Saddam Hussein vs Yuan Shikai

Saddam Hussein forced President Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr to resign on July 16, 1979, and assumed the presidency. He immediately purged the Ba'ath Party, executing 68 senior members in a televised purge. This consolidated his absolute control over Iraq's government and security apparatus.

Saddam launched a full-scale invasion of Iran on September 22, 1980, aiming to seize the oil-rich Khuzestan province and overthrow the new Islamic regime. The war lasted eight years, resulting in hundreds of thousands of casualties and massive economic destruction for both countries, ending in a stalemate.

During the Anfal campaign, Iraqi forces under Saddam's orders attacked the Kurdish town of Halabja with mustard gas and nerve agents on March 16, 1988. An estimated 5,000 civilians were killed instantly. The attack is considered one of the worst chemical weapons attacks against a civilian population.

Saddam ordered the invasion and annexation of Kuwait on August 2, 1990, claiming it was historically part of Iraq. The invasion was condemned internationally and led to the Gulf War. A US-led coalition expelled Iraqi forces in February 1991, and Iraq faced severe UN sanctions.

After the US-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003, Saddam went into hiding. He was captured by US forces on December 13, 2003, near Tikrit. Tried by the Iraqi Special Tribunal for crimes against humanity, he was sentenced to death and executed by hanging on December 30, 2006.

Yuan Shikai took command of the Beiyang Army, the most modern military force in late Qing China. He expanded and trained the army, which became the basis for his political power and later dominated Chinese politics.

Yuan Shikai became the first president of the Republic of China after negotiating the abdication of the Qing emperor. He used his control of the Beiyang Army to pressure the revolutionary government into accepting his leadership.

Yuan Shikai declared himself emperor of the Empire of China, attempting to restore the monarchy. This move sparked widespread opposition from provincial leaders and foreign powers, leading to the collapse of his regime.

Yuan Shikai accepted most of Japan's Twenty-One Demands, which expanded Japanese influence in China. The agreement granted Japan economic rights in Manchuria and Shandong, and was seen as a national humiliation.

Yuan Shikai died of uremia, leaving no clear successor. His death led to the fragmentation of the Beiyang Army into warlord factions, plunging China into a period of civil war and political instability.