Puyi vs William III of England

Puyi became Emperor of China at age 2 after the death of his uncle, Guangxu. A regency was established under his father, Prince Chun.

The Xinhai Revolution overthrew the Qing dynasty. Puyi abdicated on February 12, 1912, ending over 2,000 years of imperial rule in China. He was allowed to retain his title and live in the Forbidden City.

Warlord Feng Yuxiang expelled Puyi from the Forbidden City, revoking his imperial privileges. Puyi fled to the Japanese concession in Tianjin.

Japan installed Puyi as the puppet emperor of Manchukuo, a Japanese-controlled state in northeast China. He ruled under Japanese supervision until 1945.

After Japan's surrender in World War II, Puyi was captured by Soviet forces while trying to flee. He was held as a prisoner of war in the Soviet Union until 1950.

After being repatriated to China, Puyi was imprisoned for war crimes but later released in 1959. He worked as a gardener and wrote his autobiography. He died of cancer in Beijing.

William III landed at Torbay with a Dutch army of 15,000 men. He marched on London as James II's army disintegrated. James fled to France, and William was invited by Parliament to take the throne. This invasion established Protestant succession and parliamentary supremacy.

William III led England into the Nine Years' War against France under Louis XIV. He fought campaigns in the Spanish Netherlands and Ireland. The war ended with the Treaty of Ryswick in 1697, which recognized William as king of England.

William III accepted the Bill of Rights, which prohibited the monarch from suspending laws, levying taxes without Parliament, or maintaining a standing army in peacetime. This document established constitutional monarchy in England and limited royal prerogative.

William III personally led his army to victory over James II's forces at the River Boyne in Ireland. This battle secured Protestant control of Ireland and solidified William's throne. It remains a key event in Irish Protestant history.

William III died of pneumonia following a fall from his horse. He was buried in Westminster Abbey. His death ended the Stuart line and passed the throne to Mary's sister Anne, as William had no surviving children.