Syllabus Edition
First teaching 2016
Last exams 2025
The 'Bay of Pigs' Incident, April 1961 (Edexcel GCSE History)
Revision Note
Written by: Zoe Wade
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
Why was the 'Bay of Pigs' Incident a Disaster for the USA? - Summary
The Bay of Pigs incident was a huge disaster for President Kennedy and the USA. The Cold War was a propaganda battle between the communist Soviet Union and the capitalist USA. US propaganda showed the USA as the protector of freedom against the repressive Soviet Union. The USA challenged Khrushchev's ultimatum about Berlin in 1958. This showed their willingness to protect human rights.
The Cuban Revolution went against the USA's propaganda campaign. The rebels under the leadership of Fidel Castro overthrew the corrupt Cuban president, Batista. Kennedy ordered an invasion of Cuba. The 'Bay of Pigs' invasion intended to remove Castro's government and place a pro-American government in Cuba. Kennedy's actions went against the image of the USA as a protector of freedom. The failed invasion forced Castro closer to the Soviet Union, causing the Cuban Missile Crisis.
What Caused Kennedy to Invade Cuba?
The US government had fundamental issues with Cuba under the leadership of Fidel Castro
Castro did not want American influence in Cuba's economy
In May 1959, Castro's government began to take back land owned by foreign nationals
Castro appointed communists into his government. In February 1960, Cuba signed an agreement with the Soviet Union
In January 1961, John F. Kennedy replaced Eisenhower as the President of the USA
Kennedy was an anti-communist
He did not want a communist state only 90 miles away from the coast of the USA
When Kennedy assumed the presidency, the CIA created a plan to overthrow Castro
The CIA wanted to use Cuban exiles to invade Cuba
If Cuban exiles invaded Cuba, it would look like a counter-revolution rather than a US-backed invasion
The CIA's plans for the invasion of Cuba
A flow diagram showing the CIA's step-by-step plan to overthrow Castro's government in Cuba
The Events of the Bay of Pigs Incident
On 17th April 1961, the US government began their invasion of Cuba
The US government sent 1,400 Cuban exiles to Cuba
The invasion force landed in the Bay of Pigs on the southern coast of Cuba
In less than 24 hours, the invasion force surrendered to Castro's government
Reasons why the Bay of Pigs invasion failed
The weakness of the CIA and the invasion force | The strength of Castro's government |
|---|---|
The CIA had given the Cuban exiles limited military training. They were unlikely to win against Castro's army due to their battle experience | Castro knew about the invasion before it began. Castro assembled an army of 20,000 soldiers to attack the Cuban exiles when they landed on the island |
In an attempt to distance themselves from the invasion, the US government refused to send military support to the Cuban exiles | Cuban citizens were happy with Castro's government. The invasion gained limited support in Cuba |
Examiner Tips and Tricks
A question could ask you to write a narrative account of the Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961. A common misconception that students have is that a narrative account is a story. A narrative account answer should follow CHRONOLINK:
Put the sequence of events in chronological order
Link each section of the narrative to the next event that occurred. You should use linkage terms such as: 'as a consequence', 'this led to' or 'because'
You should have three sections to your narrative. Each section should include specific knowledge about the events in the narrative. Your answer should include process words such as 'affected', 'increased' and 'worsened.' This allows you to move through the narrative and explain how key themes like tension developed through the chosen event.
The Impact of the Bay of Pigs Incident on Cold War Relations
The Bay of Pigs incident heightened Cold War tensions between the USA and the Soviet Union
The event was damaging to the USA's reputation
The USA had accused the Soviet Union of forcing people to live under their political influence in Eastern Europe. Attempting an armed uprising against the independent government in Cuba made the USA look as controlling as the Soviet Union
Cuba no longer wanted a diplomatic relationship with the USA. Castro did not trust the US government, further impacting the relationship between the two countries
The Bay of Pigs incident had benefits for the Soviet Union
Khrushchev claimed the failure of the invasion was a success for communism
The Cuban people were happy living under a communist government. It showed the world the benefits of communism
Cuba became closer to the Soviet Union
Castro publicly announced that he was a communist. He requested help from the Soviet Union to defend Cuba from the USA
In September 1961, Khrushchev declared that the Soviet Union would give weapons to Cuba
The aftermath of the Bay of Pigs incident drew the USA and the Soviet Union closer to nuclear war
Kennedy worried about Cuba gaining access to Soviet military training and more modern weaponry
Kennedy warned Khrushchev not to place nuclear weapons on Cuba. Khrushchev assured Kennedy that the Soviet Union would not do this. Kennedy did not believe Khrushchev
Distrust between the USA and the Soviet Union increased
Worked Example
Explain the importance of the Bay of Pigs incident of 1961 for US-Soviet relations
8 marks
Partial answer:
The Bay of Pigs incident in 1961 worsened US-Soviet relations. The CIA attempted to overthrow Fidel Castro's government by using 1,400 Cuban exiles to trigger an uprising in April 1961. The discovery of US involvement in the invasion worsened relations between the USA and Cuba. As a result, Cuba began to distrust the USA and become closer to the Soviet Union. This led to a deterioration between the USA and the Soviet Union. Kennedy accused the Soviet Union of bringing their communist influence to Cuba. Khrushchev aimed to benefit from the USA's damaged reputation as a protector of freedom to promote the benefits of communism. This worsened their relations because it brought the USA and the Soviet Union into conflict over Cuba. Kennedy wanted Cuba to regain their reliance on US industry, whereas Khrushchev wanted to bring Cuba closer to the Soviet Union to benefit from its proximity to the USA.
Examiner Tips and Tricks
This style of question in the exam paper would be worth 8 marks. An examiner would expect you to write two paragraphs analysing the importance of an event on a wider theme like US-Soviet relations. The worked example shows how you could start an answer for this style of question.
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