Historical Events of the Revolutionary World Movement

5 February 1899 Manila Battle Philippines - War of Independence

Independence Day

Great is the day, glorious this date, and forever memorable this moment in which our beloved people are raised to the joy of idependence.

- Emilio Aquinaldo -

(President of the First Republic)

125 years ago:

5 February 1899

Manila Battle

Philippines – War of Independence

We Stalinist-Hoxhaists call the so called "American-Philippines War" and especially the Manila Battle as genocide of the US-Imperialists at the Philippine people.

Philippine independence movement against the new colonial power of the United States was a revolutionary struggle. Under Emilio Aguinaldo, the Katipunan independence movement proclaimed a national republic, which lost its foundation with the end of the resistance.

The conflict was a direct consequence of the Spanish-American War won by the USA in 1898, in which the independence movement had supported the USA against Spain. In a series of campaigns, the US troops succeeded in subjugating most of the islands of the Philippine archipelago and establishing colonial rule, which lasted until the Japanese occupation of the islands during the Second World War. Between 200,000 and 1 million Filipinos died as a result of the war, mostly from cholera, although the purely military losses were significantly lower at around 16,000.

Entitled the "Benevolent Assimilation Proclamation", the McKinley Proclamation was promulgated in the Philippines on 4 January 1899. It clearly stated the intention of the United States to permanently enter the Philippines. The mission of the United States was described by McKinley as one of "benevolent assimilation". In the same proclamation General Elwell Otis was appointed commander of the American ground forces in the Philippines, which would "by force extend American sovereignty over the supreme species of this country."

On 5 January 1899, Aguinaldo issued a counter-proclamation. He warned that his government was prepared to fight any American attempt to forcibly take over the leadership of the country. This sounded like a declaration of war to the American military, although Aguinaldo was not going to war with the United States. He knew that war would only cause untold suffering for the Filipino people. He was still hopeful that the situation could be resolved through peaceful negotiations between him and the American military leaders in the Philippines. Aguinaldo wrote General Elwell S. Otis calling for peaceful negotiations.

The Filipinos had actually regarded the Americans as liberators from the Spanish occupation, but now had to realise that they were facing new foreign rule.

Things escalated on 4 February 1899. American soldiers killed a Filipino lieutenant. Surprised by the sudden outburst, the Filipinos remained in their trenches and engaged in a firefight with the Americans.

Emilio Aguinaldo sent messengers with the offer to negotiate a peace agreement. When they arrived, General Elwell Otis replied: "The fighting has begun and must continue until the bitter end."

Chinese imperialists - get out of the South China Sea!

Armed struggle against

both USA and CHINA,

both the Western and Eastern

camp of world imperialism !

Long live the socialist revolution

all over the Philippines

and all over the world !

Long live the dictatorship of the world proletariat !

Long live World Communism and World Socialism !

Long live Stalinism-Hoxhaism !

How did the USA become a world power?

The power of the US imperialists was not based solely on the exploitation and oppression of America, but mainly on the expansion of their colonialism throughout the world.

The path of the US imperialists to world power is paved with the blood of the peoples, especially the blood of the heroic Filipino peoples.

The Philippine liberation struggle is a shining star in the world history of anti-colonialism.

US imperialists - get out of the Philippines!

CHINESE IMPERIALISTS - HANDS OFF THE PHILIPPINES !