Little Brown Brother: How the United States Purchased and Pacified the Philippine Islands at the Century's Turn

Leon Wolff graduated from Northwestern University, served in the US Air Force during WW II, then turned to writing. This 1961 book earned a Parkman Prize as the best book of the year. The US went from aiding Filipino independence from Spain to forcibly suppressing their attempt at independence. This story has been diminished in the schoolbooks to avoid the topic of imperialism. There was controversy in the US and Washington, perhaps more than during the Vietnam War or other military actions of the 20th century. This book has the missing chapter of US history. Wolff also wrote about military campaigns which sacrificed troops in ill-conceived and illogical adventures (p.xiii). US officials offered to help Philippine revolutionaries, kept them out of the Treaty of Paris, claimed the Philippines, the started an imperialist war to suppress the Filipino patriots. Paul Kramer is wrong to criticize this 1961 book as not meeting 2005 customs (p.xvii). Wolff makes an error in the beginning. The breech-loading .45 Springfield was not a Civil War .58 muzzle-loading rifle (p.9). The Philippine embroilment marked an end to the policy of avoiding foreign entanglements. The increase in US manufacturing sought new markets (p.13). The great depression of the 1890s led to an end of isolationism. A tariff on Cuban sugar wrecked their economy (p.15). Spanish colonialism and its high taxes, low wages, and harsh laws led to rebellion in the Philippines (pp.16-17). Corporations (monastic orders) owned the best lands and operated by share-cropping (p.18). Dr. José Rizal formed the Liga Filipina. He was arrested for treason and shot, so too were hundreds of others (p.24). A revolutionary army was formed (p.25). Chapter 1 has the background to the insurrection. Chapter 2 begins with the US declaring war with Spain (p.44). The armored cruisers of Dewey easily defeated the wooden Spanish ships. Would the US support Filipino independence or create a US colony? The Filipino army defeated Spanish troops except in the fortress city of Manila. American corporations envisioned great profits from these lands (p.80). The "Monroe Doctrine" was now defunct (p.81)! Manifest destiny (p.83)? Organized religions supported imperialism (p.84). Chapter 4 tells how an army was raised and sent to Manila. Most of the military were traditional state militias. Wolff has a dislike for the democratic militia (p.90). Britain and Germany were determined to keep each other out of the Philippines (p.111). Japan wanted to help administer the Philippines (p.112). The Spanish surrendered Manila, the Americans occupied Manila and kept the insurgents out. The Filipinos controlled the rest of the islands. Could experienced diplomats have prevented the war (p.139)? The constitutional convention at Malolos created "the first democratic constitution in Asia" (p.147). Those who objected to expansionism formed the "Anti-Imperialist League" (p.159). The Treaty of Paris ended the war with Spain (Chapter 7). The

Well written, lively, and concise. Chronicles the extraordinarily misguided and brutal imperial war that we waged against the Philippines at the turn of the 20th century. The resulting mayhem left approx. 250,000 Filipino dead and about 5,000 American dead. Atrocities were rampant on both sides but given the greater firepower of the Americans coupled with fundamentally racist beliefs, the carnage from our side was especially appalling. There is much to be learned by Americans by learning more of this bloody episode. The dangers of third world adventures are laid out very clearly in this account. America needs to fully come to terms with the power of nationalism amongst people of other countries. Short term victories may be achieved, but the long term outcomes almost always lead to the expulsion of the invading forces. Peoples of the rest world want to determine their futures. They don't want us, or anyone else for that matter, making those determinations for them.

FIRST READ THIS BOOK 50 + YEARS AGO. EXCELLENT HISTORY BY AUTHOR WITH ANTI-IMPERIALIST BIAS. (GADS, CAN THE USA...1898.. BE AS BAD AS THOSE EUROPEANS?). WHATEVER HIS BIAS HE GETS THE FACTS STRAIGHT. I ALWAYS WANTED THIS BOOK ON MY BOOKSHELF. WILL MAKE GOOD RE-READING.