Bay of Pigs and Cuban Missile Crisis

Fidel Castro 1959, Fidel Castro overthrew Fulgencio Batista and became leader of Cuba Castro quickly formed an alliance with the Soviet Union, and declared Cuba communist

Bay of Pigs US disliked Castro and felt threatened due to his communist ties April 1961, 1,400 CIA-trained Cuban exiles landed at the Bay of Pigs in Cuba Plan was to assassinate Castro

Bay of Pigs Castro had learned of the planned invasion and his troops were waiting when the exiles landed Castro’s troops quickly destroyed the Cuban exiles and the assassination attempt was a complete disaster Embarrassment to the US and President Kennedy, in particular

Cuban Missile Crisis October 1962, A US spy plane flying over Cuba spotted Soviet missile pads This posed an immediate threat to the US due to Cuba’s close proximity to the US (90 miles south of Florida)

Cuban Missile Crisis Kennedy formed a team of advisors to formulate a plan Bobby Kennedy-Attorney General Robert McNamara-Secretary of Defense Dean Rusk- Secretary of State

Cuban Missile Crisis Decided to initiate a naval quarantine (blockade) of Cuba to prevent more missiles from entering Also decided to make a deal with Khrushchev (leader of USSR) to dismantle missiles already in Cuba

Cuban Missile Crisis Kennedy agreed to: Never invade Cuba Dismantle US missiles in Turkey Khrushchev agreed to: Dismantle missiles in Cuba Allow UN inspection in Cuba

Crisis Averted Cuban Missile Crisis was the closest the US has come to a nuclear attack John F. Kennedy’s greatest foreign policy success