Bay of Pigs Invasion

The Bay of Pigs Invasion was a moment in history where the US failed to achieve the task it set out to do. The principle behind this operation was to support Cuban exiles in order to overthrow Fidel Castro. The intention was to make the operation have the illusion of being a Cuban operation when in reality the US was behind the scenes pulling the strings. The US disguised its bombers to look like Cuban aircraft, and proceeded to bomb Cuban airfields. The issue with the operation was the fact that the human variable worked against the fighting force. The US approached the attack with the belief that the rebel force would garner support from the local population that didn’t support Castro. The US failed to consider that a majority of the population supported Castro, and instead fought back against the attacking force. Kennedy attempted to aid the assault with the use of air support, but this solution failed as the Cubans also controlled the skies. The operation was a complete failure, and led to the death of over 200 men on both sides and the capture of 1,197 others. The ineffectiveness of the invasion exemplifies how the US is in fact fallible, and its loss indicated that the US was no longer as much of a superpower as originally perceived.

Sources: "Bay of Pigs Invasion." Web.3 Jun 2009. <http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1765.html>.

"The Bay of Pigs." Web.3 Jun 2009. <http://library.thinkquest.org/11046/days/bay_of_pigs.html>.