The independence of the Philippines was not won easily. The Philippine Revolution began in 1896 and lasted until 1898, when the Treaty of Paris was signed, officially ending Spanish rule in the Philippines. The Philippine-American War followed, lasting from 1899 to 1902 before the United States officially recognized Philippine independence in 1946. During this period, the Philippines Islands were invaded and occupied by the Japanese.

The Philippine Revolution began in 1896, when a group of Filipino revolutionaries led by Andres Bonifacio declared independence from Spain. The Spanish colonial government responded with a brutal crackdown, and the revolutionaries were forced to retreat. In 1898, the Spanish-American War broke out, and the United States entered the conflict. The U.S. Navy defeated the Spanish fleet in Manila Bay, and the Filipino revolutionaries, led by Emilio Aguinaldo, declared independence on June 12, 1898. The United States, however, did not recognize the independence of the Philippines. Instead, it annexed the islands as part of the Treaty of Paris in 1898. The Philippine-American War then broke out.