1. John F. Kennedy The Bay of Pigs

2. Introduction

3.  On April 17, 1961, 1400 Cuban exiles launched what became a botched invasion at the Bay of Pigs on the South Coast of Cuba under United States of America President John F. Kennedy’s leadership. In what was initially planned as a strategic move against the Soviet Union and their ties with Cuba during the cold war is now considered a major stepping stone in the history of the United States of America and their relationship with Cuba.

4. Training and Plan

5.  The original plan was created during the Eisenhower administration, but was then handed off to John F. Kennedy when he took office  The plan called for 1400 men, and would be executed during the cover of darkness for better accuracy  Around 1300 Cuban exiles trained in Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Florida  The original invasion plan called for two air strikes against Cuban air bases. A 1,400-man invasion force would disembark under cover of darkness and launch a surprise attack. Paratroopers dropped in advance of the invasion would disrupt transportation and repel Cuban forces. Simultaneously, a smaller force would land on the east coast of Cuba to create confusion.

6. Invasion

7.  On April 17, the Cuban-exile invasion force, known as Brigade 2506, 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.  The fact that John F. Kennedy acted so quickly to attack Cuba shortly after his inauguration demonstrates his energetic, impetuous leadership style  JFK cancelled a second airstrike on Cuban airfields as soon as the first airstrike proved to be highly ineffective.

8. Counterattack

9.  Roughly 24 hours after the initial attack Castro ordered 20000 Cuban troops to make their way toward the beach, and for the Cuban Air Force to control the sky  Almost 1200 of President John F. Kennedy’s Cuban exile team were held hostage by Castro and his men.  Shortly after Kennedy began to launch his attack on Cuba he began to doubt himself, doubt the plans of the team he had put together, and question the attack in its entirety. This was just a short time into Kennedy’s Presidency and would change the way he goes about doing things in the future

10. Aftermath

11.  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 plan included the possibility of assassinating Castro.  Almost 50 years later, relations between Castro’s Cuba and the United States remain strained and tenuous.

12. Conclusion

13.  In conclusion, John F. Kennedy’s actions during the Bay of the Pigs invasion were questionable, and yes it has created a very poor relationship between the United States and Cuba, but the US population as a whole stood behind every move Kennedy did during his Presidency. After all, the Bay of Pigs Invasion was just the first of many disasters that Kennedy faced during his nearly 3 years in office.

15. -JOHN F. KENNEDY “Sure it’s a big job, but I don’t know anyone who can do it better than I can.”