Following Fidel Castro’s efforts to nationalize American property in Cuba, President Eisenhower determined that he would have to be removed, and ordered the CIA to start training Cuban exiles in Honduras in preparation for an invasion. Before this plan could be carried out, Eisenhower’s presidency ended and Kennedy was inaugurated. After being briefed by Eisenhower, Kennedy decided to move forward with the plan.

Backed by American air cover, the Cuban exiles were to land at the Bay of Pigs, and then quickly foment an uprising against Castro. However, Kennedy recalled the American aircraft at the last minute, leaving the invaders exposed, who, because the Bay of Pigs was a secluded section of the island away from major population centers, were either captured or killed without making any impact on the Cuban people.

The significance of the invasion was great. Embarrassed by its failure to act, the Kennedy administration forthwith felt that it could not afford any similar misfortunes in international affairs, leading to almost catastrophic results in the ensuing Cuban missile crisis, and setting the stage for the quagmire in Vietnam.