Lord Palmerston vs Norodom Ranariddh

Palmerston, as Foreign Secretary, ordered a naval blockade of Greek ports in 1850 to enforce claims of British subject Don Pacifico. His 'Civis Romanus Sum' speech in Parliament defended the right to protect British citizens abroad, asserting British naval power.

Palmerston became Prime Minister on February 6, 1855, during the Crimean War. His energetic leadership and focus on military reform helped improve the war effort. He remained a dominant figure in British politics, serving as PM for most of the next decade.

Palmerston's government pursued the Second Opium War (1856-1860) against China, following the Arrow incident. British forces captured Canton and Beijing, forcing China to legalize the opium trade and open more ports. This expanded British commercial interests in East Asia.

Palmerston's government responded to the Indian Rebellion of 1857 by sending reinforcements and passing the Government of India Act 1858, which transferred control of India from the East India Company to the British Crown. This ended Company rule and began the British Raj.

Prince Norodom Ranariddh founded the FUNCINPEC party (National United Front for an Independent, Neutral, Peaceful, and Cooperative Cambodia) as a royalist resistance movement against the Vietnamese-backed government. The party became a major political force.

Following the 1993 UN-supervised elections, Norodom Ranariddh became First Prime Minister of Cambodia in a coalition government with the CPP's Hun Sen as Second Prime Minister. This marked the restoration of constitutional monarchy.

Norodom Ranariddh was overthrown in a violent coup led by Hun Sen, who accused him of plotting with the Khmer Rouge. Ranariddh fled to exile, and the coup led to international condemnation and a temporary suspension of aid.

After international mediation, Norodom Ranariddh returned to Cambodia and was elected President of the National Assembly. He continued to lead FUNCINPEC in a weakened coalition with the CPP.