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Associated Press
President John F. Kennedy, left, discusses the
Bay of Pigs invasion with former President
Dwight D. Eisenhower on April 22, 1961.
President John F. Kennedy, left, discusses the
Bay of Pigs invasion with former President
Dwight D. Eisenhower on April 22, 1961.
On This Day: Bay of Pigs Invasion Embarrasses US
April 17, 2009 02:00 AM
by
findingDulcinea Staff
On April 17, 1961, Cuban exiles invaded Cuba with U.S. government backing in a failed effort to overthrow Fidel Castro.
Massacre Devastates Cuban Exiles
Castro usurped power in Cuba from dictator Fulgencio Batista in 1959. Castro’s leftist-leaning beliefs pit him against President Dwight D. Eisenhower's administration.
When John F. Kennedy became president, CIA director Allen Dulles informed him about the plan to remove Castro, which was conceived at the end of Eisenhower’s term. Kennedy, who had previously attacked Eisenhower and Richard Nixon for “losing Cuba,” did not want as much overt U.S. involvement as Dulles suggested.
On April 17, about 1,400 well-armed exiles, trained by the United States, landed at the Bay of Pigs, on the island’s south coast. Before their arrival, U.S. planes had failed to neutralize the Cuban air force, leaving the mercenaries vulnerable to heavy air attack. More important, the invasion did not incite the Cuban people to rise up and join the rebellion, as had been predicted. Castro routed the mercenaries within 72 hours.
When John F. Kennedy became president, CIA director Allen Dulles informed him about the plan to remove Castro, which was conceived at the end of Eisenhower’s term. Kennedy, who had previously attacked Eisenhower and Richard Nixon for “losing Cuba,” did not want as much overt U.S. involvement as Dulles suggested.
On April 17, about 1,400 well-armed exiles, trained by the United States, landed at the Bay of Pigs, on the island’s south coast. Before their arrival, U.S. planes had failed to neutralize the Cuban air force, leaving the mercenaries vulnerable to heavy air attack. More important, the invasion did not incite the Cuban people to rise up and join the rebellion, as had been predicted. Castro routed the mercenaries within 72 hours.
In its coverage of the episode, Time magazine called it “a tragedy not only for Cuba's exiles” but “a debacle for the U.S. as well.”
The affair pushed Castro closer to the Soviet Union and gave Nikita Khrushchev the confidence to send missiles over to Cuba. The Cuban missile crisis occurred in October 1962, and President Kennedy made sure not to rely on a small cadre of intelligence officials to make his decision.
The United States’ relationship with Cuba has remained tense to the present day. Castro stayed in power during the terms of nine American presidents before stepping down in February 2008.
The affair pushed Castro closer to the Soviet Union and gave Nikita Khrushchev the confidence to send missiles over to Cuba. The Cuban missile crisis occurred in October 1962, and President Kennedy made sure not to rely on a small cadre of intelligence officials to make his decision.
The United States’ relationship with Cuba has remained tense to the present day. Castro stayed in power during the terms of nine American presidents before stepping down in February 2008.
Key Players: Castro and JFK
Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro led a leftist revolution in Cuba in the 1950s, eventually seizing power in 1959. “He was soon snubbed by US President Dwight Eisenhower and claimed he was driven into the arms of the Soviet Union and its leader, Nikita Khrushchev,” writes the BBC. “Cuba became a Cold War battleground.”
Castro ruled Cuba for nearly 50 years before his ailing health forced him to cede power to his brother Raul in February 2008.
Castro ruled Cuba for nearly 50 years before his ailing health forced him to cede power to his brother Raul in February 2008.
Source: The BBC
John F. Kennedy
“Most people still remember exactly where they were and what they were doing” when John F. Kennedy was assassinated,” says the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum. The history section of the site provides biographies on JFK and members of his family; historical accounts of the events before, during and after his presidency; a timeline; and audiovisual material portraying his career and legacy.
Source: John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum
Reference: Profile of Cuba
A BBC overview of Cuba looks at how this nation of 11.3 million survived the loss of its major sponsor in 1990 with the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Source: The BBC
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