Bay of Pigs

1. Bay of Pigs Aahil Merchant

2. Fidel Castro • In 1959, Fidel Castro overthrew the dictatorial President Fulgencio Batista, an anti-communist and US ally. • Castro dismissed the need for democratic elections. • He believed that Latin America should become free of outside influence from the United States and other foreign powers.

3. Fidel Castro’s Policies • Americans owned almost half of Cuba's sugar plantations and the majority of its cattle ranches, mines and utilities. • Castro nationalized American-dominated industries such as sugar and mining. • Castro also introduced land reform acts. • Castro’s policies resembled the communist policies of the Soviet Union and other states.

4. Tensions With America • Castro further strained relations with America by accusing the US of sinking of a French vessel, the Le Coubre, in Havana harbor in March 1960. • In May 1960, Castro established diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union • In response, the US prohibited the importation of Cuban sugar, which was Cuba’s largest export

5. Eisenhower • On March 17, 1960, President Dwight D. Eisenhower approved a CIA plan to overthrow Fidel Castro for a more pro-US president. • The CIA set up training camps in Guatemala, and by November the operation had trained a small army for an assault landing and guerilla warfare. • On August 18, 1960, Eisenhower approved a budget of $13 million for the operation.

6. Kennedy • On 28 January 1961, President-Elect Kennedy was briefedon the latest plan that involved 1,000 men to be landed in a ship-borne invasion. • Shortly after his inauguration, in February 1961, President Kennedy authorized the invasion plan. • Kennedy was determined to disguise U.S. support. • The landing point at the Bay of Pigs was part of the deception. The site was a remote swampy area on the southern coast of Cuba, where a night landing might bring a force ashore against little resistance and help to hide any U.S. involvement.

7. Invading Force • The invading force, known as Brigade 2506 consisted of around 1,400 Cuban exiles. • José Miró Cardona led the anti-Castro Cuban exiles in the United States • Through Cuban intelligence, Castro learned of the guerilla training camps in Guatemala as early as October 1960

8. The Plan • The original invasion plan called for two air strikes against Cuban air bases. • A 1,400-man invasion force would land under cover of darkness and launch a surprise attack. • Paratroopers dropped in advance of the invasion would disrupt transportation and repel Cuban forces. • Asmaller force would land on the east coast of Cuba to create confusion.

9. The Plan (continued) • The main force would advance across the island to Matanzas and set up a defensive position. • The United Revolutionary Front would send leaders from South Florida and establish a provisional government. • The success of the plan depended on the Cuban population joining the invaders.

10. The Air Strikes • On April 15, 1961, a group of Cuban exiles took off from Nicaragua in a squadron of American B-26 bombers, painted to look like stolen Cuban planes, and conducted a strike against Cuban airfields. • Castro knew that the attack was coming, and he removed most planes from the Cuban air bases. • After pictures show the American planes were released, Kennedy feared at the operation had been exposed and called off a scond air strike.

11. The Invasion • On April 17, the Cuban-exile invasion force landed at beaches along the Bay of Pigs and immediately came under heavy fire. • Cuban planes strafed the invaders, sank two escort ships, and destroyed half of the exile's air support. • Bad weather slowed the ground force, which had to work with soggy equipment and insufficient ammunition. • Backup paratroopers landed in the wrong place.

12. Counterattack • Over the next 24 hours, Castro ordered roughly 20,000 troops to advance toward the beach, and the Cuban air force continued to control the skies. • On April 19, President Kennedy approved the use of six unmarked B26 fighter planes, but they arrived late and were shot down. • Almost 1,200 members of Brigade 2056 surrendered after less than a day of fighting, and more than 100 were killed.

13. Effects • The brigade prisoners remained in captivity for 20 months, as the United States negotiated a deal with Fidel Castro. • Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy made personal pleas for contributions from pharmaceutical companies and baby food manufacturers, and Castro eventually settled on $53 million worth of baby food and medicine in exchange for the prisoners. • The invasion destroyed US-Cuban relations, and it made America seem weak in the eyes of the Soviets and Cubans

14. Continued Tensions • The disaster at the Bay of Pigs had a lasting impact on the Kennedy administration. Determined to make up for the failed invasion, the administration initiated Operation Mongoose—a plan to sabotage and destabilize the Cuban government and economy. • The Cuban Missile Crisis

15. Quiz • T/F: Castro angered the United States by nationalizing American-dominated industries. • T/F: President John F. Kennedy approved a CIA plan to overthrow Castro in March 1960. • T/F: The exile force was known as the Granmas. • T/F: President Kennedy wanted to hide US support of the Bay of Pigs invasion.

16. Quiz • Which was not a part of the original plan • A 1,400-man invasion force would land under cover of darkness and launch a surprise attack. • Paratroopers dropped in advance of the invasion would disrupt transportation and repel Cuban forces. • A smaller force would land on the east coast of Cuba to create confusion. • Six unmarked B26 fighter planes would fly over Cuba to give the invading force an advantage

17. Quiz • Why did the initial airstrike on the air bases fail? • What do you think is the biggest reason that the Bay of Pigs Invasion failed? • How much did it cost to get the POWs back from Cuba? • How long did the exile force hold the beach? • FREE