Bay of Pigs Bay of Pigs and and

Cuban Missile CrisisCuban Missile Crisis

Fidel CastroFidel Castro

1959, Fidel Castro 1959, Fidel Castro overthrew Fulgencio overthrew Fulgencio Batista and became Batista and became leader of Cubaleader of Cuba

Castro quickly Castro quickly formed an alliance formed an alliance with the Soviet with the Soviet Union, and declared Union, and declared Cuba communistCuba communist

Bay of PigsBay of Pigs

US disliked Castro US disliked Castro and felt threatened and felt threatened due to his due to his communist tiescommunist ties

April 1961, 1,400 April 1961, 1,400 CIA-trained Cuban CIA-trained Cuban exiles landed at the exiles landed at the Bay of Pigs in CubaBay of Pigs in Cuba

Plan was to Plan was to assassinate Castroassassinate Castro

Bay of PigsBay of Pigs

Castro had learned of the planned Castro had learned of the planned invasion and his troops were waiting invasion and his troops were waiting when the exiles landedwhen the exiles landed

Castro’s troops quickly destroyed the Castro’s troops quickly destroyed the Cuban exiles and the assassination Cuban exiles and the assassination attempt was a complete disasterattempt was a complete disaster

Embarrassment to the US and Embarrassment to the US and President Kennedy, in particularPresident Kennedy, in particular

Cuban Missile CrisisCuban Missile Crisis

October 1962, A US October 1962, A US spy plane flying spy plane flying over Cuba spotted over Cuba spotted Soviet missile padsSoviet missile pads

This posed an This posed an immediate threat to immediate threat to the US due to the US due to Cuba’s close Cuba’s close proximity to the US proximity to the US (90 miles south of (90 miles south of Florida)Florida)

Cuban Missile CrisisCuban Missile Crisis

Kennedy formed a Kennedy formed a team of advisors to team of advisors to formulate a planformulate a plan

Bobby Kennedy-Bobby Kennedy-Attorney GeneralAttorney General

Robert McNamara-Robert McNamara-Secretary of Secretary of DefenseDefense

Dean Rusk- Dean Rusk- Secretary of StateSecretary of State

Cuban Missile CrisisCuban Missile Crisis Decided to initiate a Decided to initiate a

naval quarantine naval quarantine (blockade) of Cuba (blockade) of Cuba to prevent more to prevent more missiles from missiles from entering entering

Also decided to Also decided to make a deal with make a deal with Khrushchev (leader Khrushchev (leader of USSR) to of USSR) to dismantle missiles dismantle missiles already in Cubaalready in Cuba

Cuban Missile CrisisCuban Missile Crisis Kennedy agreed Kennedy agreed

to:to:1.1. Never invade CubaNever invade Cuba2.2. Dismantle US Dismantle US

missiles in Turkeymissiles in Turkey Khrushchev Khrushchev

agreed to:agreed to:1.1. Dismantle missiles Dismantle missiles

in Cubain Cuba2.2. Allow UN Allow UN

inspection in Cubainspection in Cuba

Crisis AvertedCrisis Averted

Cuban Missile Cuban Missile Crisis was the Crisis was the closest the US has closest the US has come to a nuclear come to a nuclear attackattack

John F. Kennedy’s John F. Kennedy’s greatest foreign greatest foreign policy successpolicy success