Bay Of Pigs Research Paper

Disaster in the Bay of Pigs

The early to mid-1900s are prominently known for World War II, the tragic loss of human life during those conflicts, and how global unrest changed the economy and alliances of the world. However, when the second world war ended in 1945 there was a period of approximately 40 years of a standoff between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union, these years are also known as the Cold War. One of the worst disasters of the Cold War is known as the invasion of The Bay of Pigs which occurred in Cuba at the direction of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The Bay of Pigs Invasion was a tragedy due to the false sense of confidence, the lives that were needlessly lost, and because it led to the Cuban Missile Crisis.

First, from the planning stage to the execution of the invasion, the US Government under direction and leadership of CIA officers believed that their plan would succeed due to the same tactics being successful against the government of Guatemala.

In 1954 the CIA carried out a covert operation in Guatemala to overthrow the government. This operation involved training a group of 480 personnel and an extensive psychological warfare campaign. The Guatemalan military eventually succumbed to the tactics used and refused to fight, leaving no one to defend their country against the attackers. This lack of protection encouraged the president of Guatemala to resign and soon after enabled the invading forces to claim victory and elect a new president. Enthusiastic over their success in Guatemala, the CIA employed the same tactics in Cuba. However, they failed to consider the different the culture and how prone to talking the Cuban exiles would be. Not long after the training started, newspapers had front page headlines talking about a secret plan to attack Cuba. Despite the growing public knowledge of the operation, the CIA continued as planned, assuming that what had worked in the past was sure to be successful

again.
Eventually, the exiled Cubans finished their training for the ill-fated operation, however, many of them died during the attack. On that day, the 17th of April, 1961, under the direction of officers in the CIA, the exiles were transported to the island of Cuba for an airborne and amphibious invasion. The Aircraft that would drop the paratroopers were painted in the colors of the Cuban Air Force in an attempt to mask the fact that the American government was behind the attack. However, this confused the ground forces landing on the beach into thinking that they were being attacked by Cuban aircraft, upon which they returned fire and injured friendly forces. Historian Howard Jones recounts “Total confusion reigned, for the blue identification bands put on the wings and fuselage of the expedition’s planes did not become decipherable until directly overhead” (103). Thus, as a result of poor planning and execution, 114 lives were lost.
Furthermore, after the failure of the operation, the Cuban government closed off relations with America and sought a stronger relationship with the Soviet Union, bringing about the Cuban Missile Crisis. The Soviet Union sent troops and weapons to Cuba and assured the American government that they were for defensive purposes only. Although in secret, “Soviets began construction of intermediate- and medium-range nuclear missile sites, which would have had the capacity to target the United States and kill tens of millions of Americans” (Eisendrath para 3). This was a strenuous time not only for America but the entire world, knowing that if a war broke out, undoubtedly the entire world would be involved. Although this stressful time continued for a few weeks and ended on October 28, 1962, it left a mark as a very fearful period in history.
In conclusion, had the CIA not blindly relied on outdated tactics, lives might not have been needlessly lost and a worldwide nuclear missile crisis could have possibly been avoided. However, the operation has been forever recorded in history as an embarrassment for the US government. It is also a stain on the reputation of the secretive CIA. In addition, it has taken decades to rebuild the trust and relationship between America and Cuba. Only now, 60 years later, are the borders back open again for Americans and Cubans visit and vacation, and economic trade between the two countries has been reestablished.