Bay of Pigs Invasion

Castro’s Rise to Power 1 January 1959 – Cuban Dictator Fulgencio Batista leaves Cuba 8 January 1959 - Castro’s forces moves into Havana taking control Promised to maintain the Democratic Constitution of 1940 Imposed authoritarian socialist rule Thousands of Batista supporters were executed, foreign holdings were confiscated, and American companies lost over a billion dollars in assets

U.S. Response 17 March 1960 Pres. Eisenhower agreed to a recommendation by the CIA to train Cuban exiles for action against Castro U.S. had previous success in covert operations Iranian Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadegh in 1953 Guatemalan President Jacobo Arbenz Guzman in 1954

CIA began to recruit and train anti-Castro forces Group was named Brigade 2506 Plan code name: Operation Zapata CIA Director Allen Dulles appointed Richard Mervin Bissell Jr. as director of Operation Kennedy Plans to go through with the Invasion to overthrow Castro

Invasion 17 April 1961 Invaders ran into Soviet Union forces Around 1,500 Cuban exiles trained by the CIA landed at the Bay of Pigs Invaders ran into Soviet Union forces Brigade 2506 did not receive the support it needed Brigade 2506 was stopped by Castro’s forces Invasion not a sucess

Results 114 Exiles were killed 1,189 Exiles were captured Kennedy Administration was embarrassed