Battle of Manila (1898)
Intramuros, the walled city of Manila, Philippines
What happened
US forces under General Wesley Merritt and Commodore George Dewey, and the Spanish garrison of Manila under Governor-General Fermín Jáudenes. By August 1898, Spanish Manila was surrounded by American forces and Filipino revolutionaries. Secretly, the Spanish governor and the Americans agreed to stage a short 'mock battle', so that Spain could surrender honourably to the Americans and not to the Filipinos. After a brief bombardment the Spanish raised a white flag, though some real fighting broke out.
Why it matters
Why it matters: The Americans took control of Manila while Filipino forces were kept outside the city. Filipinos who had seen the Americans as allies felt betrayed, which led toward the Philippine-American War.
What came next
Fighting between American and Filipino forces broke out on 4 February 1899, starting the Philippine-American War.
Did you know?
The battle was fought a day after Spain and the United States had already signed a peace protocol, but the commanders in Manila did not know.
Timeline
- 12 June 1571The Spanish found Manila's walled city, Intramuros.
- 1 May 1898Dewey destroys the Spanish fleet in Manila Bay.
- 12 August 1898Spain and the US sign a peace protocol.
- 13 August 1898The staged Battle of Manila; the US flag is raised.
- 4 February 1899The Philippine-American War begins.