The Cold War from 1960 to 1975: The Bay of Pigs Invasion

When did John F. Kennedy get elected as president?

1960

Who did JFK get elected after?

Dwight D. Eisenhower

What did Kennedy inherit when he got elected?

A plan for an attack on Cuba formulated by president before him, Dwight D. Eisenhower

What was the invasion for?

Take down the leader of Cuba, Fidel Castro, for going communist after the US helped him take down the previous Cuban government

What did Kennedy do to the plan when he inherited it?

Changed it significantly; He did things like cut air support, reduce the amount of supplies provided like ammunition, not have any Spanish-speakers present while US troops attempted to speak to Cuban locals, and provide outdated technology

What was Kennedy worried about about the plan?

He wanted deniability in case the plan didn’t work, but his solution to this was to water down the plans so much to the point that there was no chance of it being successful

Why did Kennedy provide outsourced/outdated supplies?

So none of it could be traced back to the States

Who wrote a report on the failed invasion?

General Taylor

When did General Taylor write his report?

1961

How did Kennedy avoid blame for the failed invasion?

Fire 3 CIA members

What didn’t help Kennedy’s case of the invasion

Just two days prior to the invasion he made a public statement on television saying the US would not be involved with Cuba