Lord Dufferin vs Yang Shangkun

Lord Dufferin served as Governor General of Canada from 1872 to 1878. He played a key role in promoting Canadian unity and cultural development, including the establishment of the Royal Society of Canada and the encouragement of the arts. His tenure was marked by his diplomatic handling of political tensions.

During Lord Dufferin's viceroyalty, the Indian National Congress was founded in Bombay with the approval of the British authorities. Dufferin initially viewed it as a safety valve for political dissent, but the Congress later became the leading organization of the Indian independence movement.

Lord Dufferin oversaw the settlement of the Afghan border dispute with Russia through the Joint Anglo-Russian Boundary Commission. The agreement defined the northern frontier of Afghanistan, reducing tensions between Britain and Russia in Central Asia, known as the 'Great Game'.

Lord Dufferin ordered the Third Anglo-Burmese War, which resulted in the annexation of Upper Burma into British India. King Thibaw Min was deposed and exiled. This completed the British conquest of Burma, adding a large territory to the British Empire.

Yang Shangkun joined the Chinese Communist Party's Long March, serving as a political commissar. He survived the arduous retreat from Jiangxi to Yan'an, which solidified his position in the party hierarchy.

Yang Shangkun was appointed Mayor of Tianjin after the Communist takeover. He oversaw the city's transition to Communist rule, including the suppression of counter-revolutionaries and economic reconstruction.

Yang Shangkun was purged and imprisoned for 12 years during the Cultural Revolution, accused of being a counter-revolutionary. He was held in solitary confinement and subjected to harsh treatment.

Yang Shangkun was rehabilitated and elected President of the People's Republic of China, serving until 1993. He was a key figure in the crackdown on the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989.

As President, Yang Shangkun was a member of the Standing Committee that authorized the use of military force to suppress the Tiananmen Square protests. The crackdown resulted in hundreds of civilian deaths.