Arnulfo Arias vs Jan Smuts

Arnulfo Arias was elected President of Panama in 1940 on a nationalist platform. He enacted a new constitution that expanded executive power and restricted foreign influence, particularly from the United States. He was overthrown by the National Police in 1941 after only 13 months in office.

Arias returned to power in 1949 after a disputed election. He attempted to implement economic reforms and suppress political opposition. He was again overthrown by the National Guard in 1951, after trying to dissolve the National Assembly.

Arias won the 1968 presidential election and took office for a third time. He served only 11 days before being overthrown by a military coup led by Omar Torrijos and Boris Martinez. This ended his political career and ushered in a period of military rule in Panama.

Smuts led Boer commando forces in the Second Boer War against the British. His guerrilla tactics, including raids into the Cape Colony, prolonged the conflict and made him a prominent Afrikaner military leader.

Smuts played a key role in the National Convention that drafted the constitution for the Union of South Africa. He advocated for a unified state with a centralized government, which was established in 1910.

Smuts became Prime Minister after Louis Botha's death. His first term saw the suppression of the Rand Revolt (1922) by white miners and the implementation of the Native Urban Areas Act, which tightened segregation.

Smuts was a key figure at the Paris Peace Conference and helped draft the covenant of the League of Nations. He advocated for international cooperation and collective security, earning a global reputation as a statesman.

Smuts became Prime Minister again after a split in the United Party over entering World War II. He led South Africa into the war on the Allied side and served as a close advisor to Winston Churchill.

Smuts participated in the San Francisco Conference and helped draft the preamble to the United Nations Charter. His influence helped shape the post-war international order, though his domestic policies on race were increasingly criticized.

Smuts and his United Party were defeated by D.F. Malan's National Party in the general election. This marked the end of Smuts' political career and the beginning of formal apartheid rule in South Africa.