Hua Guofeng vs Vyacheslav Molotov

Hua Guofeng succeeded Zhou Enlai as Premier. He was Mao's chosen successor and became the paramount leader after Mao's death, overseeing the arrest of the Gang of Four.

Hua Guofeng, with support from Ye Jianying and others, ordered the arrest of the Gang of Four. This ended the Cultural Revolution and led to the rehabilitation of Deng Xiaoping.

Hua Guofeng advocated the 'Two Whatevers' policy, which stated that whatever Mao had decided must be upheld. This policy was later criticized by Deng Xiaoping as hindering reform.

Hua Guofeng was gradually sidelined by Deng Xiaoping and his allies. He resigned as party chairman and premier, losing all effective power, though he retained a seat on the Central Committee.

As Soviet Foreign Minister, Molotov signed the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact with Nazi Germany on August 23, 1939. The non-aggression treaty included secret protocols dividing Eastern Europe into spheres of influence, enabling the Soviet invasion of Poland and Baltic states.

Molotov was appointed People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs in May 1939, replacing Maxim Litvinov. He served as Stalin's chief diplomat during World War II and the early Cold War, representing the Soviet Union at major conferences including Tehran, Yalta, and Potsdam.

Molotov attended the Potsdam Conference in July-August 1945 as part of the Soviet delegation. He participated in negotiations on post-war Europe, including the division of Germany, reparations, and the establishment of communist governments in Eastern Europe.

After Stalin's death, Molotov opposed Khrushchev's de-Stalinization policies. He was expelled from the Communist Party in 1962 for factional activity, ending his political career. He was later readmitted in 1984 but never regained influence.