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| A Presidential Decision - The Bay of Pigs |
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Author: Jamie S. Binder, Franklin High School, Baltimore County Public Schools
Grade Level: Middle/High
Duration: 1-2 periods |
Overview:
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In 1961, President John F. Kennedy faced the consequences of a failed coup in Cuba, which his government had secretly organized. The C.I.A. had trained and equipped 1,400 anti-Castro Cuban exiles to lead an insurrection on the island by sea, air, and land. But, owing to a series of snafus and miscalculations, "Operation Pluto" (as it was called) was a bloody failure. Seeing that "plausible deniability" had become untenable, Kennedy claimed responsibility for the failure and faced the American public and the United Nations armed only with his words. Under the pressures of the Cold War and hawkish advisors, the President had decided to do anything and everything to thwart the spread of communism in the Americas. The debacle at the Bay of Pigs served to strengthen Castro's grip on power and Cuban relations with the Soviet Union.
Using a variety of historical sources, students will analyze the causes and consequences of the attempted coup, and discuss possible alternative courses of action that (under the circumstances) Kennedy could have taken. In the process, students will familiarize themselves with the fears and dangers that characterized the Cold War.
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