Question

The military policies of Spain had deplorable consequences in the Philippines.

The military policies of Spain had deplorable consequences in the Philippines?

Answer 1

The Filipino-American confrontation came as a result of conflicts between the United States and Spain. Many Americans were troubled by Cuba's catastrophic war for independence, and what they considered to be the Spaniards' inhumane acts to end it. The United States Congress granted President William McKinley the authorization he demanded to use military action in an effort to solve the crisis in Cuba, about 100 miles off the Florida coast. This occurred on 19 April 1898, and the inevitable result was war with Spain. One outcome of that operation was a successful 1 May assault by Commodore George Dewey 's Asian Squadron on the decaying Spanish fleet in Manila.

As tensions increased between the USA and Spain, revolutionary violence resurfaced in the Philippines. This was further intensified by Dewey 's victory, as was his transport of Aguinaldo back to the islands. By the time the American expeditionary forces arrived, Aguinaldo had already formed, with himself at its head, a revolutionary government and had an army of some 30,000 men around Manila. Filipino rebels had also taken hold of the islands elsewhere.

Americans, having entered into an awkward informal alliance with the Filipino rebels, landed in the siege of Manila on June 30 and joined with Aguinaldo. Acting without the knowledge of Aguinaldo, they assaulted the city on 13 August, and the Americans occupied it with the help of the Spaniards who surrendered the city, leaving Aguinaldo and his men in their trenches surrounding the city. The American intervention helped to increase the increasing mistrust and friction between the U.S. and the Philippine forces, as did the mounting evidence that President McKinley wanted to preserve the Philippines.