The American Military Adventure In Iraq And Philippine Essay

The American Military Adventure In Iraq And Philippine - Essay Example The Philippines became an independent democratic country that is seen to today to be more or less a success. This may bode well for Iraq, a country that has been through terrible times and now seems to be improving. This essay will look at how these two actions by the United States were very similar. The Monroe Doctrine of 1823 created a new era of American foreign policy. Some critics might call this policy expansionist, and although that is certainly an important element of it, it was also motivated by a desire to spread principles of democracy and good governance. Many idealists of the period believed the principles at the heart of the U.S. Constitution were universal and should be shared with everyone. By the end of the 19th century, the Monroe Doctrine was to come into full effect in a war with the Spanish. Not only would the Americans take control of Spanish possessions in the Caribbean such as Cuba, Puerto Rica, and other islands, but as the war expanded so would the remit of the Monroe Doctrine. The United States would gain control of the Philippines, far from its own shore, and attempt to remake the Spanish colonialism political system in its own image. The result would be a bloody conflict fought with Filipino insurgents that would take America many years to quell. Following the American victory over Spain and the taking of the Philippines, there was a great deal of tension between the U.S. and the locals. This came to a head in 1899 when American soldiers shot some Filipinos. Things quickly got out of hand with both sides raising armies and fighting conventional wars. The Americans rapidly defeated the convention Filipino forces, killing two of their best generals and pacifying many of the urban areas. But as the Filipinos fell back, they regrouped as guerrillas and had huge local support.