DTIC ADA474912: Savage Wars of Peace: Case Studies of Pacification in the Philippines, 1900-1902

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Savage Wars of Peace:
Case Studies of
Pacification
OP 24 in the Philippines,
1900–1902
Robert D. Ramsey III
The Long War Series
Occasional Paper 24
Combat Studies Institute Press
Fort Leavenworth, Kansas
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Savage Wars of Peace: Case Studies of Pacification in the Philippines,
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1900-1902
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Savage Wars of Peace:
Case Studies of
Pacification
OP
OP 24
in the Philippines,
1900–1902
Robert D. Ramsey III
Combat Studies Institute Press
Fort Leavenworth, Kansas
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Ramsey, Robert D., 1946-
Savage wars of peace : case studies of pacification in the Philippines, 1900-
1902 / Robert D. Ramsey III.
p. cm. -- (Long war series occasional paper ; 24)
Includes bibliographical references.
1. Philippines--History--Philippine American War, 1899-1902. I. Title. II.
Series.
DS679.R36 2007
959.9’031--dc22
2007028938
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Foreword
Consider the following: The United States is engaged in what some
political and media leaders call an immoral war, a war that did not have to
be fought. After a relatively easy initial conquest, the US Army finds itself
faced with armed resistance to US occupation. US strategic goals have
changed since the war began; domestic political opposition increases as
insurgent activities prolong the war. Insurgent leaders monitor US domes-
tic politics and adjust their strategy accordingly. US Army Soldiers adapt
to the uncertainty and employ novel techniques to complex military and
nonmilitary problems in a land where they are strangers and about which
they have little understanding. Does this sound familiar? It should, but
this description does not depict events from 2003 to 2007 in the Middle
East—it describes events from 1898 to 1902 in the Philippines.
Combat Studies Institute (CSI) is pleased to publish its 24th Long
War Series Occasional Paper, Savage Wars of Peace: Case Studies of
Pacification in the Philippines, 1900–1902, by CSI historian Robert
Ramsey. In it he analyzes case studies from two key Philippine military
districts and highlights several themes that are relevant to today’s ongoing
operations in the Long War. Between 1899 and 1902 the US Army was
successful in defeating Filipino resistance to American occupation using
what military leaders at the time called a combination of attraction and
coercion. However, success came only after initial setbacks, disappoint-
ments, and significant changes in leadership, military strategy, and politi-
cal adaptation.
In the two regions of the Luzon Island analyzed in this occasional
paper, Army leaders employed a mix of political and economic incentives,
combined with military actions and strict martial law to subdue the resis-
tance. The geographic isolation of the insurrectos on the Philippine archi-
pelago was also an advantage for US forces. The capture of key insurrecto
leaders provided critical intelligence, and their post-capture pledge of sup-
port for the new government helped break the resistance by 1902.
This work highlights, among many other themes, the importance of per-
severance, adaptability, and cultural understanding. Written at the request
of the Command and General Staff College for use in their curriculum,
we believe this occasional paper will be a valuable addition to the profes-
sional development of all Army leaders. CSI—The Past Is Prologue!
Timothy R. Reese
Colonel, Armor
Director, Combat Studies Institute
iii

Acknowledgments
No one completes a project such as this by himself. Among those
requiring special thanks are US Army Command and General Staff College
faculty member Dennis K. Clark for suggesting this project; Combined
Arms Research Library archivist Elizabeth Merrifield for gathering
materials in a short time; Dr. William G. Robertson and COL Timothy R.
Reese for supporting this effort and for reviewing the manuscript; Robin
Kern for making the maps; and Betty Weigand for her attentive editing
that produced a better product. Without the support and effort of those
above, as well as others, I could not have completed this work in the time
permitted. However, as always, responsibility for errors in fact or judgment
rests with me alone.
v

Contents
Page
Foreword ................................................................................................iii
Acknowledgments ....................................................................................v
Chapter 1. The American Conquest of the Philippines, 1898–1900 .....1
The Philippines ....................................................................2
Filipinos ...............................................................................5
Filipino Revolutionaries or Insurrectos ...............................8
American Conquest of the Philippines ..............................11
Insurrectos Shift to Guerrilla Warfare ...............................23
Chapter 2. Pacification of the Ilocano Provinces: First District,
Department of Northern Luzon, 1900–1901 ...............31
The Ilocos ..........................................................................33
Ilocanos ..............................................................................36
Ilocano Insurrectos .............................................................39
American Military Operations ...........................................44
Situation in the Philippines, July 1901 ...............................63
Chapter 3. Pacification of the Tagalog Provinces: Second
District, Department of Southern Luzon/
Third Separate Brigade, Department of North
Philippines, 1900–1902 ...............................................71
Tagalog Provinces—Batangas, Laguna, and Tayabas ........73
Tagalogs ..............................................................................75
Tagalog Insurrectos ............................................................77
American Military Operations ...........................................80
Situation in the Philippines, July 1902 .............................102
Chapter 4. Observations ....................................................................111
Center of Gravity—Filipinos ...........................................114
Antagonists—Filipino Insurrectos ...................................115
Protagonists—American Army ........................................115
Insights of the American Counterinsurgency in the
Philippines .................................................................117
Bibliography .....................................................................................125
Appendix A. Chronology ......................................................................129
Appendix B. General Orders 100 [Lieber Code] .................................135
Appendix C. Proclamation Issued by Major General Arthur
MacArthur on 20 December 1900 ............................159
vii
Page
Appendix D. Extract of Message from President Theodore
Roosevelt to the US Army, 4 July 1902 .....................163
About the Author ..................................................................................167
Maps
1. The Philippines ..................................................................................3
2. Luzon ...............................................................................................15
3. The Ilocos in northwest Luzon ........................................................32
4. Tinio Brigade area of operations .....................................................41
5. First District, Department of Northern Luzon .................................46
6. Tagalog provinces in southwestern Luzon ......................................72
7. Department of Southern Luzon .......................................................81
8. Third Separate Brigade, Department of North Philippines .............96
Tables
1. 1902 Data on Ilocano Provinces ......................................................35
2. Division of the Philippines Data on Insurrectos, September
to December 1900 ...........................................................................55
3. Division of the Philippines Statistics, 30 June 1901 .......................64
4. 1902 Data on Second District Provinces .........................................74
viii