Bay of Pigs Invasion and Operation Mongoose, 1961

• What was the Bay of Pigs?

  Planned by Eisenhower, inherited by Kennedy. Essentially enable 1,500 anti-Castro exiles to land on Cuba and carry out a military coup to remove Castro.
• What happened as a result of Bay of Pigs?

  Kennedy accepted this plan which was a disaster, Kennedy was humiliated due to the failure and confirmed Soviet-Cuban fears about the USA's intentions for Cuba.
• What was Operation Mongoose?

  implemented on 30th November 1961, aimed to overthrow Castro and regime through use of covert operations to destabilise regime and facilitate anti-Castro revolt
• What did Kennedy plan to do with Operation Mongoose?

  JFK appointed General Lansdale to lead the operation, his military advisers developing an air strike known as OPLAN 312 and a land-based invasion OPLAN 314.

  • March 1962, US military manoeuvres known as operation Quick Kick started in the Caribbean.
• What did the Soviets do in response of Operation Mongoose?

  Khrushchevs defence minister Malinovsky predicted Cuba would last a week under US attack so Soviet nuclear missiles were deployed on Cuba in 1962.