Bay of Pigs Invasion: Briefing President Kennedy
Historical Context
President Kennedy and Foreign Policy
The year is 1961. Democratic Senator John F. Kennedy has just become the President of the United States. Young, telegenic, and charismatic, Kennedy promised to be tough on communism, and envisioned the 1960's as a "New Frontier" full of opportunities and challenges. While in office, Kennedy would create the Peace Corps, and vow to put a man on the moon by the end of the decade. Unfortunately, Kennedy's presidency was also marked by a number of foreign policy crises, in Vienna, Berlin, Vietnam, and Cuba. As a result, Kennedy's strategy for conducting foreign policy was often based upon the twin goals of "crisis management," and "containing communism."
The most urgent problem facing President Kennedy in early 1961 is the Cuban leader, Fidel Castro. Castro is a fervent socialist, and he has a very good relationship with the Soviets, who like to send him weapons. With Cuba located a mere 90 miles off the coast of Florida, Castro and his communist leanings appear as a major threat to US national security.
The Bay of Pigs Invasion
Fidel Castro came to power in 1959, in an armed revolt that overthrew the corrupt Cuban dictator, Fulgenio Batista. Castro immediately nationalized American-held property, and instituted socialist reforms. President Eisenhower responded by tasking the CIA with a) removing Castro from power, and b) installing an anti-communist Cuban government that was friendly to American business interests. Luckily, the CIA didn't have to look far to find allies with intelligence on Cuba and a grudge against Castro. When Batista's government collapsed, many of his officials were exiled by Castro, and most of them fled to Miami. These men, led by Jose Miro Cardona, were eager to return to power, and they had formed a committee called the Cuban Revolutionary Council. They were all too eager to help the CIA plot to overthrow Castro.
In March of 1960, President Eisenhower approved Operation Zapata, the CIA plan to overthrow Fidel Castro. Operation Zapata was made up of several components, including 1) the sabotage of Cuban key industrial and military sites by anti-Castro Cuban spies working with the CIA, 2) the spread of anti-Castro propaganda via leaflets and the CIA-controlled Radio Swan broadcasts, and, 3) an invasion of Cuba. The invasion force would be made up of the large population of anti-Castro Cuban exiles who were living in Miami. It was believed by the CIA, and the Council, that the invasion would spark a revolution, and that the Cuban people would rise up and join the invaders in overthrowing Castro. Then, the Council would fly into Havana to establish a provisional government, and declare themselves Cuba's rightful leaders.
With a budget of $13 million, the CIA built training camps in Guatemala, and by November of 1960, a small army of 1,400 Cuban exiles were being trained by Colonel Jack Hawkins. The CIA Deputy Director of Plans, Richard Bissell, is responsible for managing the operation, and he reports to the National Security Council's 5412/2 Special Group, also known as the uber-secret 303 Committee. As Brigade 2506 trains for the impending invasion, the CIA runs a number of smaller missions dedicated to stirring up internal resistance, and sabotaging Castro's regime. Legendary CIA agents David Atlee Phillips, and Howard Hunt, are heavily involved in these missions. Unfortunately, most of these missions fail, due to Castro's extremely effective intelligence agency. His spies had infiltrated the Cuban exile community, and the fact that the CIA was plotting to overthrow Castro was an open secret in the bars of Miami. In fact, by late 1960, even the New York Times knew about the plot to overthrow Castro, and they published several articles about it. And in December of 1960, Castro actually made a speech denouncing the US plan to invade Cuba.
Several members of the Special Group and the Join Chiefs of Staff are now wary about the Operation's chances of success, thanks to the unwanted publicity. In fact, several advisers tell Kennedy to abort the plan altogether. The newly elected President agrees, but he also really wants Castro gone. So Bissell decides to tweak the plan- Operation Zapata will now be a more conventional surprise assault type invasion, with an amphibious landing at the Bay of Pigs, in the dead of night. Kennedy approves the plan, with one caveat- the hand of the US government must be hidden at all costs.
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Answer Key Questions
Let's Practice
Analyze the sample document below, and practice answering the questions in the margins. Continue scrolling down to check your answers.
Is this a primary or secondary source?
When was the document created?
Who created this document? What do we know about the author?
Who is the intended audience?
How reliable is this document, and how credible is the author? Is this source biased in any way?
What is the purpose of the document? What information can be gleaned directly from the text?
What is the historical context? What was happening in the period? What do you have to know about the time in order for this document to make sense?
What information, if any, can be learned from this document indirectly, by reading between the lines?
Check your answers
Is this a primary or secondary source?
Primary.
When was the document created?
There is no date, but McGeorge Bundy was JFK's National Security Advisor, and JFK scribbled his initials on the page. The document talks about anti-Castro Cuban forces (Bay of Pigs invasion) so we can assume this was written during the Kennedy administration sometime before the Bay of Pigs invasion.
Who created this document? What do we know about the author?
McGeorge Bundy wrote the document. He served as National Security Advisor for President Kennedy and President Johnson.
Who is the intended audience?
The document is marked top secret, and Bundy specifically notes that the information should be kept within a select few in the Executive branch.
How reliable is this document, and how credible is the author? Is this source biased in any way?
It is reliable and credible, because it is merely intended to be a summary of what was discussed in a top secret meeting.
What is the purpose of this document? what information can be gleaned directly from the text?
The text tells us that Kennedy is committed to overthrowing Castro's communist regime, and that he is trying a number of tactics, including sabotage, propaganda, U-2 overflights, international isolation, and a ground invasion of Cuba (the Bay of Pigs invasion.)
What is the historical context? What was happening in the period? What do you have to know about the time in order for this document to make sense?
The reader has to know about Fidel Castro's 1959 Communist Revolution in Cuba, and the fact that this was written in the Cold War. They'd need to know that Kennedy viewed Cuba as dangerous because it was close enough to threaten the national security of the US, and that the CIA was secretly and illegally dedicated to ousting communist regimes around the globe.
What information, if any, can be learned from this document indirectly, by reading between the lines?
Kennedy is terrified of communist Cuba. His goal is to oust Castro without anyone (especially the Soviets) finding out that the US was behind it. He and his advisors know that their tactics infringe upon Cuban sovereignty. Thus, there is a high level of secrecy in the document, and it is purposefully vague so as to not leave a paper trail.
Bay of Pigs Invasion Crisis
It's your turn! You are President Kennedy. On April 17th, Brigade 2506, the CIA-trained Cuban-exile invasion force lands at the Bay of Pigs to overthrow Castro. Unfortunately, Castro has long since known that a US sponsored invasion force would be arriving, thanks to his well-placed spies. As the battle for the beach-head rages, Castro publicly denounces the US for trying to invade his country. Meanwhile, Brigade 2506 is hopelessly outnumbered, and the CIA believes that without additional air cover, the invasion is doomed. However, you've lost plausible deniability, and the Soviets are furious. They've pledged to come to Castro's aid if the US does not call off the invasion. Sending more military assistance would only anger them further. What do you do?
Will you resolve this Cold War crisis peacefully? Or will you lead the world towards nuclear war? Click the button below to find out.
If you'd like a refresher on how the game works, click here. Remember, your goals are to:
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Resolve your Cold War crisis peacefully
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Ease tensions with the Soviet Union
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Contain Communism and spread Democracy
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Support your NATO allies
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Maintain the National Security of the US
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Gain respect and project strength as a leader
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Protect the global reputation of the US
For Further Reading, Check Out:
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Rasenberger, Jim. The Brilliant Disaster: JFK, Castro, and America’s Doomed Invasion of Cuba’s Bay of Pigs. New York: Scribner Books, 2012.
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Castro Marino, Soraya M. and Ronald W. Pruessen. Fifty Years of Revolution: Perspectives on Cuba, the United States, and the World. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2012.
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Blight, James G. and Peter Kornbluh. Politics of Illusion: The Bay of Pigs Reexamined. Boulder: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 1992.
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Dallek, Robert. An Unfinished Life: JFK 1917-1963. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 2003.
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Mahoney, Richard D. The Kennedy Brothers: The Rise and Fall of Jack and Bobby. New York: Arcade Publishing, 2013.
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Kornbluh, Peter. Bay of Pigs Declassified: The Secret CIA Report on the Invasion of Cuba. New York: The New Press, 1998.
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Bissell, Jr., Richard M. Reflections of a Cold Warrior: From Yalta to the Bay of Pigs. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1996.
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Castro, Fidel with Ignacio Ramonet. My Life: A Spoken Autobiography. New York: Scribner Books, 2008.