The overthrow of Batista by Fidel Castro in 1959 created a great deal
of uneasiness in the United States. A significant part of Castro's
economic plans for Cuba included nationalizing all properties owned by
Americans in order to provide jobs for the unemployed. Alarmed by
Castro identifying himself as a Marxist-Leninist and the prospect of
profit losses to investors, the United States terminated relations
with Cuba in 1961, imposed a trade embargo, and persuaded the
Organization of American States to expel Cuba from membership.
With isolation of the country failing to dissuade Castro from the more
radical parts of his revolution, the United States planned and funded
an invasion of Cuba by Cuban exiles opposed to Castro. A nighttime
amphibious landing on April 16, 1961 at the Bay of Pigs failed
utterly, primarily because of a lack of promised American air support
later that morning. A limited air attack occurred on April 19, but
the invasion was unsuccessful. 200 invaders were killed, 1197 were
captured, and 4 American pilots were killed.
The Kennedy administration continued to be obsessed with Castro,
considering eight different assassination plots between 1961 and 1963.
The antipathy of the United States helped Castro consolidate power
and compelled him to seek allies outside of the Western Hemisphere.
Ultimately, Cuba became dependent upon the Soviet Union for financial
and military support. The establishment of Soviet missile bases in
Cuba resulted in the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962.
Ultimately, Khrushchev agreed to remove the missiles and dismantle the
bases.
Sincerely,
Wonko
Sources:
"Invasion at Bay of Pigs" by J. A. Sierra, historyofCuba.com
http://www.historyofcuba.com/history/baypigs/pigs.htm
"World Civilizations" Seventh Edition, Volume 2 by Edward M. Burns et
al., W. W. Norton & Company, Inc. (1986) pages 1502-1503
"Bay of Pigs Invasion" Wikipedia (April 1, 2005)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bay_of_Pigs_Invasion |
