Alaungpaya vs Gojong of Korea

Alaungpaya, a village headman from Moksobo, led a rebellion against the declining Toungoo dynasty after the fall of Ava to the Mon. He proclaimed himself king and founded the Konbaung dynasty, which would rule Burma until 1885.

Alaungpaya's forces recaptured Ava from the Mon kingdom of Pegu, restoring Burmese control over Upper Burma. This victory consolidated his power base and allowed him to launch further campaigns to reunify the country.

Alaungpaya's armies captured the Mon capital of Pegu (Bago), ending the Restored Hanthawaddy kingdom. This conquest unified all of Burma under Konbaung rule and led to the suppression of Mon identity and culture.

Alaungpaya led an invasion of Siam (Ayutthaya kingdom) with a large army. The campaign initially succeeded in capturing several towns, but the Burmese forces were forced to retreat after Alaungpaya was mortally wounded by a cannon explosion during the siege of Ayutthaya.

Gojong declared Korea an empire, assuming the title of Emperor. This was an attempt to assert Korea's sovereignty and equal status with China and Japan, and to modernize the state. The move was partly a response to the assassination of his wife, Empress Myeongseong.

Under Japanese pressure, Gojong's government signed the Eulsa Treaty, making Korea a Japanese protectorate. Gojong did not sign the treaty himself and later attempted to appeal to international powers, but the treaty stripped Korea of its diplomatic sovereignty.

Japanese authorities forced Gojong to abdicate in favor of his son, Sunjong, after Gojong sent a secret envoy to the Hague Peace Conference to protest Japanese control. The abdication was part of Japan's consolidation of power over Korea.

Gojong died suddenly, with rumors of poisoning by Japanese agents. His funeral on March 1, 1919, became a catalyst for the March First Movement, a massive nationwide protest against Japanese rule. The movement was brutally suppressed but galvanized Korean independence efforts.