Slide 1: OverviewSlide 2: The ConflictSlide 3: The PlanSlide 4: The ActionSlide 5: The ResultSlide 6: GallerySlide 7: Bibliography

Date: 15th-19th April, 1961

Location: Bay of Pigs, Southern Cuba

Result: Victory for the Cuban Government 115 Dead1,189 Captured

Estimated 2,200Casualties

51, 0001,500Strength

Grayston LynchPepe San RomanErneido Oliva

Fidel CastroArnaldo Ochoa SanchezErnesto Che Guevara

Commanders

Cuban MilitiaCuban exiles trained by the US

Combatants

Flags

CubaUnited States of America

US President:

John F. Kennedy

Cuba’s Prime Minister: Fidel

CastroBack To Contents

US-Cuban tensions had grown since the Cuban president, Fidel Castro had overthrown the regime of General Fulgencio. This friction caused the US to end diplomatic relations with Cuba.

Even before relations were ended however, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) had begun training anti-revolutionary Cuban exiles in order to prepare for a possible invasion.

Since seizing power in 1959, Fidel Castro has repeatedly prophesied US intervention which would threaten his anti-imperialist revolution. In response, he vowed to obliterate any invaders.

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The Bay of Pigs invasion was a United States planned and funded attempt to overthrow the government of the Cuban revolutionary by armed Cuban exiles in southwest Cuba.

The operation was designed in order to overthrow the Castro regime without revealing the involvement of the US.

President Kennedy confers with Soviet Premier Nikita S. Khrushchev in Vienna, 1961

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On April 17, 1,5000 exiles armed with US weapons, landed at the Bay of Pigs on the South Coast of Cuba.

The exiles hoped to gain support from the local population however they were soon met by Castro’s army who quickly stopped their actions.

When the fighting finished on the 19th of April, 100 men had been killed while the remainder had been taken prisoner.Although US president, John. F Kennedy first approved the invasion, when it became apparent that the operation would fail he refused to order air support.Within three days, the force, abandoned by Kennedy and the US Military were forced to surrender with disastrous consequences.Back To Contents

When the fighting ended on the 19th of April, the US had suffered an embarrassing defeat. 100 exiles had been killed while the remainder were taken prisoner. Later the Cuban Government released the captured exiles after a substantial ransom payout. A 53 million dollar ransom in food and medicine was paid by the US. The Kennedy administration was blamed for inadequate air support and allowing the invasion to take place. The operation prompted great humiliation towards the Kennedy administration and significantly increased Cold War tensions.

As a result the Cuban government became more wary of US intervention in Cuba. After the victory, Fidel Castro declared allegiance to the Soviets, announcing for the first time that Cuba was heading towards communism.

Fidel Castro with Soviet leader

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Books/ Encyclopedia‘Bay of Pigs Invasion’ Family Encyclopedia of World History, The Reader’s Digest Association limited, London, 1996, pp. 65

‘Bay of Pigs Invasion’ World Book Encyclopedia, World Book Inc, Chicago, 2001, vol 4, pp.766-167

Chronicle of the 20th Century, Penguin, Paris, 1990, pp. 863

Oxford Dictionary of World History, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2000, pp. 60

The 20th Century, JG Press Inc, USA 2000, pp453

Internet- WebsiteWikipedia. ‘Bay of Pigs Invasion’, 2006, http://www.wikipedia.com)bayofpigsinvasion.html (31st July 2006)

The History Channel ’Bay of Pigs Invasion’, 2004,http://www.thehistorychannel.co.uk/site/this_day_in_history/this_day_April_17.php (6th August)

CD ROMMicrosoft. ‘Bay of pigs Invasion’, Encarta Encyclopedia, Microsoft Corporation, USA, 1995

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