Interlude: Asia's Newest Republic
Asami
Banned
Flag of the Second Philippine Republic (1947 - 1960)
Interlude: Asia's Newest Republic
After years of uncertainty as to the ultimate destiny of the Philippine Islands, acquired by the United States after the Spanish-American War, the United States finally granted full independence to the Philippines on January 1, 1947, ending 48 years of unconditional rule by Washington D.C., and inaugurating the first native government since the rebellion of 1899.
At various times in the last half century since the territory was annexed, the states had been conditioned for statehood, perpetual colonial enthrallment, and then ultimately, independence-- attempts in the 1920s and 1930s to gain autonomy and "limited independence" had been defeated by the American government whom hoped to establish a permanent foothold in East Asia by admitting the regions of the Philippines into the Union, but the governments of Franklin Roosevelt and Robert Chancey had changed this tune to one of expedient independence.
To no surprise, given how quickly independence was rushed through Congress, the Second Philippine Republic was not nearly as free as one could have hoped for a democratic republic modeled on the United States.
Much like Cuba in it's infancy, the Philippine government granted the United States a large number of rights and privileges, which tied the young republic into the American system, preventing much of any modernization beyond a paper-thin democratic two-party state.
When the islands were under American administration, Japan conveniently turned a blind eye to the ground situation-- they had a good working relationship with the Americans, and didn't seek to upset that by meddling in the Philippines by arming nationalist organizations. Now, as the Philippines became independent in the loosest definitions of the term, the Japanese government began to turn more attention toward the island nation, wondering all the while how to proceed in dealing with this new, independent regime.
For the time being, with a war on, and the Great Diplomat at the helm of state, the Japanese decided that it was perhaps best to let sleeping dogs lie, but the Prime Minister did take the first steps towards opening discussions with some of the groups in the Philippines who had been pushed aside by the Americans and to some extent by the newly inaugurated President Sergio Osmeña. Osmeña was ostensibly a nationalist, as were men such as José P. Laurel-- but many of them had become ensnared in the new republic's attempts to gain legitimacy. Time would only tell how the young republic would evolve and change with the tides of geopolitics in East Asia.
One thing was for sure-- Tokyo's influence couldn't be ignored forever, particularly with paper claims over Japanese-held islands having the potential to become a sticking point between the nascent republic and the titan of the East.
At various times in the last half century since the territory was annexed, the states had been conditioned for statehood, perpetual colonial enthrallment, and then ultimately, independence-- attempts in the 1920s and 1930s to gain autonomy and "limited independence" had been defeated by the American government whom hoped to establish a permanent foothold in East Asia by admitting the regions of the Philippines into the Union, but the governments of Franklin Roosevelt and Robert Chancey had changed this tune to one of expedient independence.
To no surprise, given how quickly independence was rushed through Congress, the Second Philippine Republic was not nearly as free as one could have hoped for a democratic republic modeled on the United States.
Much like Cuba in it's infancy, the Philippine government granted the United States a large number of rights and privileges, which tied the young republic into the American system, preventing much of any modernization beyond a paper-thin democratic two-party state.
When the islands were under American administration, Japan conveniently turned a blind eye to the ground situation-- they had a good working relationship with the Americans, and didn't seek to upset that by meddling in the Philippines by arming nationalist organizations. Now, as the Philippines became independent in the loosest definitions of the term, the Japanese government began to turn more attention toward the island nation, wondering all the while how to proceed in dealing with this new, independent regime.
For the time being, with a war on, and the Great Diplomat at the helm of state, the Japanese decided that it was perhaps best to let sleeping dogs lie, but the Prime Minister did take the first steps towards opening discussions with some of the groups in the Philippines who had been pushed aside by the Americans and to some extent by the newly inaugurated President Sergio Osmeña. Osmeña was ostensibly a nationalist, as were men such as José P. Laurel-- but many of them had become ensnared in the new republic's attempts to gain legitimacy. Time would only tell how the young republic would evolve and change with the tides of geopolitics in East Asia.
One thing was for sure-- Tokyo's influence couldn't be ignored forever, particularly with paper claims over Japanese-held islands having the potential to become a sticking point between the nascent republic and the titan of the East.
