Bay of Pigs, 1961

What happened at the Bay of Pigs in Cuba?

The Bay of Pigs incident involved Cuban exiles, supported by US forces, invading Cuba.

When was the attack at the Bay of Pigs?

The invasion of Cuba at the Bay of Pigs took place on 17th April, 1961.

Who led the attack at the Bay of Pigs?

Cuban exiles, trained and supported by America, invaded Cuba at the Bay of Pigs.

What happened during the invasion of the Bay of Pigs?

There were 4 key events during the invasion of the Bay of Pigs:

• ❖ Castro learned about the invasion in advance because the planes were recognised as American from photographs.
• ❖ The 1,400 US-backed Cuban exiles were met by an army of 20,000 Cubans.
• ❖ The US-backed Cuban exiles surrendered.
• ❖ Almost all of those in the Cuban exile army were jailed or shot.

What were the consequences of the attack at the Bay of Pigs?

There were 5 important consequences of the attack at the Bay of Pigs:

• ❖ The incident meant USA-Cuban relations deteriorated while Soviet-Cuban relations improved.
• ❖ Fidel Castro stayed in power.
• ❖ The USA was totally discredited because it had supported illegal acts. President Kennedy was embarrassed and his position was weakened.
• ❖ In December 1961, Castro stated he and his government were communist.
• ❖ Castro asked Khrushchev for military support in case of future attacks by the USA.

Why did the invasion at the Bay of Pigs fail?

There were 2 main reasons why the invasion at the Bay of Pigs failed:

• ❖ The CIA underestimated the strength of the Cubans, who had 20,000 troops and modern tanks and weapons.
• ❖ They also failed to gain the support of the Cuban people, which they assumed they would get.