Camillo Benso di Cavour vs Solomon Bandaranaike

Cavour became Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Sardinia under King Victor Emmanuel II. He implemented liberal reforms, modernized the economy, and positioned Sardinia as the leading state for Italian unification.

Cavour committed Sardinian troops to the Crimean War on the side of Britain and France. This diplomatic move gained Sardinia a seat at the Congress of Paris, allowing Cavour to raise the Italian question internationally.

Cavour met secretly with French Emperor Napoleon III at Plombi

Cavour provoked Austria into war, leading to French-Sardinian victories at Magenta and Solferino. The subsequent Armistice of Villafranca gave Lombardy to Sardinia, but Cavour resigned in protest over the peace terms.

Cavour secretly supported Garibaldi's Expedition of the Thousand to conquer Sicily and Naples. He then sent Sardinian troops to prevent Garibaldi from marching on Rome, annexing the Papal States except for Rome itself.

Cavour oversaw the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy under King Victor Emmanuel II, with Turin as capital. He became the first Prime Minister of Italy but died three months later, leaving unification incomplete.

Bandaranaike led the Sri Lanka Freedom Party to a landslide victory in the 1956 general election, defeating the United National Party. He became Prime Minister on a platform of Sinhalese nationalism and socialist policies, ending nearly a decade of UNP rule.

Bandaranaike's government passed the Official Language Act No. 33 of 1956, making Sinhala the sole official language of Ceylon. This replaced English and marginalized Tamil, sparking widespread protests from the Tamil community and contributing to future ethnic conflict.

Bandaranaike's government nationalized the Colombo Port, the bus transport system, and the insurance industry. These actions were part of his socialist economic agenda, aimed at reducing foreign control and promoting state-led development.

Bandaranaike signed a pact with Tamil Federal Party leader S. J. V. Chelvanayakam, granting regional autonomy and official status to the Tamil language in the Northern and Eastern provinces. The pact was never implemented due to opposition from Sinhalese nationalists and Buddhist clergy.

Bandaranaike was shot by Talduwe Somarama, a Buddhist monk, at his home in Colombo. The assassination was motivated by opposition to his policies, including the Bandaranaike-Chelvanayakam Pact. He died the following day, leading to political instability.