AHC: American Philippines
- Thread starter Klisz
- Start date
Really difficult. The Phillipinos had fought long and hard against the Spanish in the 1890s. By 1898 they had defacto control over a large part of the population and were starting to organize civil administration ect... Then the US soldiers came ashore and took over fighting another long bloody campaign to suppress Phillipino independance. The "Water Cure (water boarding) was used by US soldiers along with other techniques to end the "Phillipines Insurrection"
The US could have negotiated/bribed a favorable trade treaty and naval bases without all the bloodshed just as it did in Cuba. Given the internal independance movements of the 1890s & national pride neither Cuba or the Phillipines were going to accept becoming a US territory, whatever the advantages might have been. Conversely there was not as strong a independance movement in Puerto Rico and more of the residents saw advantages in a US protection racket over Spain or many others.
The US could have negotiated/bribed a favorable trade treaty and naval bases without all the bloodshed just as it did in Cuba. Given the internal independance movements of the 1890s & national pride neither Cuba or the Phillipines were going to accept becoming a US territory, whatever the advantages might have been. Conversely there was not as strong a independance movement in Puerto Rico and more of the residents saw advantages in a US protection racket over Spain or many others.
