1. Bay of Pigs and Cuban Missile Crisis

2. 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

3. 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

4. Bay of Pigs April 1961, Brigade 2506 landed at the Bay of Pigs in Cuba
Plan was to assassinate Castro

5. 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

6. 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)

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

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

12. 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

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

14. 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

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