LAURA ARI ZA MARGUERI TE DE SCORRAI LLE
AI DAN KAPLAN JONATHAN REGINELLA
The Bay of Pigs
Historical Background
US involved in Cuban affairs since the Spanish American War
Platt Amendment 1902Cuba in the 1940s and
1950s
Historical Background
1934 Batista overthrew
Ramon Grau San Martin
Batista was a corrupt and repressive dictator
Foundations for the Cuban Revolution
Fidel Castro
Son of a wealthy farmer
Attended the famous Jesuit school of Belen in Havana
1945 Enrolled in the
University of Havana 1947
Participated in expedition to overthrow Rafael Trujillo
The Cuban Revolution
26th of July Movement Attempt to overthrow Batista Organized in Mexico by Fidel Castro, Raul Castro, and
Che GuevaraDecember 1956 to January 1959
Guerilla war in Cuba
Post- Revolution Cuba
Castro increases repression against opponents
“The War Against the Bandits” (1959-1965) Six-year rebellion
Tensions with the United States
“Until Castro, the U.S. was so overwhelmingly influential in Cuba that the American ambassador was the second most important man, sometimes even more important than the Cuban president.” (Earl T. Smith, former American Ambassador to Cuba, during 1960 testimony to the U.S. Senate)
Castro took steps to reduce American influence on the island
Castro expropriated American refineries and nationalized them
Tensions with the United States
In retaliation, the U.S. cancelled its imports of Cuban sugar, provoking Castro to nationalize most U.S.-owned assets on the island
To prevent the Cuban economy from collapsing, the USSR agreed to buy the sugar
The Plan to Invade
Eisenhower administration concerned with direction of Cuban government under Castro Kennedy elected, informed, and approved of plan
CIA given funds to recruit and train Cuban exiles in Miami Many recruits were former professional soldiers
Once trained and supplied, the small force was sent to the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua
The Invasion
April 15, 1961 – Group of exiles flew out in B-26 bombers to destroy the Cuban air force
April 17, 1961 – 2506 Brigade began the land assault in the Bay of Pigs A much smaller rebel force landed on east coast to
confuse Cuban military Only small, local Cuban militia is able to
counter the invasion Militia leaders notified the distracted Castro of the
invasion
The Resistance
Castro orders remaining Cuban aircrafts to attack the small fleet behind the invaders Stocked with supplies: food, weapons, ammunition
Without supplies, captured airstrips were useless to rebels
Castro arrives himself and takes command With supplies and far greater numbers of soldiers, the
Cubans push back the rebel force
The Failures of the Attack
Repainted, WWII B-26 bombers sent to bomb Cuban airfields Missed targets and failed to destroy entire air force
The 2506 Brigade that landed in the Bay of Pigs became pinned down immediately
Cuban government knew of the incoming invasion
The attack proved to be extremely unorganized and very ill planned
Surrender and Negotiated Release
On April 19th, 1,200 of the 1,400 invaders surrendered to Castro’s forces
Mass trials were held for the captured men All were sentenced to either 30 years in prison or
executionThe U.S. negotiated their release for $53
million worth of food and medicine
Global Effects
Castro’s position across Latin America and Soviet standing in the Third World strengthened
Increased Cuban dedication to the revolutionCastro more wary of the U.S. and more
receptive to Soviet reinforcementCastro accepted Soviet missiles being placed
on CubaThis escalated the Cold War and paved the
way for the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis
Bay of Pigs Invasion: Legacy
Severely tarnished the United States’ reputation across the world
Led to a spread of communism across Latin America
Kennedy’s inspiring rhetoric was seen was a cover for U.S. imperialism
Questions
To what extent do you think the US intervention in Cuba was justified? Was it a fair intervention?
How did the Bay of Pigs help Fidel Castro keep control of Cuba?
Do you believe the US continues to feel threatened by Cuba today?
Sources
http://www2.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/bayofpigs/chron.html
http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1765.html
http://www.jfklibrary.org/JFK/JFK-in-History/The-Bay-of-Pigs.aspx
http://www.history.com/topics/bay-of-pigs-invasion
http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/bay-of-pigs/failure.pdf
http://history.state.gov/milestones/1961-1968/CubanMissile
http://www.biography.com/people/fidel-castro-9241487
Castañeda, Jorge C. Compañero: the Life and Death of Che Guevara . New York: Vintage Books, 1997.
Coltman, Leycester. The Real Fidel Castro. New Haven and London: the Yale University Press, 2003.
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