Hamaguchi Osachi vs Max Petitpierre

Hamaguchi's government lifted the gold embargo and returned Japan to the gold standard in January 1930. This policy was intended to stabilize the yen and promote trade but exacerbated the effects of the Great Depression, causing severe deflation and economic hardship.

On November 14, 1930, Prime Minister Hamaguchi Osachi was shot at Tokyo Station by right-wing extremist Sagoya Tomeo. The attack was motivated by opposition to Hamaguchi's support for the London Naval Treaty, which limited Japanese naval power.

Hamaguchi's government ratified the London Naval Treaty, which extended the Washington Naval Treaty's limitations on capital ships to cruisers, destroyers, and submarines. The treaty was opposed by the Japanese Navy and ultranationalists, who saw it as a capitulation to Western powers.

Hamaguchi Osachi died on August 26, 1931, from complications of the gunshot wound he sustained in the 1930 assassination attempt. His death removed a moderate voice from Japanese politics and contributed to the rise of militarism.

Petitpierre was elected to the Swiss Federal Council, representing the Free Democratic Party. He took over the Political Department (foreign affairs) during the final years of World War II.

Petitpierre served his first term as President of the Swiss Confederation. He held the office four times (1950, 1955, 1960, 1965), overseeing post-war reconstruction and economic growth.

Petitpierre developed Switzerland's role as a provider of 'good offices' in international diplomacy, offering mediation and hosting international conferences. This enhanced Switzerland's neutral status during the Cold War.

Petitpierre oversaw Switzerland's accession to the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), a trade bloc of non-EEC European countries. This maintained Swiss economic integration without political integration.