Li Dingguo vs Sarath Fonseka

Li Dingguo joined the peasant rebellion led by Zhang Xianzhong in Shaanxi. He became one of Zhang's adopted sons and a key general in the Xiying army that fought against the Ming dynasty.

After Zhang Xianzhong's death, Li Dingguo allied with the Yongli Emperor. He switched allegiance from rebel to Ming loyalist, fighting the Qing in the name of the Southern Ming.

Li Dingguo led a Southern Ming army that captured Guilin from the Qing. The victory temporarily revived the Southern Ming cause and forced Qing forces to retreat in Guangxi.

Li Dingguo defeated a Qing army at Hengzhou, killing Qing Prince Kong Youde. This victory was one of the greatest Southern Ming successes, but it failed to reverse the overall Qing advance.

Li Dingguo's army was decisively defeated by Qing forces at Suning in Yunnan. The loss shattered Southern Ming military power and forced the Yongli Emperor to flee to Burma.

After the Yongli Emperor's execution, Li Dingguo continued guerrilla resistance in the borderlands. He died of illness in the wilderness of Laos, his forces scattered and his cause lost.

As Commander of the Sri Lanka Army, Fonseka led the military campaign that defeated the LTTE in May 2009, ending the 26-year civil war. He oversaw the final offensive in the Vanni region, which resulted in the death of LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran and the collapse of the separatist movement.

Following the military victory over the LTTE, Fonseka was appointed as the Chief of Defence Staff of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces. This position made him the highest-ranking military officer, but he resigned within months to enter politics.

After contesting the 2010 presidential election against Mahinda Rajapaksa and losing, Fonseka was arrested by the military on charges of corruption and engaging in politics while in uniform. He was sentenced to three years in prison, sparking domestic and international criticism.

After being released from prison, Fonseka was elected to Parliament in the 2015 general election as a member of the United National Party (UNP). He served as a Member of Parliament until 2020, representing the Colombo District.