The Bay of Pigs

Narrative account:

1. Eisenhower agreed a plan with the CIA to overthrow Castro, which Kennedy then inherited when he

became President.

2. The plan was for a group of Cuban exiles to be trained to invade Cuba, and then start an anti-Castro

revolution and put a pro-US government in charge.

3. On 17 April 1961, around 1,400 Cuban exiles landed on the ‘Bay of Pigs’ in Cuba.

4. However, Castro’s government found out about the invasion, and around 20,000 soldiers were

waiting for them.

5. The USA couldn’t send American military aid to help the exiles.

6. Ordinary Cubans did not rush to help the exiles.

7. Castro showed evidence of the Cuban victory to the world’s media.

8. The invasion had failed.

Consequences:

1. It was a public humiliation for the USA.

2. It was very embarrassing for Kennedy who had just become President.

3. It was one of the reason Khrushchev felt he could re-issue the Berlin Ultimatum at the Vienna

Summit.

4. The failure of the Cuban people to rise against Castro allowed Khrushchev to argue communism was

popular.

5. Cuba declared himself to be a communist.

6. It led to stronger relations between the USSR and Cuba, and in September 1961, Khrushchev publicly

announced he would send arms to Cuba.