Engelbert Dollfuss vs Glafcos Clerides

In March 1933, Dollfuss used a parliamentary procedural crisis to suspend the National Council and rule by emergency decree. He banned the Communist Party, the Nazi Party, and eventually the Social Democratic Party, establishing a one-party authoritarian state known as the Austrofascist regime.

In February 1934, Dollfuss ordered the military and police to attack Social Democratic Party strongholds in Vienna and other cities. The conflict lasted several days, resulting in hundreds of deaths and the outlawing of the Social Democratic Party and its paramilitary organization, the Republikanischer Schutzbund.

On July 25, 1934, Austrian Nazis, with support from Germany, stormed the Federal Chancellery in Vienna. Dollfuss was shot and died from his wounds. The coup attempt failed to seize power, but Dollfuss's death marked a major escalation in Nazi pressure on Austria.

Glafcos Clerides was elected President of Cyprus, defeating incumbent George Vassiliou. His election marked a shift in Cypriot politics, with Clerides focusing on reunification talks and European Union accession.

Clerides' government formally began accession negotiations with the European Union, a key goal of his presidency. The process aimed to integrate Cyprus into the EU, providing economic benefits and a framework for reunification.

Clerides engaged in UN-sponsored negotiations with Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denkta

Clerides signed the Treaty of Accession to the European Union in Athens, securing Cyprus's entry into the EU. The treaty was signed on behalf of the entire island, though the Turkish Cypriot north was not under his control.

Clerides was defeated in the presidential election by Tassos Papadopoulos, who opposed the Annan Plan. His loss ended his presidency, but he remained active in politics as a elder statesman until his death in 2013.