Philippine Anti-Colonial War | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Part of Soviet-American War | |||||||||
| |||||||||
Belligerents | |||||||||
United States of America Empire of Japan Canada British Government-in-Exile Nazi Germany |
Hukbalahap Rebel Army Soviet Union Mexico Republic of China | ||||||||
Commanders | |||||||||
Douglas MacArthur Jonathan Wainwright Koshiro Oikawa Archibald Wavell Franz Halder |
Luis Taruc Aleksandr Vasilevsky Georgy Zhukov Chiang Kai-shek |
The Philippine Anti-Colonial War was fought from 1947 to 1954 in the Philippine Islands between the Soviet-backed Hukbalahap Communist Army and the Colonial American Army aided by Japan. The Hukbalahap also received marginal support from the Republic of China and Mexico; through Japan, Nazi Germany was directly engaged in aiding America.
Background[]
While Japan instigated what the Philippine Islanders saw as "Liberation" to colonies surrounding the Philippines, disgruntled Filipino Socialists rose together to form the Philippines Communist Party in 1940. As the PCP grew in popularity, the American Colonial Force began to fear revolt and banned it in 1946. This actions would spark the formation of the Communist Paramilitary Hukbalahap Rebel Army.
The Fighting Breaks Out[]
On May 7, 1947, the Hukbalahap officially declares war on the United States, claiming independence for the Philippine Archipelago. To show their willingness for action, the Hukbalahap bomb the American Colonial Headquarters in Manila. The United States responded by placing the entire Island of Luzon under martial law. The brash actions of General Douglas MacArthur, who placed severe restrictions of the Civil Liberties of the Filipinos after the bombing, led to the Philippine public siding largely with the Socialist Rebels.