by

What was the Schurman Commission (1899-1900)?

Introduction The Schurman Commission, also known as the First Philippine Commission, was established by United States President William McKinley on 20 January 1899, and tasked to study the situation in the Philippines and make recommendations on how the US should proceed after the sovereignty of the Philippines was ceded to the US by Spain on… Read More

by

What was the Taft Commission (1900-1916)?

Introduction The Taft Commission, also known as the Second Philippine Commission (Filipino: Ikalawang Komisyon ng Pilipinas), was established by United States (US) President William McKinley on 16 March 1900, following the recommendations of the First Philippine Commission, using presidential war powers while the US was engaged in the Philippine-American War. McKinley’s letter of instruction to… Read More

by

What was the Platt Amendment (1901)?

Introduction On 02 March 1901, the Platt Amendment was passed as part of the 1901 Army Appropriations Bill. It stipulated seven conditions for the withdrawal of United States (US) troops remaining in Cuba at the end of the Spanish-American War, and an eighth condition that Cuba signs a treaty accepting these seven conditions. It defined… Read More

by

What was the Big Stick Ideology?

Introduction Big stick ideology, big stick diplomacy, or big stick policy refers to President Theodore Roosevelt’s foreign policy, “speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far”. Roosevelt described his style of foreign policy as “the exercise of intelligent forethought and of decisive action sufficiently far in advance of any likely crisis”. As… Read More

by

What is the Theory of Nuclear Peace?

Introduction Nuclear peace is a theory of international relations which argues that the presence of nuclear weapons may in some circumstances decrease the risk of crisis escalation, since parties will seek to avoid situations that could lead to the use of nuclear weapons. Proponents of nuclear peace theory therefore believe that controlled nuclear proliferation may… Read More