En el Nombre de la Libertad y la Patria

Mercenarius

Banned
What about Ramon Blanco staying longer as Governor General of the Philippines? Would that help?

It depends on his decision about Rizal. If he allow him to go to Cuba, then the clergy would conspire against him as happened OTL. I haven't decided about that, but I'm open to suggestions.
 

Mercenarius

Banned
Bad News

Due to a busy schedule, and writer's problem, I'll have to retcon this TL. Since I suck a fully detailed chapters, I'm planning to shorten this story to a TLIAD (or TLIAW or... whatever) standard.
 

Mercenarius

Banned
Update

The 2nd part of the refined version of this TL has been posted in the new thread I mentioned yesterday. For those expecting updates here, you have to check the new thread.
 

Mercenarius

Banned
Important Announcement: Major Retcon

Okay, I decided to change my writing style for this TL since I really suck at detailed narratives. The updates will be posted in this thread again. Consider the other thread as closed.
 

Mercenarius

Banned
Prologue

For more than 300
years, Spain ruled over
the Philippine Islands. Under the pretext of
spreading Christianity,
they converted the
natives. But religion isn't
the primary reason, but
commerce and politics. Not so soon the colonial
authorities exploited
their new subjects for
labor and religious
works. Several
instances of abuse and
mistreatment by the
Spaniards lead the
Indios, as the natives
are now called, to rise in
revolt. But these were
easily crushed in the
face of guns and
cannons of the
European colonizers.

The system went on
until the 19th century
when Manila, the
Philippines' capital, was
opened to world trade.
This moment paved
way for the ideas of
Enlightenment to arrive
in these parts of Asia.
The effect, a new class
of people emerged from
the Indios - the
ilustrados. These people who came from
wealthy families had
the chance to study in
Europe, which in turn
made them proponents
of liberalism. As the
ilustrados return to
their homelands, they
began to demand reforms from the
Spanish colonialists, aiming to improve their
fellowmen's standing
within the then-declining Spanish Empire.

But the colonialists
detest any liberal ideas,
seeing it as threat to
their hold on power. So
are the clergy, fearing
the decrease of their
influence (not to mention their lands).
These two factions
began to attack the
liberal movement,
accusing them of
heresy, treason and,
worst of all, rebellion.
Little by little, the hopes of reform began to shatter away. And in
return, the Indios'
resentment over their
Spanish masters
increase. Radicalism is
on the rise.

One of these
disillusioned intellectuals
is Andres Bonifacio, a
self-taught warehouse
clerk. Inspired by the
American and French
Revolutions, he made a
resolve that only independence via armed
revolt can solve his
motherland's grievances. And so in
1892 he founded the
Katipunan, a secret
society aiming at the
overthrow of the
Spanish colonial
government and the
establishment of an
independent nation.
They began issuing
periodicals containing
radical ideas, which
successfully increased
the organization's
membership from a
few hundreds to
several thousands. But
by mid-1896, an incident
in a newspaper
factory* led to the
discovery of the
Katipunan by the
Spanish authorities. This results into mass
arrests, torture and
execution of several
men being suspected as rebels. This measure
only increased the anger of the people. By then, Bonifacio finally decides to start the uprising.

In August 23rd 1896, at
the general meeting of
the Katipunan's regional
leaders, Bonifacio officially formed a revolutionary government, with him
as its President. He
requested a mass mobilization of every
Katipunan chapters to
start the revolt. They ended the meeting with
the tearing of their
cedulas (tax certificates),
symbolizing their
secession from Spanish
rule. The Philippine
Revolution has begun.

---
* the Diario de Manila
incident, where one of the
two workers fighting for
promotion confessed about
the Katipunan to his sister,
which in turn confessed to a
priest, who then reported it
to the authorities, violating
the "secrecy rule" of
Sacrament of Confession.
Google it for additional info
 
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Mercenarius

Banned
Part 1

August 25th, 1896
After receiving news of the Guardia Civil approaching, Andres Bonifacio mobilized some of his men for a rearguard action to buy time for the other insurgents to relocate to Mandaluyong. Several skirmishes occured around the bridge of Pasong Tamo, with only minimal casualties.

August 29th, 1896
The rebels started their first offensive with simultaneous raids in Pasig and Mariquina. Bonifacio initally planned to attack Manila directly, but was persuaded to conduct diversionary attacks in order to lure the Spanish troops out. The insurgents then proceeds to San Juan del Monte, aiming to capture the powder magazine there. The ensuing Battle of San Juan became the first major engagement between the Spanish colonial forces and the native revolutionaries. The first phase of the battle ended in a pyrrhic victory for the insurgents.

August 30th, 1896
As several reports make their way at Malacañang Palace. Governor-General Ramon Blanco y Erenas orders General Bernardo Echaluce y Jauregui, Manila's military governor, to send additional troops against the rebels. Echaluce obliged, and personally led a contingent of 20,000 cazadores out of Intramuros. A few hours later the Spaniards reached San Juan del Monte, initiating the second phase of the Battle of San Juan del Monte. It didn't go well for the now outgunned Katipuneros led by Sancho Valenzuela, as they suffer heavy losses, and were forced to fall back to Mariquina. On the other hand Andres Bonifacio, now leading an over 25,000-strong force, entered Manila and started to attack government installations. As news about the rebellion spread like wildfire, several towns around Manila rose up in revolt and joins the Katipunan, further complicating the situation for the Spanish government. The Katipuneros captured almost half of Manila within hours, converging in Intramuros. Bonifacio orders an assault on the fortress but were repulsed in the face of cannon fire. Lady Luck seems to be on their side however, as an incident happened inside the walled city, courtesy of the soldiers from the 73rd Regiment. These Spanish-trained Filipinos were scheduled to depart to Mindanao to fight the Moros, a countermeasure planned by the Spaniards against possible desertions. Refusing to be separated from their families, these Indios turned against the Spanish officers and mutinied. After disarming their superiors, they storm back at Intramuros, and wreck havoc. Some of them reached the fort's eastern walls, disarms its guards, and opened the gates for the Katipuneros. The deserting natives joined forces with Bonifacio in raiding Fort Santiago, releasing some of their fellow Katipuneros and taking more firearms in the process. But at that time the insurgents had ran out of luck as the Guardia Civil, remaining Spanish cazadores and some cavalry counter-attacked flushed them out of the Intramuros. Bonifacio, who realized an impending disaster, ordered a general retreat. They crossed the Pasig River and retreats back to Caloocan. The battle ends in a stalemate.
 
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Mercenarius

Banned
Part 2

August 31st, 1896
With the bulk of the Spanish forces preoccupied in Manila Emilio Aguinaldo, capitan muncipal of Cavite El Viejo and a Katipunero, seizes the opportunity to start the liberation of his home province of Cavite. On the same day Santiago Alvarez, another Katipunan leader in Cavite, liberated Noveleta while Mariano Trias led the revolt in San Francisco de Malabon.

Meanwhile, General Echaluce scored another victory against Bonifacio's forces in the Battle of Marikina forcing the Katipuneros to retreat, yet again, to Morong. With the help of Macario Sakay however, the insurgents managed to hold their ground in San Mateo and Montalban, inevitably sparking a revolt in the said province.

September 1st, 1896
Aguinaldo's forces began their march to Imus. A series of bloody engagements ensued between the Katipuneros and the Guardia Civil, particularly around the fortified estate near the town's church which was laid under siege.

September 2nd, 1896
The revolutionary forces led by Mariano Llanera initiates the revolt in the province of Nueva Ecija. Despite the shortage of guns they managed to take and hold the municipio of Cabiao for a long while before being repelled by Spanish reinforcements. The surviving Katipuneros scattered across Nueva Ecija and other neighboring provinces still eager to continue the struggle.

September 3rd, 1896
A Spanish reinforcement led by General Ernesto de Aguirre is sent to Imus, threatening to cripple the revolutionary forces. In response, Aguinaldo hastily assembled a blocking force and went to Bacoor to stall Aguirre's advance. Unfortunately, the insurgents are virtually wiped out, although Aguinaldo survived and returned to Imus. For some reason however, Aguirre decides to delay the offensive for a day, giving the rebels enough time to prepare for their arrival. That moment proved to be decisive, as Aguinaldo outmaneuvred Aguirre's troops and sealed a spectacular victory.

September 12th, 1896
The Spanish authorities executed 13 people for their involvement in the rebellion. These men would later on be called the Thirteen Martyrs of Cavite.
 
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Mercenarius

Banned
Part 3

September 30th, 1896
Jose Rizal is confined in his cabin aboard MV Isla de Panay after its captain receives a telegram from Madrid of the ilustrado's arrest.

October 3rd, 1896
Isla de Panay arrives at Barcelona. However, Rizal is still forbidden to get out of his confinement.

October 6th, 1896
Rizal finally sets foot on Barcelona. He is immediately escorted to Montjuich Prison. Hours later he boarded SS Colon, bound for Manila.

October 12th, 1896
Miguel Malvar, gobernadorcillo of the town of Santo Tomas, initiates the Revolution in Batangas. In coordination with the forces of Aguinaldo and Candido Tirona, the combined rebel army manage to overran the Spanish troops at Talisay.

October 23rd, 1896
Bolstered by recent victories in Nasugbu, Balayan and Lian, Malvar press on the offensive in Lemery, Calaca, Bayungyungan and Taal, with mixed results.

November 3rd, 1896
Colon arrives at Manila. Rizal is transferred to his prison in Fort Santiago, under heavy security.
 
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