Ayatullah Haajj Sayyid Ali Khamenei was born July 17th, 2014 in Mashhad to Seyyed Javad Khamenei and Khadijeh Mirdamani. Being the second eldest of eight children, Khamenei and his family were very poor living in a small house with only one room. Although they were poor, Khamenei's family, especially his father, was very religious. Growing up Khamenei was inspired by his father and went into religious studies. In the year 1952, when a revolutionist visited Mashhad while he was still a student, Khamenei attended the lecture Sayyid Mujtaba Nawwab Safawiin was giving and felt a spark of interest in political activism. Still continuing with his religious studies. Later in 1979, Ruhollah Khomeini, an Iranian religious leader and politician who had also been the leader of the 1979 Iranian Revolution, appointed Khamenei to the post of Tehran's Friday prayers Imam after the forced resignation of Hussein-Ali Montazeri. Khamenei thren briefly served as the Deputy Minister for Defence and as the supervisor for the Islamic Revolutionary Guards. In 1981, due to an attempted assassination, Khamenei's right arm became fully paralyzed. That same year, after the assassination of Mohammad-Ali Rajai, Khamenei was elected President of Iran in the Iranian presidential elections of October 1981. Khamenei was there to help guide the country during the Iraq-Iran War during the 1980's. As president, he had a reputation of being deeply interested in the military, budget, and administrative details. In 1989, after Ruhollah Khomeini's death, Khamenei was elected the new Supreme Leader by the Assembly of Experts on June 4th, 1989. Khamenei was elected Leader by 60/70 members that were present. He is still alive and still hold the position as the Supreme Leader of Iran. He was selected the 21st in the list of "The World's Most Powerful People" by Forbes.

Klaudio Luarasi
AP Comparative
Feb 14, 2014
Chen Duxiu Biography

Chen Duxiu born in Anhui providence of Anqing China in 1879. He was the youngest of four children, and was born into a rich family where his father who had died when Chen was only 2 years old has once passed in a first degree in civil service examination and served as an official in the military office in Manchuria. For a while Chen was home schooled by his mother where he was educated in the Chinese Classics and traditional literature. After that he was raised by his strict grandfather where he followed the normal course of Confucian Studies and passed the local level of the imperial exams in 1896 at the age of 17 in Huaining, and the following year passed the second exam in Nanjing. But Chen was horrified by the experience. He spend nine days living in a small dorm with the other test takers. He noticed the psychological damage the test was doing to his acquaintances and decided to leave the traditional exam system permanently. After he left tradition behind he decided to become a social and political reformed. He studied English, naval architecture and even French at "Qiushi Academy" which means "Truth Seeking Academy" in Hangzhou.

When Chen was 23 he started giving speeches against the Qing regime in the capital of his home. In the same year which was 1902 he went to Japan and enrolled at the "Tokyo Higher Normal School." The following year in 1903 he helped his peers. They made from the Tokyo with "Guomin Riribao" which means National Daily News in Shanghai. Unfortunenently it was put an end to by authorities in less then a year. During his stay in Japan Chen refused to join the revolutionary party led by Sun Yat-Sen for the reasons that he did not want to accept nationalism, which was one of its tenants. After the overthrow of the Manchu monarchy and the establishment of the republic, Chen became secretary general to the military governor of his hometown in 1912 and dean of he provincial higher normal school. He then decided to take part in the second revolution against President Yuan Shikai in 1913 but was unsuccessful. So Chen fled to Shanghai then a year later to Japan where he helped with the editing for "Jiayin" a liberal Chinese magazine calling for political reforms.

 When Chen returned back to China in 1915 he was the establisher of the months "Xinqingnian" which was a magazine where Chen proposed that the youth of Chine take part of a vast intellectual, literary, and cultural revolution to rejuvenate the nation. The young writers that contributed to Chens magazine such as Hu Shi, Lu Xun, Li, Dazhao, and Mao Zedong became political leaders that were important and knowledgeable 

In 1917 Jen was appointed dean of the School of Letters at Perking University. He gathered as much liberal and progressive professors and students as he can. Together they established "Meizhou Pinglun" which was a weekly critic that only lasted for a few weeks. Their ideas and new ways of literature played an enormous role in the "May Fourth Movement" which was a huge protest of students in May 4, 1919 against the Chinese government's weak policy toward Japan and the Shandong resolution of the Versailles Peace Conference. The goal was to transfer German right in China to the Japanese. Riding China's old culture that led to inactive government and create new values for a "New China." Consequently, since Chen played a lead role int he movement Chen had to resign and was imprisoned for 13 weeks until September of that year.

In July of 1921 the official communist party in China was born with Mao Zedong in attendance who was one of Chen's writers during the Xinqingnian magazines where Chen proposed the May Fourth Movment.

Chen eventually didn't like Stalin's (Russian dictator) Chen became the blame for the failure of the Party to spark revolution in China's cities and was finally expelled from the party in 1929. As a civil war was raging inside of China, Chen decided to not live in the open. He witnessed his two sons killed fighting against Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalists. In 1932 Chen was arrested and charged with being a "Trotskyite" Trotskyites were radicals who support Trotsky's theory that socialism must be established throughout the world by continuing revolution. Chen was sentenced to 13 years in prison, but Chen was released on his 7th year for having poor health, and unable to live in the jail. So Chen retreated to an isolated village in the mountain of Sichuan.

As Chen was watching Stalins's evil ways emerge, Chens faith in democracy reemerged. He lived his life regretting so many things he thought he did wrong although he helped instigate one of China's most important protest and founded China's ruling political party. He worried the rest of his life doubting his choices and fearing what would happen to China in the long run hoping it would regain it's strength. Chen Duxiu died at 62 in 1942 from bad health and is now buried at his birthplace of Anhui providence in Anqing China.

Catherine The Great by TYLER JURASKA BRUH

Catherine the Great. Full name  Sophie Friederike Auguste von Anhalt-Zerbst-Dornburg, Born May 2^nd, 1729 in Szczecin, Poland, Catherine was the longest female ruler of Russia, reigning from July 9^th, 1762 until her death in 1796 (Age 67).  The time during her reign was referred to as the “golden age”.   She came into power following the assassination of her husband,  Peter III of Russia (Death 1762). 

 

During her reign, Russia was growing larger and stronger than ever, being recognized as one of the great powers of Europe.  She governed during a time when the Russian Empire was rapidly expanding, especially by conquest and diplomacy; many new cities were founded upon her orders.  She expanded Russia’s borders to the Black Sea and into central Europe.

 

Her political views consisted mainly of enlightenment and humanism.  She will go down in history as being one of the most powerful woman rulers of all time. She will be known for adding around 200,00 square miles to Russian territory.

 

      

 

Joseph Stalin, originally named "Losif Vissarinovich Dzhugashvil"  was born December 18th, 1878 in Gori, Georgia, Russia. Stalin was the former dictator of Russia upon Vladimir Lenins death. The Soviet government went through a violent period of time after the revolution after many people strived to have the position of being the leader.  In 1922, Stalin was selected to be the general secretary of the Communist Party.  It wasn't a big position but it allowed stalin to build a base to work his way up from because it gave Stalin control over all the party member appointments. He used his small amount of power to the point where nearly all the members of the central command basically owed their position to him.  By the time people found out what he was doing it was too late and Lenin was gravely ill. When Lenin died is when Stalin set out to destroy the old party leadership and take total control, and he succeeded. Stalin forced rapid industrialization and the collectivization of agricultural land which resulted in millions dying from famine while others were sent to camps. Stalin along with the red army also helped defeat Nazi Germany. Stalin later died on March 5th 1953 in Moscow, Russia.

Vladimir Zhirinovsky

Vice Chairman of the State Duma, Russia

(April 26, 1946-)

Vladimir found himself at the forefront of Russian politics after studying law at Moscow State University and followed by a lengthy career in the Russian Army.  He co-founded the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia under the Communist regime in 1990.  It was the first opposition party in the USSR.  While the tile can be misleading the party, is extremely conservative and is nearest the end of the right-wing.

Like the LDPR, Zhirinovsky's supports Russian Ultra-Nationalism (which borders on Fascism) and conservative economic policies.  Zhirinovsky has taken a strong stance against the United States and further Western culture.  He has shown support for a united Russia, defined by a strong Caucasian populous.  He has created multiple policies which would call for deportation of millions of Chinese and Japanese immigrants.

In 1991, Zhirinovsky came in third in Russia's first presidential election where he got more than 6 million votes.  The LDPR reached its peak support in 1993 when Zhirinovsky ran for president again, this time against Yeltsin.  This success caused Western observers to scrutinize his boorish, bullying behaviour and to take more seriously his rhetoric and views, which included a promise to create a dictatorship and give everyone free vodka when elected president.

The LDPR has not placed better than third in parliamentary elections since 1999.  In 2000, he ascended to Vice Chairman of the State Duma and has held that position to this day. Zhirinovsky won less than 10% of the vote in the 2000 and 2008 presidential elections.  He has most recently trademarked his surname, and created a brand of vodka and ice-cream under the brand "Zhirinovsky".

Liu Shaoqi

Liu Shaoqui

President of the People's Republic of China ( April 28, 1959 - October 31, 1968)

             

Chinese Communist Party

• Past positions include being Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (1956-57), Vice Chairman of the Communist Party of China (1956-66), and Member of the National People's Congress (1954-68). 
• He led numerous political campaigns and strikes in Hubei and Shanghai, helped organize the 16 month long Canton-Hong Kong strike and reorganized underground activites in northern China centered around Beijinh and Tianjin.   Liu was an orthodox Soviet-style Communist who had favored state planning, development of heavy industry, ect.  In his writings [How to be a Good Communist (1939), On the Party (1945), and Internationalism and Nationalism (1952)] he expressed his political and economic beliefs
• In October 1968, Liu was officially denounced as "a renegade, traitor and scab hiding in the Party, a lackey of imperialism, modern revisionism and the Guomindang reactionaries", formally stripped all his positions and permanently expelled from the Party. He died in a Kaifeng prison, allegedly because he was refused medication for diabetes.  

Lin Biao

Lin Biao how was original named Lin Yurong was born in Huanggang Hubei province, China. He lived his life form the date of his birth December 5th 1907 to the day of his death September 13th 1971. Biao was a Chinese military as a field commander of the Red Army. Biao was politically affiliated with the Communist Party of China.The Communist Party of China is known as the the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China. Lin wast the general who commanded the decisive Liaoshen and Pingjin Campaigns. He contributed to the communists' struggle of power and held many high government and party posts for 22 years. He played a prominent role in the first several years of the Cultural Revolution. Lin Biao was killed in an airplane crash in Mongolia. The official explanation given at the time was that he had been involved in a failed plot to kill Mao Zedong and was killed while fleeing to the Soviet Union.