Jacobo Arbenz vs Johan de Witt

Arbenz enacted Decree 900, an agrarian reform law that redistributed uncultivated land from large estates to landless peasants. The law targeted the United Fruit Company's holdings, leading to conflict with U.S. corporate interests and the U.S. government.

Arbenz's government expropriated over 400,000 acres of uncultivated land from the United Fruit Company, offering compensation based on the company's declared tax value. This action intensified U.S. opposition and was a key factor in the decision to overthrow him.

The CIA orchestrated Operation PBSUCCESS, a covert operation that overthrew Arbenz. The coup involved propaganda, a small invasion force led by Carlos Castillo Armas, and psychological warfare. Arbenz resigned on June 27, 1954, and went into exile.

De Witt oversaw the Dutch Republic's conduct in the First Anglo-Dutch War, which ended with the Treaty of Westminster. The war was a commercial conflict, and de Witt's leadership helped maintain Dutch maritime trade despite English naval superiority.

Johan de Witt was appointed Grand Pensionary of Holland, the most powerful political position in the Dutch Republic. He effectively led the republic during its Golden Age, focusing on naval power, trade, and republican governance, while opposing the influence of the House of Orange.

Under de Witt's direction, the Dutch navy executed a daring raid on the English fleet at Chatham, destroying several ships and capturing the flagship Royal Charles. This humiliating defeat forced England to negotiate a favorable peace for the Dutch, ending the Second Anglo-Dutch War.

Johan de Witt and his brother Cornelis were lynched by an Orangist mob in The Hague. The murder occurred during the Rampjaar (Disaster Year) when the Dutch Republic faced invasions from France, England, and German states, and de Witt was blamed for the military failures.