By Patrick Jackson
BBC News |
As the post-Orange Revolution "War of the Viktors" in Ukraine takes a new twist, we look at some of the world's other great political feuds.
"He is his own worst enemy," somebody in politics once remarked. "Not while I'm alive he ain't," came the reply.
The dry wit here was British Labour politician Ernest Bevin and the worst enemy Herbert Morrison, his fellow Labour minister in the 1945-1951 government.
Winston Churchill, who as Conservative leader was the two men's natural political foe, famously compared another political system, that of the USSR, to bulldogs fighting under the carpet.
This Soviet tradition of keeping face while waging political war appears to be still alive in Ukraine's conflict between Viktor Yushchenko and Viktor Yanukovych, locked in a disastrous cohabitation as president and prime minister respectively.
"They are doing their best to create the impression that they are operating on an equal basis, that they are almost friends," Sergey Kudryashov, editor-in-chief of Russian historical magazine Istochnik, told the BBC News website.
"They do not show in public their attitudes toward each other, but there is definitely personal animosity."
With four elections called in less than three years, the Viktors are clearly waging their war through the ballot-box.
Notable past political feuds in the ex-USSR were resolved by other means.
Humiliation and murder
Tank fire blackened the white facade of the Russian parliament and bloody gun battles erupted on the streets of Moscow when Boris Yeltsin brought to a violent end his confrontation in 1993 with the Russian parliament, which had tried to dismiss him.
 Boris Yeltsin and Mikhail Gorbachev found their roles dramatically reversed |
A few years earlier, Mr Yeltsin had grappled with a more subtle foe when he rudely wrested power as leader of a resurgent Russia from the last Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev.
Mr Gorbachev had initially helped Mr Yeltsin in his career but demoted him when he lashed out at the slow pace of perestroika in 1987.
"Nobody made a secret of their mutual dislike," says Mr Kudryashov.
"Immediately after the failed 1991 coup attempt, Yeltsin wrote a resolution saying he had disbanded the Communist Party and he forced Gorbachev to read it out in public. That was a humiliation for the party's former secretary-general."
The Soviet state which died under Mr Gorbachev had also been marked by an intense internal feud in its formative years, between Stalin and Trotsky.
"The hatred between them was an established fact," says the editor of Istochnik.
"Stalin was not a man for public politics, he lacked education, but he wanted to be Number One and the way to do that was to control the state apparatus.
"Trotsky had a lot of influence among many revolutionaries and the younger population. His popularity in the Soviet Union was genuine but he was a public figure, not a bureaucrat, and Stalin outplayed him."
Trotsky's great mistake, Sergey Kudryashov believes, was to underestimate the real power of the party's first secretary, thinking that at some point he could gain control over him.
Instead, Trotsky was driven into exile and ultimately assassinated with an ice pick on Stalin's orders.
Six years of silence
"Any political rivalry, whether it is within a party or between parties, is almost always rooted in mutual personal dislike," British historian Correlli Barnett believes.
In Victorian Britain, rival prime ministers Benjamin Disraeli and William Gladstone "loathed each other's guts", the Churchill College Cambridge Fellow told the BBC News website.
"They were of totally different temperaments. Disraeli was cosmopolitan, charming, colourful, slightly eccentric while Gladstone was the dreariest of all possible pious Victorian politicians."
For years, politics in Bangladesh was fuelled by animosity between Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina, who also alternated as prime ministers and whose chief policy difference appears to be over the extent of their families' role in the struggle for independence from Pakistan.
 Mr Brown is widely expected to succeed Mr Blair as PM this summer |
"They have not spoken to each other for about six years in parliament or outside," BBC South Asia analyst Mahmud Ali says.
"They avoid each other, they do not receive each other's invitations or telephone calls.
"Whenever their paths cross, it becomes a major news event because journalists report what they did, how they avoided looking at each other."
According to Mr Barnett, "immense personal rivalries and antipathies" are the very stuff of politics even when they are "dressed up as ideological differences".
In Britain, he says, both Labour and the Conservatives have had "violent political rivalries on their front benches" but there is no political opponent like a "former chum".
"Probably the bitterest of these feelings is within a party because it is more intimate, more related to personal careers, personal feelings - even whether the spouses get on," Mr Barnett says.
"[UK Prime Minister] Tony Blair and [Chancellor] Gordon Brown obviously were close chums at one point but for the various reasons we all know about, when you cease to be a close chum you can easily turn into a worst enemy."
Which political feuds have struck you as the most passionate?
Your comment:
Murder of political rivals is not confined to Soviet and similar totalitarian regimes. Was Elizabeth I's sending Mary of Scotland to her death much different than the murder of Trotsky, except for being dressed up as an official action of the state?
Gary A. Hill, Oakland, CA USA
The real feud in Ukraine was between [Leonid] Kuchma and Yushchenko. Indeed, some speculate that Kuchma chose Yanukovych as his successor because that was the only way Kuchma had left to stay in power another term...
Volodia, Zhytomyr & Toronto (Canada)
Somebody once asked Disraeli if he knew the difference between a disaster and a catastrophe. Disraeli thought for a few minutes then explained that a disaster would occur if Mr Gladstone ever fell into the River Thames. A catastrophe would happen, he continued, if someone should pull him out. Ouch !!!
Shaun Crowther, Barnoldswick, UK
Former Uruguayan president, founder of newspaper El Dia and Colorado Party leader Jose Batlle y Ordonez and founder of El Pais newspaper and Blanco Party member Washington Beltran traded jabs through their respective editorials until Batlle accused Beltran of libel. Not willing to retract, Beltran accepted a duel. Batlle killed him with a bullet to the heart on April 2nd 1920.
Mauro, Miami Beach, FL, USA
I am looking forward to the budding feud between Nancy Pelosi and "W". She is already openly defiant of his tyrannical international policy and shows no signs of backing down... This should be a good one.
Grace, Washington DC, US
A historic moment between rival founding fathers occurred when John Adams, ever the patriot, died on July 4th, 1826 - the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. His last words? "Jefferson lives." Little did he know that Jefferson, incredibly, had also died on the 4th of July - just a few hours earlier. Two great political rivals - later friends and correspondents - died 50 years to the day of the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. That's history.
Ian, Ottawa, Canada
George Canning, who as Foreign Secretary during the outbreak of the Peninsular War, fell out with his Cabinet colleague Castlereagh, who was Secretary of State for War at the time. Their relationship deteriorated to such a level that it led to a duel [1809] in which Canning was wounded in the leg. This was the last time that two members of the Cabinet have literally fought it out.
Melvin Standen, Orpington, Kent
The internal political rivalry between Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien and Party rival Paul Martin is certainly of note and a valuable lesson to Mr Blair and Brown. The Liberal Party of Canada is still in disarray and feeling the fallout of this political feud.
Matt, Toronto, Canada
The Indian parliamentary system, which followed the British model had their own famous political feuds, the most famous one being between Mr VK Krishna Menon and Acharya Kripalani, both veteran parliamentarians... Kripalani, who hated Menon, contested against him every election and lost. However he would win a by election later and come to parliament and then would give Menon a harrowing time in the parliament during the question-answer sessions. In one of those verbal duels, Kripalani was harassing Menon (who was then the defense minister) for not sharing adequate information on a defense deal. Menon, who is well known for an acid tongue, retorted "I can give the respected member all the information he needs, but I am sorry, I cannot give him the intelligence to understand the issue". They remained sworn enemies until their death.
KD Ganesan, Greenville, SC, USA
One of the more unbelievable political feuds was between two of the founders of the United States, Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr. After Hamilton stymied Burr's attempts to become president in 1800 and governor of New York in 1804, things started to get out of hand. Their mutual animosity finally culminated in a duel that saw the Vice-President of the United States, Burr, shoot and kill the Secretary of the Treasury. Strangely enough, Burr is not the only Vice-President to have shot somebody while in office...
Justin, Philadelphia, USA
Nothing is as disruptive as a labour dispute. My grandfathers were on opposite sides of a labour dispute in 1919. After it was done neither talked to the other. They would see each other at social gatherings, church and while going about their business. Not a word was exchanged between them.
Daniel Nightingale, Philadelphia, PA USA
What about Octavius (later Augustus) and Marc Antony? They were best buddies during the civil war to root out and destroy Brutus and the other senators who had murdered Julius Caesar. Then, power went to their heads and they ended up at loggerheads with each other. At one point, Antony had one of Octavius's supporters - the great writer Cicero - killed and his hands and head nailed up in the senate chamber as a warning to everyone. Of course, Antony died with Cleopatra VII of Egypt and Octavian became supreme ruler of the Roman Empire. But boy! what a feud!
Michael, Portmouth
The rivalry between the Malaysian Prime Minister, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, and his one-time deputy, Anwar Ibrahim, is a classic case of political rivalry from within a party at the peak of national power. The alliance between Anwar and Mahathir famously disintegrated and Mahathir had Anwar expelled from the political party UMNO. Eventually, Anwar was found guilty on charges of sodomy and gaoled. Both he and his supporters continue to dispute the charges and he remains a force in Malaysian politics to this day. In 2003, Mahathir retired from his post of Prime Minister and was succeeded by Abdullah Badawi.
David Stanford, Melbourne, Australia
Afghanistan's dark past and its unclear present is all thanks to political feuds. They represent the same system, the same administration yet there may not have been a single day when they haven't envied each other's success. Smiles on the faces of former foes and present friends hide in themselves bitter truths on the past of the country and of the thousands of lives their rivalries and pursuit of power have destroyed
Azad, Afghanistan
A new member of parliament on the Labour side, pointing to the green leather benches opposite, asked an old-timer: "Is that where the enemy sits?" "No, lad," replied the old-timer. "That's where the opposition sits. The enemy sits on our side."
Martin Smith, London
Stalin won the battle, but Trotsky is winning the war. Chavez, Castro, Correa, Ortega and Morales are all Trotskyites and more are joining the ranks every day.
carlos, Netherlands
Stalin got things done, Trotsky would have talked the time away, as his supporters still do today. Trotsky wasn't ruthless enough. We need doers in this world not talkers. Similarly with Blair and Brown... Blair talks the talk but I am sure Gordon will walk the walk, and that is all that matters.
John, Dundee, uk
Perhaps the most bitter rivalry of all time is currently being played out in Nigeria, Africa, between President Obasanjo and his deputy, VP Abubakar. They started out as pals but have waged an ongoing war to the death for over 3 years. Perfect example of where personal, mutual, bitter hatred is shrouded in the cloak of political and ideological differences.
Abim Adekanmbi, Manchester, UK
Family feuds are the worst. The most damaging ever was between Edward VII of Great Britain and his cousin William II of Germany. Edward was a Francophile who loved Paris. It could well be that without his influence, Britain would have favoured its old ally Germany, this would have made the First World War impossible.
Mike Dixon, Barcelona, Spain
Family feuds are the worst? How about feuds that start when someone attacks another's family? The example I'm thinking of is in 1856 when US Representative Preston Brooks caned Senator Charles Sumner and nearly killed him on the Senate floor because Sen Sumner had insulted Brooks' relative, Senator Andrew Butler, in a speech.
Carl Hess, Chicago, Il, USA
In British politics nothing has rivalled the Thatcher - Heath mutual loathing! Thatcher because she saw Heath as a symbol of the past and Heath as he saw Thatcher destroying what the party of all his life stood for. He took this to the grave you think.
Paul Johnson, Manchester
I remember a photograph of a Conservative party conference when Thatcher was in her pomp, which showed Margaret sitting on the stage with Heath sat directly behind her looking on with an unmistakeable expression of loathing. I recall also that he was reputed to have telephoned Conservative party headquarters when she was forced out of office and simply said "Rejoice!" echoing Thatcher's words when the British re-took the Falklands.
Morgan Kelly, Banstead, Surrey
What about the good old Thatcher-Heseltine jousts? They were a joy to behold and conducted with such charm and grace! I could listen to Tarzan declare his "no foreseeable circumstances" mantra until the cows come home.
Paul, Manchester
Gen George McClellan and President Abraham Lincoln had quite the troubled relationship throughout the Civil War. Early on as Lincoln's top General, McClellan is remembered for promising great success yet lacking aggressiveness in several duels with Gen Lee. His failure to commit his reserve in a timely manner at the pivotal 1862 battle of Antietam is seen by historians (and Lincoln) as having allowed Lee to avoid a devastating defeat which could have shortened the war. After Lincoln famously fired him, McClellan did not go away quietly but rather continued the duel as the Democratic opposition candidate against Lincoln in the 1864 Presidential election. In the Korean War, President Truman fired a brazen General MacArthur (this time not for lacking, but for being too aggressive), who then famously came home to defy Truman with ticker tape parades and speeches before Congress.
Scott
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[UK Prime Minister] Tony Blair and [Chancellor] Gordon Brown obviously were close chums at one point but for the various reasons we all know about, when you cease to be a close chum you can easily turn into a worst enemy
