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Malolos: The Crisis of the Republic
In "Malolos: The Crisis of the Republic," Teodoro Agoncillo starts where his previous book, "The Revolt of the Masses: The Story of Bonifacio and the Katipunan," ends. The present work is a painstaking and thorough-going analysis of the travails of the Aguinaldo government during the war with the United States. Agoncillo, in an impressive display of historical technique, gives the reader the struggles within the Philippine Revolutionary Government. He expands on the theme of his previous book, namely the conflict between the 'haves' and the 'have-nots', and brings into full play the economic as well as the social motivations of the parties concerned. Sparing no one, Agoncillo, with the historian's impartiality, unmasks the selfish ilustrado class in their attempts at compromise which ultimately weakened Aguinaldo's hand. After reading his chapters on the crucial period of the Malolos Republic, one gains a new attitude towards men like Paterno, Pardo de Tavera, Buencamino, Legarda, Araneta and others, whom history has hitherto presented as heroes. The well-documented account of the extended negotiations between the Americans and Aguinaldo is one of the high points of the book. The author brings into sharp relief certain American maneuvers which other historians have glossed over or chosen to overlook. In the author's skillful hands, historical events come to life. Without sacrificing impartiality, he is able to write with vigor and vividness. This is not an anemic account of the past. Events are not presented merely as so many beads strung together haphazardly on the thread of time. Agoncillo has sought to write a history which will answer more than just the who, what, when, and where of our past. He has studied the why behind major events and consequently has presented a meaningful account of one of the most important periods of Philippine history. This voluminous work is the result of months of serious study here and abroad. In writing "The Revolt of the Masses...," the author complained of lack of materials; for the present volume, he had to wade through a plethora of sources. It is an achievement of the author to have mastered so unwieldy a period with its abundance of documents and materials.
Teodoro A. Agoncillo is professor of history in the state university. He is noted not only as a historian, but also as a writer in Tagalog. Before he joined the University of the Philippines in 1958, he occupied high positions in the Institute of National Language and in the Philippine Information Agency. His book, "The Revolt of the Masses" (1956) won the Republic Prize in 1948.
Teodoro A. Agoncillo is professor of history in the state university. He is noted not only as a historian, but also as a writer in Tagalog. Before he joined the University of the Philippines in 1958, he occupied high positions in the Institute of National Language and in the Philippine Information Agency. His book, "The Revolt of the Masses" (1956) won the Republic Prize in 1948.
- GenresHistory
700 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2006
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About the author
Teodoro A. Agoncillo
19 books334 followersTeodoro A. Agoncillo (November 9, 1912 – January 14, 1985) was one of the pre-eminent Filipino historians of the 20th century. He and his contemporary Renato Constantino were among the first Filipino historians who earned renown for promoting a distinctly nationalist point of view of Filipino history (nationalist historiography). He was also an essayist and a poet.
Life
Born in Lemery, Batangas, Agoncillio obtained a bachelor's degree in philosophy from the University of the Philippines in 1934 and a master's degree in the arts from the same university the following year. He earned his living as a linguistic assistant at the Institute of National Language and as an instructor at the Far Eastern University and the Manuel L. Quezon University. In 1956, he published his seminal work, Revolt of the Masses: The Story of Bonifacio and the Katipunan, a history of the 1896 Katipunan-led revolt against Spanish rule and its leader, Andres Bonifacio. He garnered acclaim for this book, as well as criticisms from more conservative historians discomforted by the work's nationalist, perhaps even Marxist bent.
In 1958, Agoncillo was invited to join the faculty of the Department of History of his alma mater, the University of the Philippines. He remained with the university until his retirement in 1977, chairing the Department of History from 1963 to 1969. Philippine President Diosdado Macapagal named Agoncillo as a member of the National Historical Institute in 1963. He served in this capacity until his death in 1985.
Agoncillo's History of the Filipino People, first published in 1960, remains a popular standard textbook in many Filipino universities, as are many of Agoncillo's other works. This is despite Agoncillo's controversial tone and for his perceived leftist bent. Gregorio Zaide, Teodoro Agoncillo, Reynaldo Ileto and Renato Constantino stand as the most prominent 20th century Filipino historians to emerge during the post-war period. It must be noted however, that Agoncillo's works suffer from uneven scholarship throughout, especially with his use (or especially, non-use) of reliable historical sources.
Works
The Revolt of the Masses - (a biography of Andres Bonifacio)
Malolos Crisis of the Republic - (sequel to Revolt of the Masses which discusses the events from Biak-na-Bato to the end of the Philippine-American War)
The Fateful Years - (Philippine history during World War II)
The History of the Filipino People
Life
Born in Lemery, Batangas, Agoncillio obtained a bachelor's degree in philosophy from the University of the Philippines in 1934 and a master's degree in the arts from the same university the following year. He earned his living as a linguistic assistant at the Institute of National Language and as an instructor at the Far Eastern University and the Manuel L. Quezon University. In 1956, he published his seminal work, Revolt of the Masses: The Story of Bonifacio and the Katipunan, a history of the 1896 Katipunan-led revolt against Spanish rule and its leader, Andres Bonifacio. He garnered acclaim for this book, as well as criticisms from more conservative historians discomforted by the work's nationalist, perhaps even Marxist bent.
In 1958, Agoncillo was invited to join the faculty of the Department of History of his alma mater, the University of the Philippines. He remained with the university until his retirement in 1977, chairing the Department of History from 1963 to 1969. Philippine President Diosdado Macapagal named Agoncillo as a member of the National Historical Institute in 1963. He served in this capacity until his death in 1985.
Agoncillo's History of the Filipino People, first published in 1960, remains a popular standard textbook in many Filipino universities, as are many of Agoncillo's other works. This is despite Agoncillo's controversial tone and for his perceived leftist bent. Gregorio Zaide, Teodoro Agoncillo, Reynaldo Ileto and Renato Constantino stand as the most prominent 20th century Filipino historians to emerge during the post-war period. It must be noted however, that Agoncillo's works suffer from uneven scholarship throughout, especially with his use (or especially, non-use) of reliable historical sources.
Works
The Revolt of the Masses - (a biography of Andres Bonifacio)
Malolos Crisis of the Republic - (sequel to Revolt of the Masses which discusses the events from Biak-na-Bato to the end of the Philippine-American War)
The Fateful Years - (Philippine history during World War II)
The History of the Filipino People
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 21, 2017
This work is scholary, well-researched, highly referenced, makes use of primary sources, judicious, objective (not biased against Spanish and Americans), offer some maps and illustrations. I disagree with some of Agoncillo's judgment, for example, he said that Aguinaldo read too much of Dewey concerning the latter's verbal promise of Philippine independence. Also of how Aguinaldo was arrested - Agoncillo preferred Tal Placido's version (the Macabebe scouts beat Aguinaldo with their rifles while Placido was laying down on his belly) instead of Aguinaldo's version (Placido grabbed Aguinaldo from behind while Aguinaldo was shouting at the men outside when fighting erupted between his guards and the Macabebe scouts).
December 4, 2020
Teodoro A. Agoncillo’s Malolos is a laboriously detailed account of the failed First Philippine Republic, beginning right where his Revolt of the Masses finished off with the execution of Andres Bonifacio, and ending with President Emilio Aguinaldo’s capture by the American forces (with large help from the Macabebes) in Palanan, Isabela.
The primary perspective that Agoncillo drills in in his retelling of events is that the main reason the Republic fell was that the “haves” betrayed the “have nots”, the intellectuals betrayed the plebeians, the bourgeoisie betrayed the proletariats, that the failures in our history are due to the indifference and often insidiousness of the wealthier classes, who only think about enriching themselves and have total disregard for the masses. The secondary reason is that people involved in the revolution were not nationalistic enough, that officers for example thought more “tribally” and held allegiance more to immediate superiors than that of what was best for the nation as a whole. Through these lenses our history is explored.
Agoncillo is quite polemical throughout the text, and whether or not you agree with his positions, it’s fascinating how much of our current day discussions and understandings of history seem to directly parrot a single interpreter’s views on them, perhaps only with the exception of his extensive laudatory praise for Aguinaldo, who many decry today for his involvement in the deaths of the Bonifacios.
It’s a bit of a long read and can be so detailed to the point that it becomes difficult to be consistently entertained reading it, but if you’re interested in the Philippine-Spanish and Philippine-American wars, the canonized accounts of the deaths of Gregorio Del Pilar and Antonio Luna, or just in the military and strategic histories of Emilio Aguinaldo and Apolinario Mabini, this is definitely worth a read.
The primary perspective that Agoncillo drills in in his retelling of events is that the main reason the Republic fell was that the “haves” betrayed the “have nots”, the intellectuals betrayed the plebeians, the bourgeoisie betrayed the proletariats, that the failures in our history are due to the indifference and often insidiousness of the wealthier classes, who only think about enriching themselves and have total disregard for the masses. The secondary reason is that people involved in the revolution were not nationalistic enough, that officers for example thought more “tribally” and held allegiance more to immediate superiors than that of what was best for the nation as a whole. Through these lenses our history is explored.
Agoncillo is quite polemical throughout the text, and whether or not you agree with his positions, it’s fascinating how much of our current day discussions and understandings of history seem to directly parrot a single interpreter’s views on them, perhaps only with the exception of his extensive laudatory praise for Aguinaldo, who many decry today for his involvement in the deaths of the Bonifacios.
It’s a bit of a long read and can be so detailed to the point that it becomes difficult to be consistently entertained reading it, but if you’re interested in the Philippine-Spanish and Philippine-American wars, the canonized accounts of the deaths of Gregorio Del Pilar and Antonio Luna, or just in the military and strategic histories of Emilio Aguinaldo and Apolinario Mabini, this is definitely worth a read.
August 21, 2023
This book offers a very detailed account of the Philippine-American war. Kudos to the author for compiling such important information in Philippine History through a very page-turning narrative.
However, despite the efforts that Agoncillo gave in producing such an important account of the Revolution, one cannot help but notice how biased Agoncillo is in favor of Aguinaldo.
The reader could not miss it in The Revolt of the Masses (the prequel of this book) and more so in Malolos: The Crisis of the Republic.
Especially Aguinaldo being one of the primary sources of The Revolt of the Masses (Agoncillo did a very thorough interview of the then-old Aguinaldo) the reader cannot be blamed if suspicion arises that Aguinaldo in his interview tried to leave or change some details to have history in favor of him.
Despite the glory of these two books of Agoncillo, it cannot be helped to sense a hint of propaganda in an effort to clear Aguinaldo's name and make him the champion of the Philippine Revolution.
However, despite the efforts that Agoncillo gave in producing such an important account of the Revolution, one cannot help but notice how biased Agoncillo is in favor of Aguinaldo.
The reader could not miss it in The Revolt of the Masses (the prequel of this book) and more so in Malolos: The Crisis of the Republic.
Especially Aguinaldo being one of the primary sources of The Revolt of the Masses (Agoncillo did a very thorough interview of the then-old Aguinaldo) the reader cannot be blamed if suspicion arises that Aguinaldo in his interview tried to leave or change some details to have history in favor of him.
Despite the glory of these two books of Agoncillo, it cannot be helped to sense a hint of propaganda in an effort to clear Aguinaldo's name and make him the champion of the Philippine Revolution.
March 20, 2020
This book is one of the founding works of the Filipino Nationalist school of Philippine history and is part literary work and part work of history. This book is a quite enjoyable read, and not too heavy for those looking for a Filipino view of the war. However, when reading this work it should be remembered that Agoncillo, one of the first natalist historians of the Philippines, approaches the Philippine-American War as a national event, rather than an even in and of itself. As this is the case the reader should take the work with a pinch of salt as Agoncillo has a tendency to give credence to the more nationalistic/poetic renditions of events during the war. That being said, Malolos is an exultant work and should be read by those who are interested in the Philippine-American War.
November 4, 2021
Masterfully chronicled, should be read by every Filipino who wish to be enlightened by the historical significance of the Philippine Revolution against the imperialist ambitions of the Americans. I truly believe that Agoncillo has provided justice to the known characters in this historical drama.
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July 24, 2022I have only read copies of sections of the books because I am having trouble looking for a copy of this book. I am an admirer of Teodoro Agoncillo works and would absolutely love to read this work of it. Where can I find one?
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews