Final answer:
After the Spanish-American War, Spain ceded the Philippines to the US, leading to the Philippine-American War as Filipinos fought for independence. The US established a commonwealth in 1935, with full independence granted to the Philippines in 1946 after WWII.
Step-by-step explanation:
Aftermath of the Spanish-American War in the Philippines
After the Spanish-American War, Spain ceded its possessions including the Philippines, Guam, and Puerto Rico to the United States as per the Treaty of Paris. The Filipino people, who had been fighting for their independence from Spanish rule, expected to be granted self-governance. However, when the United States sought to establish control over the Philippines, a new conflict known as the Philippine-American War ensued, resulting in significant casualties.
Despite the proclamation of Philippine independence by Filipino leader Emilio Aguinaldo, the United States did not recognize this and instead, President McKinley's administration argued the Filipinos were not yet ready for self-rule. Subsequent to a brutal war in which more than one million Filipinos died, the Philippines was established as a U.S. commonwealth in 1935. The full sovereignty and independence of the Philippines would only come after World War II, in 1946, following Japanese occupation during the war.
This period marked significant shifts in geopolitical power, with the United States emerging as a colonial power and Spain retreating from its former status, signaling key changes in the balance of global influence.