Which Spanish general surrendered the city of Manila to the U.S. in August 1898?

Fermín Jáudenes was the Spanish general who surrendered Manila to U.S. forces in August 1898.

Jáudenes became acting governor-general of the Philippines on July 24, 1898, replacing Basilio Augustín. By then, Spanish forces in Manila were surrounded by Filipino revolutionaries under Emilio Aguinaldo, while American naval and land forces controlled the approaches to the city.

The surrender followed the Battle of Manila on August 13, sometimes called the “Mock Battle of Manila.” American commanders Wesley Merritt and George Dewey arranged an assault with Spanish authorities, partly to prevent Filipino revolutionary forces from taking the city. After a brief engagement, Jáudenes capitulated and Spanish troops surrendered Manila and its defenses.

The event ended more than three centuries of Spanish rule in the Philippines, but it did not establish Filipino independence. Instead, the Treaty of Paris transferred the Philippines from Spain to the United States. Jáudenes later faced a military trial in Spain over the surrender of Manila.