yr13_ia_2007_douzmanian_d


 * Section 1**

America wanted to at all costs stop the expansion of communism. Cuba being considered Latin American had a great role to play after its successful revolution: to expand communism and cause a Latin American revolution. This idea completely turned off the United States. America had a strict policy towards Latin America, and were determined to go back to the “good neighbor” [|[1]] status that they had during the Roosevelt days Also, there was no way whatsoever that America would allow a country so close to American borders to be under a communist regime, mainly because of its key location, that could harm America.
 * Communism**

Cuba had a very strong relationship with USSR. Not that USSR really needed Cuba for it’s goods and or products, but more so because of its location. Cuba is roughly 90[|[2]] miles from the American border, and that meant Russia would be ideally located if war was ever to break out. This made Cuba much more important than Laos or Vietnam. The only solution for America was to either bargain Castro into signing a document providing peace, or invading Cuba, and making sure that America’s home soil is safe.
 * Russian Alliance**

When John F. Kennedy was elected, he said “My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man”, and if he wanted to keep his promise of bring freedom to the man, then it was his and America’s duty, to intervene in Cuba. Democracy was also what was being widely “hyped” in America, and in no way was there to be a country that was 90 miles off the border be communist. And that was what the Americans believed in. The reality of it is, that America was in fact "violating every canon of international law and bilateral behavior from 1960- 1962"[|[3]].
 * World Image**


 * Section 2**

In their secret camps in Guatemala, CIA were preparing 1400-2000 Cuban exiles from the brigade 2506 for a Cuban invasion[|[4]]. April 15th 1961, these men invaded the Cuban shores of Zapata Beach. The plan was to send out a B-26 bomber[|[5]] to take away attention from land invasion, and destroy the Cuban fighters on their airfield. These bombers were shot down by a Cuban trainer aircraft, which also shot down the ammunition ship the land invaders, depended on. The Cuban army and militia reacted with incredible speed and skill, to break down the invasion, thus the invasion resulting in complete failure. All of the men were either found dead, or captured and killed or sentenced to 30 years of Prison.[|[6]]
 * Invasion**

The bay of pigs plan ended up having way too many flaws. Cuban military had killed over 19000 Cuban exiles and captured many more. The original plan, which was to overthrow Castro's totalitarium regime, and put in place a free democratic government with a voting system, was a complete failure. It ended up being a major victory for the Cuban Revolution and a major embarrassment for Kennedy and the CIA, even though the implication of the government was not very clear at the time.
 * FAILURE**

After the attack, Castro was sure that America would be a problem for Cuba and Communism for the many years to come. Internationally, the Bay of Pigs invasion provided Castro with evidence of what he characterized as American imperialism, and this enabled him to consolidate his position of dictator within Cuba. Ultimately, the invasion drove Castro toward a closer alliance with the Soviet Union and significantly increased both regional and global political tensions. The failure of the invasion also convinced Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev that Kennedy was weak and indecisive. This impression undoubtedly contributed to Khrushchev's decision to place nuclear missiles in Cuba and to the confrontation that developed during the Cuban Misile Crisis. Soon after the invasion, Fidel Castro declared Cuba a Socialist and Communist country. USSR offered military supplies, and money and made of Cuba a key military point. Should the Cold War convert to a nuclear one, the USSR would surely have the advantage with military bases located a few miles for the coast of the United States.
 * Main Impacts**
 * Solidification of the Cuban USSR alliance**

[|[1]] Quoted from the “The Origins of the Cold War” by Stephen G. Rabe, page 342. [|[2]] Key fact from “A Post Cold War History” by Ralph B. Levering. [|[3]] “A Post Cold War History” by Ralph B. Levering, Page 89. [|[4]] “The Cold War” by Martin Walker, Page 148. [|[5]] “The Cold War” by Martin Walker, Page 148. [|[6]] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bay_of_Pigs_Invasion