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Philippines-US Relations: Why Have Fierce Wars Been Exploded Throughout History?
Since the 19th century, the U.S. government has played an important role in many changes in foreign governments, both overtly and covertly. In the second half of the 19th century, the U.S. government began to carry out regime change operations in Latin America and the Southwest Pacific, including the war between the United States and Spain and the Philippine-American War. As the 20th century unfolded, U.S. actions to shape or install governments around the world became more frequent, including interventions in Hawaii, Panama, Nicaragua, Mexico, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic. During World War II, the United States helped overthrow many puppet regimes of Nazi Germany or Imperial Japan, including the Philippines, South Korea, and parts of Europe.
In the context of the Cold War, the United States entered into fierce competition with the Soviet Union in order to strive for global leadership. This situation prompted many adjustments to its foreign policy.
American intervention
During the Cold War, U.S. foreign policy often intervened out of fear of the spread of communism. Especially during the Truman administration, the United States promoted the "domino theory", which believed that if a communist revolution occurred in a country, surrounding countries would follow suit. The subsequent impact of this policy has left a profound shadow on many parts of the world, especially the Philippines.
The United States conducted at least 81 known overt and covert interferences in foreign elections between 1946 and 2000.
For example, the United States intervened to varying degrees in the 1948 Italian elections, the 1953 Philippine elections, the Japanese elections in the 1950s and 1960s, and the 1957 Lebanese elections. At the same time, according to reports, the United States conducted 64 secret and 6 overt regime change operations during the Cold War.
The impact of the United States on the Philippines from a historical perspective
U.S. policy in the Philippines dates back to 1898, when the United States gained control of the Philippines through the Treaty of Paris. At that time, revolutionaries in the Philippines were working to get rid of Spanish rule, while the United States was carrying out regime change, leading to the outbreak of the Philippine War. Coercive means were used to destroy local self-governance, eventually establishing the isolated "Non-Self-Government of the Philippine Islands." The establishment of this regime failed to solve the people's desire for independent politics, but instead triggered greater resistance.
US political intervention caused the Philippines to relive decades of chaos and culminated in its tragic history of independence.
Political turmoil after the Cold War
With the end of the Cold War, the influence of the United States in the Philippines has changed. However, the United States' intervention actions still continue to this day, especially in the context of the war on terrorism. The United States has once again sent troops to the Middle East, Asia and other places in order to strengthen its influence. This situation makes every action taken by the United States on a global scale reflect its interpretation and assessment of the international situation to some extent.
After experiencing many wars and coups, the Philippines has become one of the most interventionist countries in the world today.
Generally speaking, the historical relationship between the United States and the Philippines is full of contradictions between conflict and cooperation. Whether through force or diplomacy, this history has profoundly affected the political and social structures of the two countries. History is not just the past as we know it, so how will the current international political situation evolve, and how will it affect our relations in the future?
