“McKinley gave the Filipinos only one choice - submit to American authority or die. The Filipinos chose to die rather than submit to a new master. For almost a year, the Filipino army fought the better-armed American forces in open-field or conventional warfare. Attempts by the Filipinos to seek an armistice were rebuffed by the Americans. To the Americans, armistice meant an unconditional surrender of the Filipino army before any talks may be initiated, a condition that Aguinaldo considered a breach of the standard norms of warfare. The Filipinos refused to accept the American condition for armistice without any clear commitment that a government of their own will be respected by the Americans. After a succession of defeats in numerous battlefields, the Filipinos shifted to guerrilla tactics. The change in strategy surprised the Americans who began to suffer heavier casualties from sneak attacks and ambuscades. So the bloody conflict dragged on for three more years. ”

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