Kurt Jahnke, the legendary German spy and saboteur, was born 17
February 1882 in Gnesen/Posen, Pomerania. Reportedly, he emigrated to
the United States in 1899 and became a naturalised American. At some
stage before the 1914-1918 War, he supposedly served with the US
Marines in the Philippines ...

What were the Marines doing in the Philippines; whereabouts were they
(roughly) and how long did they stay?

If you can find any slogans chalked on walls like 'Kurt was here' ...
That would be a bonus.

Hi! Thanks for another question regarding my beloved country.

The US Marines were sure to be present here during the times you
mentioned and I?ll bet they tag along the army, the navy and every
group in the US Armed forces. The reason for this is that from 1899 to
1913 the Philippines were at war with the US.

The story goes this way. The Philippines were fighting the Spaniards
for their independence in the latter years of the 1890?s.  For 300
hundred years, the Philippines were under the rule of Spain. The
Americans then were fighting alongside the Philippines. When the
Americans sank the Spanish fleet at the Battle of Manila Bay, it
seemed that the Philippines will finally be independent. But alas, at
the Treaty of Paris, Spain ceded the Philippines to the US for $20
Million!  This annexation of the Philippines was justified in the
Benevolent Assimilation paper of  William McKinley.

?Benevolent Assimilation Proclamation?
http://www.boondocksnet.com/centennial/sctexts/assimilation.html 

?"Wag the Dog" on February 4, 1899?
http://www.boondocksnet.com/centennial/sctexts/schirmer99a.html 


The Filipinos then felt betrayed and engaged the Americans in a 14
year war using guerilla tactics.

?Duration of Philippine-American War: 1899-1913?
http://www.boondocksnet.com/centennial/sctexts/zwick99a.html 

?"Wag the Dog" on February 4, 1899?
http://www.boondocksnet.com/centennial/sctexts/schirmer99a.html 


--------------------------
Interesting Sidelights:

I really cannot find any evidence of Kurt Jahnke staying in the
Philippines. But if he indeed joined the US Marines at that time, it
is highly possible that he was here. However, there was a more
important personality whenever we talk about the Philippine American
war. And that guy is Mark Twain! Mark Twain is a very harsh critic of
the US government?s actions in the Philippines. Our next link features
writings made by Twain in regard to this war.

?Mark Twain on War and Imperialism?
http://www.boondocksnet.com/ai/twain/index.html 


One of the most shocking stories of this war is the Balangiga
Massacre. If you want an interesting read, this one is highly
recommend.

?The Balangiga Massacre: Getting Even?
http://www.bibingka.com/phg/balangiga/default.htm 


Even though the war ended, the Americans still stayed behind and
installed a Commonwealth government.  It wasn?t until July 4, 1946
(see the seeming similarity in the Independence date) that the US let
the Philippines go. After a few years, Filipinos wanted an identity of
its own so it changed its Independence Day from July 4, 1946 to June
12, 1898, the day when the Philippines supposedly won against Spain.

?June 12 as Independence Day?
http://www.bibingka.com/phg/documents/whyjun12.htm 
 
Search terms used:
Philippine American War ?July 4, 1946? ?Kurt Jahnke?

I hope these links would help you in your research. Before rating this
answer, please ask for a clarification if you have a question or if
you would need further information.
                 
Thanks for visiting us again.                
                 
Regards,                 
Easterangel-ga                 
Google Answers Researcher

---

Request for Answer Clarification by probonopublico-ga on 28 Jan 2004 10:26 PST

Wow, Eastarangel

What a story!

And you have put it together brilliantly.

I never realised that Mark Twain was anything other than a humourist.

Warmest regards

Bryan

---

Clarification of Answer by easterangel-ga on 28 Jan 2004 15:14 PST

Hi Bryan!

Thank you for such kind words to greet me in the morning! I think more
credit should be given to people like you who ask such intelligent
questions. :)

A million thanks!

Easterangel!

Brilliant, Easterangel, Many Thanks!

Is it my imagination? 

But are you getting better and better, every day?

Hi, Bryan

Just wondering why Jahnke isn't mentioned in
http://www.ellisisland.org/

Gnesen as described in 1911 (I suppose a similar decription could have
been written in 1882):
http://60.1911encyclopedia.org/G/GN/GNESEN.htm

By the way, Posen didn't belong to Pomerania, as Posen was a separate province.

Regards,
Freddy

hey folks 
great reading. just wondering about the Balangiga massacare
http://www.bibingka.com/phg/balangiga/default.htm 

Some excerpts from the above link:
"The entire Company C, comprising of seventy one men and three
officers, was already awake, having breakfast at the mess tents. "

"Surprised and outnumbered, Company C was nearly wiped out during the
first few terrible minutes. But a small group of American soldiers, a
number of them wounded, were able to secure their rifles and fight
back, killing some 250 Filipinos."

I am wondering who's massacre was it? americans or filipinos?

regards

Hi, Freddy & Lahoria

Great comments.

I tried the Ellis Island database and, like you, couldn't find any
trace even using known misspellings of Jahnke's name but I did find a
guy who may have been my mother's Uncle Peter. (Better than nothing.)

Thanks also for checking the Posen reference.

It's an amazing story.

Bryan

Hi, Bryan

There are a few more webpages concerning Jahnke if you enter "Kurt
Albert Jahnke", "Kurt A. Jahnke" or "K. A. Jahnke" as a search term.
But, I suppose, you know everything about Jahnke (I still have to read
all your 18 questions).

Sorry, apparently searching for "Kurt Albert Jahnke" doesn't always
lead to a result.

"Kurt Albert Jahnke": 
http://www.h-net.org/teaching/journals/sept11/mintz/teaching.html

The 2 links mentioned (Shaffer and Gage) and leading to "file not found" are
http://www.h-net.org/~hns/articles/2001/091901a.html
and
http://www.h-net.org/~hns/articles/2001/091701a.html

Jahnke is also mentioned here (but not only Kurt Jahnke):
http://www.h-net.org/logsearch/


Regards,
Freddy

Hi, Freddy

Many thanks for the further sightings of Jahnke.

I certainly know LOTS but decidedly not everything.

My dinner's almost ready ...

Byeeeeeeeeeee

Bryan