father of modern Mongolian literature, were sent to Germany and France for education.