The Bay of Pigs Invasion

The Bay of Pigs Invasion

Learn about the history of the Bay of Pigs Invasion In Cuba during the Cold War. A CIA led attempt to take over Fidel Castro’s government.

The Bay of Pigs Invasion

What happened in the Bay of Pigs?

In an effort to topple Fidel Castro’s government, the United States sent trained Cuban exiles back to their homeland in 1961. They utterly failed. The invasion is regarded as a component of the Cold War since the US sought to stop communism from spreading throughout the Americas.

Before the Invasion

Fidel Castro played a key role in the 1959 overthrow of the Cuban government by the Cuban Revolution. He supported the Soviet Union and was a fervent communist. The Soviet Union and communism gained a foothold in the Americas, which gravely disturbed the United States.

The Central Intelligence Agency, also known as the CIA, was charged with toppling Fidel Castro’s regime in Cuba. When Fidel Castro became president, a large number of Cubans, known as exiles, left their homeland. These refugees started receiving guerrilla combat training from the CIA. The plan was for them to enter Cuba covertly and launch a guerilla campaign against Castro. They would assemble others and ultimately depose Castro.

But the scheme was altered. Helping the exiles invade the island was the new strategy. It was hoped that residents would band together with them and help them seize power.

Planning the Invasion

President Kennedy believed that they required a more remote location, therefore the invasion was moved from Trinidad, where it was originally scheduled to take place. Instead, the Bay of Pigs was picked. The goal was for aircraft to attack first and decimate the air force. The 1500-man assault army would thereafter touch down. The Cuban people joining them in their uprising against Castro was what they thought would happen.

The CIA attempted to arrange the invasion in secrecy, but word spread because too many people were aware of it. The invasion was anticipated by the Cubans.

The Invasion

The attack took place on April 17, 1961. Things went horribly. Early airstrikes had weakened the Cuban air force, but there were still aircraft available to engage the invaders. It took too long for the troops and ammunition to disembark the ships once the invasion had begun. The invaders’ ships were downed by Cuban planes before the munitions could be unloaded.

Several paratroopers who were meant to slow down Castro’s ground forces landed in the wrong spot or in wetlands. The invaders quickly ran out of ammo and were besieged by a considerably bigger army. They attempted to flee, but the majority were finally apprehended and imprisoned.

Results

For the United States, the results were terrible. Both the CIA and the government appeared incompetent. Also, it appeared to enhance Castro’s control over Cuba and lead him to consider the Soviet Union as a potential military ally.

Facts About the Bay of Pigs

• The CIA provided training to the Cuban exiles in Guatemala.
• After Castro was removed from power, Jose Miro Cardona was to take over as president of Cuba.
• Brigade 2506 was the name of the invasion force.
• If the attackers had picked Trinidad as their initial landing place, they would have had a much greater chance to flee into the hills. At the Bay of Pigs, though, they had nowhere to flee because of the swamps that surrounded them.
• It is believed that some of the invasion’s timing was off because of confusion about time zones.

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