He Long vs Max Hoffmann

He Long led the Nanchang Uprising, the first major armed conflict between the Chinese Communist Party and the Nationalists. Although the uprising failed, it is celebrated as the founding moment of the People's Liberation Army.

He Long commanded the 120th Division of the Eighth Route Army, operating in the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei border region. He led guerrilla campaigns against Japanese forces and expanded Communist-controlled territory.

He Long was appointed as one of the ten marshals of the People's Liberation Army. This honor recognized his contributions to the Communist victory and his role in the Nanchang Uprising.

He Long was purged by Mao Zedong during the Cultural Revolution, accused of being a 'counter-revolutionary.' He was imprisoned and died in custody in 1969, later being posthumously rehabilitated in 1982.

As Chief of Operations for the German Eighth Army, Hoffmann played a key role in planning the encirclement of the Russian Second Army at Tannenberg. The battle resulted in the destruction of the Russian army and the capture of its commander, Samsonov. This victory established Hindenburg and Ludendorff's reputations.

Hoffmann helped plan the follow-up battle to Tannenberg, the First Battle of the Masurian Lakes. German forces drove the Russian First Army out of East Prussia, inflicting heavy casualties. This cleared German territory of Russian troops and secured the eastern border for the remainder of 1914.

Hoffmann was the chief German military negotiator at Brest-Litovsk. He dictated harsh terms to Soviet Russia, forcing the cession of vast territories including Poland, the Baltic states, and Ukraine. The treaty ended the war on the Eastern Front but was later annulled by the Armistice.