Che Guevara vs Sakamoto Ryoma

Guevara joined Fidel Castro's 26th of July Movement, landing in Cuba aboard the Granma. He became a key guerrilla commander, leading troops in the Battle of Santa Clara, which helped overthrow Fulgencio Batista's regime.

Guevara was appointed Minister of Industries in Cuba, where he implemented radical economic policies, including nationalization and central planning. His efforts to diversify the economy and reduce dependence on sugar largely failed.

Guevara led a small Cuban force to support the Simba rebellion in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The campaign was unsuccessful due to poor logistics, lack of local support, and superior opposition forces, leading to his withdrawal.

Guevara was captured by Bolivian forces, trained and advised by the CIA, while leading a guerrilla insurgency. He was executed the next day in La Higuera. His death turned him into a global icon of revolutionary struggle.

Ryoma established a trading company in Nagasaki with the goal of modernizing Japan's economy and military. The company imported Western weapons and ships, and served as a base for anti-shogunate activities.

Ryoma mediated between the Satsuma and Choshu domains, which had been hostile to each other. Through his negotiations, the two domains agreed to cooperate against the Tokugawa shogunate, forming a key alliance that enabled the Meiji Restoration.

Ryoma drafted a political reform plan proposing a new government structure for Japan, including a bicameral legislature, a constitution, and the return of power to the imperial court. The plan influenced the Meiji government's early policies.

Ryoma was assassinated at the Omiya inn in Kyoto by agents of the shogunate. His death at age 31 cut short his political influence, but his ideas continued to shape the Meiji Restoration.