WI The Phillipines went communist instead of Vietnam?

Meh the US did it once and succeeded, of course the rules of engagement were just a tiny bit looser that time.

More like they have better means of propaganda and spin doctoring, managing to basically make Americans forgot there was a worse war after the Spanish-American war. To them, the Phil-Am war, which killed more people than in the Spanish-American war, was a 'minor Filipino insurrection' if it was even mentioned.

If the Philippines went red during the cold war, it would be harder to cover up the atrocities.

Would be interesting if it was a socialist democracy than Leninist totalitarianism though.
 
Also weren't the American soldiers fighting men armed with nothing more than large knives often? I'm assuming in a mid century war at least, the insurgents/soldiers would be much better armed than at the turn of the century.

The AK-47 was a game change for the VC and NV vs the newly issued M-16's the Americans had.
 
One reason this is unlikely is that the Vietnamese Communists after 1950 had the great advantage of a border with newly Communist China.

YES. Let's add that since in addition Philippines would be an uber-Catholic country (unlike any other Asian communist country), the only way it goes Communist is in a typical Eastern Bloc Soviet imposed police state (instead of trying to use nationalism as a rallying cry as Ho Chi Minh did). The Communist leaders of the Philippines would not only be fighting the Americans (whose Navy would surround them on all sides from S. Korea, Japan, Guam, Hawaii) but within from Catholic bishops and laity (the latter of whom would constitute the majority of the population). There would be large scale persecution to stay in power. Given the history of the Philippines as a former American protectorate/territory who fought side by side with the US in WWII (and where many American troops had died), interest in the Western media on what happens there if it goes Communist would likely eclipse any other country in the region, including Vietnam (a place many American had not heard of before the Vietnam War). The Communist powers that be would have to turn it another N.Korea to keep the Western eyes out. So how can they maintain power for long?

The only comparable situation would be Communist Poland and the only way that government held power is because it was bordered by the Soviets who would send in troops and weapons to prop up the regime (and we also saw how Communist Poland ended - quickly- in OTL). Communist Philippines would share a border with no fellow Communist country and I can't see the Soviets or Chinese sending nukes or thousands of troops (ala N. Korea or Vietnam) to protect it from the US, risking all out war.
 
YES. Let's add that since in addition Philippines would be an uber-Catholic country (unlike any other Asian communist country), the only way it goes Communist is in a typical Eastern Bloc Soviet imposed police state (instead of trying to use nationalism as a rallying cry as Ho Chi Minh did). The Communist leaders of the Philippines would not only be fighting the Americans (whose Navy would surround them on all sides from S. Korea, Japan, Guam, Hawaii) but within from Catholic bishops and laity (the latter of whom would constitute the majority of the population). There would be large scale persecution to stay in power. Given the history of the Philippines as a former American protectorate/territory who fought side by side with the US in WWII (and where many American troops had died), interest in the Western media on what happens there if it goes Communist would likely eclipse any other country in the region, including Vietnam (a place many American had not heard of before the Vietnam War). The Communist powers that be would have to turn it another N.Korea to keep the Western eyes out. So how can they maintain power for long?

The only comparable situation would be Communist Poland and the only way that government held power is because it was bordered by the Soviets who would send in troops and weapons to prop up the regime (and we also saw how Communist Poland ended - quickly- in OTL). Communist Philippines would share a border with no fellow Communist country and I can't see the Soviets or Chinese sending nukes or thousands of troops (ala N. Korea or Vietnam) to protect it from the US, risking all out war.
The Catholics and the Muslim moro's may end up allies.
 
Top