the Bay of Pigs invasion and Operation Mongoose, 1961

• Planned by DDE and inherited by Kennedy 
• Plan was to enable about 1500 anti-Castro exiles to land on Cuba and carry out a military coup to remove him
• JFK chose to support the CIA-inspired attack to land these exiles at the Bay of Pigs
• Unmitigated disaster and a profound humiliation for JFK
• Confirmed the USSR’s, and Castro’s, fears about the USA’s intentions for Cuba 
• Also ensured Castro’s power in Cuba was affirmed and consolidated 
• He had protected Cuba from American imperialism 
• 30/11/1961 – JFK authorised Operation Mongoose
• Aim was to overthrow Castro and his regime using covert operations within Cuba to destabilise the regime and facilitate an anti-Castro revolt from within 
• JFK appointed General Edward Lansdale to head the operation 
• JFK’s military advisers developed an air strike plan known as OPLAN 312 and a land-based invasion plan known as OPLAN 314
• USSR had been supplying Castro with arms shipments for some time but USA didn’t intervene as there was no suggestion they could or would threaten the USA
• March 1962 – US military manoeuvres, known as Operation Quick Kick, started in the Caribbean
• NK’s Defence Minister, Malinovsky, concluded that in the face of a determined US attack, Cuba would stand for no more than a week
• He decided to deploy Soviet nuclear missiles on Cuba in 1962