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 March 1960 – Eisenhower approves funding of a CIA operation to train 1,400 Cuban exiles, later known as Brigade 2506

Bay of Pigs April 1961, Brigade 2506 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

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 Executive Committee of National Security Council (EXCOMM) to formulate a plan Bobby Kennedy-Attorney General Robert McNamara-Secretary of Defense Dean Rusk- Secretary of State

Cuban Missile Crisis Three options were considered Diplomacy Use and airstrike to destroy missiles, then invade Cuba Use a Naval blockade to keep supplies from reaching Cuba

Cuban Missile Crisis Chiefs of Staff and most EXCOMM advisors supported invasion JFK opposed war in Cuba The goal was to avoid war, especially with the Soviets

Cuban Missile Crisis Diplomacy would likely see trade-offs The US wants the Soviets to dismantle missile Soviets would increasingly require more concessions from the US

Cuban Missile Crisis Naval blockade would stop all supplies from reaching Cuba Including much needed food and medicine Also considered act of war

Cuban Missile Crisis Decided to initiate a naval “quarantine” of Cuba to prevent more missiles from entering Made a deal with Khrushchev (leader of USSR) to dismantle missiles already in Cuba

Vasili Arkhipov Soviet submariner Convinced superiors to not launch nuclear weapons Argued Americans just wanted to talk

Cuban Missile Crisis Kennedy agreed to: Never invade Cuba Later 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