US doesn't get Philippines : How ?

How is it to get US to be less successful in the Spanish American War, enough so they would fail to gain the Philippines ? US didn't get it at the war, then how long will it be still a Spanish possession from there ?
 
The problem is that sans the US, the island gains independence at some point soon; it was chronically rising up, and Spain wasn't too stable. One of those days....
 
The easiest way to have this occur is to have the US Senate fail to ratify the Treaty of Paris that ended the war. The most controversial portion of the treaty was America's acquisition of the Philippines and the treaty only passed by one vote more than the 2/3 required to have it ratified. So have two Senators be a bit more anti-Imperialistic (maybe they bumped into Mark Twain while visiting the Chautauqua Institute and he proved especially persuasive that evening) and the Treaty fails. This sends McKinley back to the drawing boards and by this point the Philippinos are looking at de-facto independence. McKinley is forced to compromise and the Teller Amendment is extended to include the Philippines. Puerto Rico and Guam still go to the US, while Cuba and the Philippines gain their independence. With the Japanese and the Germans still prowling around the new government quickly signs a defense treaty with the US giving the US a 99 years lease on the Subic Bay and several other military bases. US - Philippine relations start out on a very good footing from the start, a nasty guerilla war is avoided and the Japanese are still resentful of the US Navy having a base in a very strategic location.

Benjamin
 
The easiest way to have this occur is to have the US Senate fail to ratify the Treaty of Paris that ended the war. The most controversial portion of the treaty was America's acquisition of the Philippines and the treaty only passed by one vote more than the 2/3 required to have it ratified. So have two Senators be a bit more anti-Imperialistic (maybe they bumped into Mark Twain while visiting the Chautauqua Institute and he proved especially persuasive that evening) and the Treaty fails. This sends McKinley back to the drawing boards and by this point the Philippinos are looking at de-facto independence. McKinley is forced to compromise and the Teller Amendment is extended to include the Philippines. Puerto Rico and Guam still go to the US, while Cuba and the Philippines gain their independence. With the Japanese and the Germans still prowling around the new government quickly signs a defense treaty with the US giving the US a 99 years lease on the Subic Bay and several other military bases. US - Philippine relations start out on a very good footing from the start, a nasty guerilla war is avoided and the Japanese are still resentful of the US Navy having a base in a very strategic location.

Benjamin

Philippines independence (though it should be as a US satelite) should be able to be a good boost for Asian pride, as an Asian country who has actually achieved independence from a European nation. Add it with Japan still became victorious against Russia in Russo-Japan war, and now we have more impetus for anti-colonial aspirations ITTL.

Also, US has just become less imperialistic, means a potential for its status as a "anti-colonial champion" to get more recognition by the anti-colonialist activists from anywhere later, especially with additional title as "liberator of Philippines". How will the failure of Philippines annexation affect US later foreign policies ?

Also, Philippines history from that point beyond would be very different from OTL, basically.
 
Britain would watch with interest and France with worry- can the Phillipines manage as a independant country? It will hint at the near future for other parts of the area.
 
Benjamin points to the best way for the Philippines not to become a U.S. colony. This is a very plausible P.O.D. The key question is how long can the Philippines stay independent. I remember reading that Germany and Japan had their eyes on the archipelago. If they partitioned it. Japan would conquer the German half during World War I and get it as a reward in the Treaty of Versailles. The Philippines would either win independence after World War II or much less likely be a U.S: run U.N. Trusteeship.
 
Were the Phillipines really ready to be an independent state in the late 19th century? For that matter would Cuba of been if it hadn't been for the glorious little war as some called it. But it should be remembered that the US did promise independence to the PI before Pearl Harbor*.

* That does not mean the US could not or did not act from racist attudes but was the US any more racist than say Great Britian or France in terms of foreign affairs
 
The easiest way is that United States had granted Philippine independence through Treaty of Paris due to the threats of German invasion in the Philippines. Or U.S Senate fails to ratify the bill of annexing the Philippines.
 
I think with US aid and assistance the Philippines were as ready for independence as America was in 1776. Also, as I stated, with the US acting to guaruntee their independence, neither Japan nor Germany would have been willing to do anything about it. With basing rights in the Philippines, the US would still have easy access to Asian markets and while France may be nervous about how Indochina may percieve their position as a colony, I don't think Britain would have been adverse to Philippine independence. Who knows butterflies from this one may work to drive Britain and the US towards a common policy in Asia while Japan turns to Germany for an alliance, thus altering the balance in that region.

Benjamin
 
In the ASB Forum I have a thread about the German HSF being Isoted to Manila one day before Dewey arrived, Whe could have a similar thread about the IJN being Isoted.
Were the Philippines really ready to be an independent state in the late 19th century?
Remember the Philippines had declared Independence, just like Cuba. After 4 months the President and other members of Government ended in Exile in China.
Sans the SAW, They would have given it another try, and probably gained independence in 1899 ~1900 at the Same time as Cuba.
 
Assuming that the Phillipeans are *not US*, be it independent, German, Japanese, or other, how does this alter US-Japanese relations?

IIRC one of the big worries on both sides that fed the paranoiacs on both ends was the Phillipeans: the US being afraid that Japan wanted them (not true for the most part) and Japan worried that the US presence was a threat to Japanese supply lines to Indochina later on.

Does this butterfly Pearl Harbor?
 
But how to get the Americans fail to gain it ?

Quite easily: the spanish government decides to fight REALLY. The problem was that the spanish government believed that they would lose Cuba and the Philippines sooner or later and that it would be better to lose it to an industrial power that would pay cash after all than to another rebellion.

Spanish admirals had "funny" orders.. Cervera could have gone to Havana instead to Santiago. There the fleet could have been easily defended and pose a threat to the americans. Montojo could have fought closer to the coast with the support of coastal guns and in fact he could have not sunk his boats as Dewey almost run out of ammo almost without effect!

Add a failure in the Philippines to a more costly war in Cuba and voilá!
 
Quite easily: the spanish government decides to fight REALLY. The problem was that the spanish government believed that they would lose Cuba and the Philippines sooner or later and that it would be better to lose it to an industrial power that would pay cash after all than to another rebellion.

Spanish admirals had "funny" orders.. Cervera could have gone to Havana instead to Santiago. There the fleet could have been easily defended and pose a threat to the americans. Montojo could have fought closer to the coast with the support of coastal guns and in fact he could have not sunk his boats as Dewey almost run out of ammo almost without effect!

Add a failure in the Philippines to a more costly war in Cuba and voilá!

Can we even prevent both countries' independence this way ?
 
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