Magdiwang History

# THE HISTORY OF THE COMMONWEALTH

## Spanish Colonialism

On March 18, 1521, Magellan would discover the Las Islas Filipinas. After Magellan's expedition, the King of Spain would be sent Miguel Legazpi to capture the Islands which was very successful, and Filipinos under the Spanish crown.

## Pre-Revolutionary Era

Before the Revolution struck the Islands, many Nationalist and reformation movements have been roaming around the Islands due to the Capitaincy's lack of funds and low employment. One of these groups is the Confraternity of Saint Joseph, a group led by **Apolinario de la Cruz** which consisted of prime members such as **Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora.** They were originally a religious order pushing for church reforms in the Philippines after witnessing clear signs of corruption of the Spanish clergy in the Philippines. However, with the refusal of the Captaincy General, the organization pushed further by seeking proper representation in the Spanish Parliament. This led to the ignition of Filipino nationalism, which would be clearly seen in the eyes of the Filipino population and even Filipinos in local militias.

Due to de la Cruz’s clear threat, the Captaincy General would send in loyalist Spanish militias to arrest de la Cruz which would only fuel instability even more. The execution of de la Cruz would be ordered, signaling the Tayabas Revolt of 1851. Victory would be initially given to the Tayabas Front but was immediately suppressed by integrated **Spanish-Filipino militias** (with few Filipino elements barely or refusing to shoot at their own comrades which led to them questioning their allegiance). This obviously infuriated the Filipino masses but came at a compromise when the Spanish Parliament finally established a local provincial government that would offer proper representation (however still under the Captaincy General). Gomez, Burgos, and Zamora would be the first representatives elected to Spain. However, this proved ineffective as the “representation” they were promised was never really practiced by Spanish officials back in Madrid.

Close friends Santiago Bonifacio and Francisco Rizal Mercado, seeing the corruption of Spanish officials and refusal to listen to its colonies, would meet up and form the Katipunan. However, it would be under the guise of the La Liga Filipina with their peers and friends invited into the organization. **Francisco Rizal** would later form his own independent movement called the **Propaganda Movement** (he’s still in La Liga Filipina tho). Both organizations would produce literature that would depict abusive Spanish colonists as well as their corruption. A minor farmer revolt would later take place in the Ilocos region due to **poor irrigation systems and the lack of supervision or care** by the Spanish officials of their farmlands. This would contribute to the growing sense of nationalism. Both organizations would also expand into media, using printing presses to produce news leaflets depicting the same aspect of abusive and corrupt colonists.

However, the nationalist movement would not grow for a while until 1868. The deposition of Isabella II and the growing instability in mainland Spain would contribute to the Spanish losing authority and control over their colonies in the Spanish East Indies. The final straws would be drawn when the Spanish Captaincy General in the Philippines ordered the execution of Gomez, Burgos, and Zamora as they viewed them as **“too revolutionary”** due to their ideas of larger forms of representation and autonomy. This would lead to a provincial government crisis in the Philippine Islands, finally crossing the line when taxes and tariffs on goods were issued which crumbled the economy even further. Numerous protests and riots would take place all around the islands, of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. A number of 500 protestors would gather around the Governor’s Palace at Cavite which would be lightly defended by the local city garrison of 50 Spanish Militias. Violence later started however its source is unknown (some speculate that it was caused by protestors throwing rocks at the guards), with protestors later breaching the gates. However they were held back by the Spanish militia, this incident would later be known as the “Cavite Massacre '' with papers about it being published all around the colonies. This angered the populace along with Filipino elements in Spanish militia units, including Commandante Mariano Alvarez. The Tarlac Mutiny of Late ‘68 would then commence with Filipino militias numbering around **700** as well as **120** Spanish defectors storming the Concepcion Armory in Tarlac. Other militias followed suit, starting the Revolution of 1869. Teniente Coronel Joaquin Luna de San Pedro y Posadas of the Ilocos Regiment would later meet up with Mariano Alvarez to strategize their attacks. Meanwhile, Santiago Bonifacio and Francisco Rizal Mercado would reveal the existence of the Katipunan to the eyes of the Spaniards through the “Cry of Pugad Lawin”, with Bonifacio and his Katipuneros leading an assault at Caloocan against the surprised Spanish Civil Guardia. Though initially unsuccessful due to the Spanish’s superior armaments, the civilians in the city eventually heard the news and turned their backs against the Civil Guardia, charging in with Bolo Knives, Bamboo Spears, and stolen Spanish guns. Later in 1869, Alvarez, Luna, Bonifacio and Rizal would gather at Pangasinan to make the Katipunan official. The “KKK ng mga Anak ng Bayan” would be made official.

## The Philippine Revolution

The Katipunan's Revolution would be the biggest turning point in the history of Las Islas Filipinas, The Katipunan was led by Santiago Bonifacio and Francisco Rizal Mercado. During this time the Magdiwang Revolutionary Chapter would be formed to operate within Cavite and also Maynila. On the other hand, a faction named Magdalo was led by Hermano Aguinaldo. They would be responsible for Funding and Arming the Revolutionaries and contributing to major successes in battles. The Katipunan as of 1870 would hold the provinces of Cavite, Pangasinan, Ilocos, Tabayas, and Sorsogon. Katipuneros would commence a series of raids against Spanish-held armories to obtain proper armaments as well as rob Spanish banks to get funding for their revolution. This tactic worked efficiently, with the Katipuneros and Revolutionaries gaining the hearts and minds of the people. Due to the instability back in mainland Spain caused by the recent Glorious Revolution, they wouldn’t be able to dispatch reinforcements to the East Indies.

## Post-Revolution & Civil War Era

Peace would not last long, however. Acting Supremo of the State Santiago Bonifacio would pass away from natural causes (however some suspect poisoning). This caused a nationwide rivalry with what was formerly the Katipunan splitting into two factions: Magdiwang and Magdalo. Magdalo followed the ideas of expanded nationalism, an open and free market economy as well as a “guided republic” (essentially a dictatorship) under the wing of Francisco Rizal and Carlos Aguinaldo y Jamir. Magdiwang on the other hand believed that the state should have a similar system as a constitutional monarchy, however a Lord Protector-esque type of head of state instead of a monarch. This faction consisted of combined conservatives, liberals, centrists, and clergy in the national assembly. This would be dominantly led by Mariano Alvarez and Joaquin Luna.

This rivalry would continue for months, it wouldn’t help the fact that the economy was crumbling and agriculturally dwindling. The government would finally kick the bucket with the assassination of Joaquin Luna who was ambushed on his way to Pangasinan in an attempt to open up negotiations with both factions. The perpetrators would be disputed, with one side arguing that the other side planned this, and due to this the Conflict of Terror in the islands would commence. Magdalo held Central Luzon, including Cavite, Pangasinan, Cagayan, and Manila with Magdiwang holding the majority of the islands including the Visayas, Mindanao, Bicol, and some parts of Northern Luzon.

An unexpected occurrence would commence with the arrival of the Asiatic Squadron of the United States Navy led by Army Colonel Arthur Dalton. The Americans were initially not in favor of supporting Magdiwang due to their “monarchy-Esque government”, however as lobbying and negotiations commenced they agreed to send small-scale funding and sending advisors. With the guidance of a foreign power, Magdalo would later be pushed back to the Intramuros where the Instrument of the Intramuros Surrender was signed.

Most military officers would be allowed to be drafted to Magdiwang’s military forces however immense background checking would be conducted to suppress any forms of conspiracy or ideas of a coup d’etat. Francisco Rizal would be sent to Fort Santiago to serve a life sentence, with Carlos Aguinaldo executed for “treason against the state”.

## Post-Civil War & onwards

With no forms of conflict in their way, the State of Magdiwang went through a series of reformations both economically, politically, and militarily. This started the “Prosperous Age of the Nation” or the "Golden age", which opened trade with other foreigners as Manila was later considered the “Pearl of the Orient” and significantly improved the economy. The military advisors from America also helped raise the Magdiwang Army into better shape. This is however not guaranteed to last as foreign nations continue to observe the islands seeking power…