Vytautas Landsbergis vs Ye Mingchen

Vytautas Landsbergis, as Chairman of the Supreme Council of Lithuania, led the declaration of independence from the Soviet Union on March 11, 1990. He became the de facto head of state, and the declaration was a key event in the dissolution of the USSR.

Landsbergis led Lithuania during the January 1991 Soviet crackdown, where Soviet forces attacked the Vilnius TV Tower and other buildings, killing 14 civilians. He called for international recognition and resistance, which galvanized support for Lithuanian independence.

After the failed Soviet coup in August 1991, Landsbergis secured international recognition of Lithuania's independence from the Soviet Union. Iceland was the first country to recognize Lithuania, followed by many others, and the UN admitted Lithuania in September 1991.

Ye Mingchen was appointed Viceroy of Liangguang (Guangdong and Guangxi provinces), making him the highest Qing official in southern China. He was responsible for managing relations with foreign powers, particularly the British in Canton.

Ye Mingchen ordered the execution of British prisoners captured during the Arrow Incident, a dispute over a Chinese-owned ship flying the British flag. This act escalated tensions and contributed to the outbreak of the Second Opium War.

During the Second Opium War, British forces captured Canton and took Ye Mingchen prisoner. He was held captive and later exiled to India, where he died in 1859. His capture symbolized Qing military weakness and the failure of his hardline anti-foreign policies.