Bay of Pigs and Realism - 1563 Words

A Perfect Disaster: The Bay of Pigs Invasion and Realism D-Day, April 17, 1960; Brigade 2506 lands in the Bay of Pigs, a small beach in southern Cuba. Backed by former president Dwight Eisenhower, endorsed by current president John F. Kennedy, and masterminded by the Central Intelligence Agency, the plan to overthrow Fidel Castro, Prime Minister of Cuba, had been months in the making (Dunne 1). By the summer of 1959, as former Cuban leader Fulgencio Batista was overtaken by Castro, charges of communist takeover in Cuba were rampant in Washington, especially in Congress (Dunne 5). With the United States embroiled in the Cold War, a largely ideological battle between the communist Soviet Union and the capitalist United States, the United†¦show more content†¦From a global standpoint, the situation between Cuba and the United States was only increasing tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union. As Castro became more communist, he began to develop a strong economic and military relationship with the Soviet Union. As Castro and the Soviet Union developed this relationship, one might ask why Cuba was willing to give up some of its autonomy to the Soviets. After all, the Cubans had just broken free from United States’ control and finally had full and complete sovereignty; why after this revolution would Cuba immediately revert back to a system where a superpower had power over them? From a realist perspective, Cuba had much to gain in terms of relative power from this relationship. Not only did they become allies with one of the world’s largest superpowers, thus giving them increased security, they also received several weapons shipments from the Soviets. Hence, Cuba came to look stronger and have more relative power by this relationship with the Soviets. Realists also note that the USSR benefitted from this relationship; in a time when the US and USSR were going tit-for-tat in terms of power and arms, the USSR successfully expande d their power bases to the Western Hemisphere, bringing communism and the Soviets closer to the US and expanding their power relative to the United States. ThisShow MoreRelatedU.s. Cuba Relations : A Discussion Of Constructivism And Realism1329 Words   |  6 PagesU.S. – Cuba Relations: A Discussion of Constructivism and Realism During the Cold War, relations between Cuba and the United States were icy. Cuba was allied with the USSR, America’s enemy, and was well within their sphere of influence. With events like the failed Bay of Pigs invasion and the Cuban Missile Crisis happening on their soil, Cuba was at the center of the Cold War. Between ideological differences and their alliance with Russia, Cuba became an enemy of America as well. It took the effortsRead MoreJfk And Khrushchev s Impact On The World War II1293 Words   |  6 Pagesrealist. Realists use power to get what they want. This works definitely in politics. You can make countries, leaders, and people do what you want them to do if you have lots of power. People are afraid of intimidation and intimidation is a part of realism. Realism is a part of our everyday lives. We use intimidation and power against others practically daily. It is the same in politics and crises. During crises such as the Cuban Missile Crisis, without Kennedy s quick thinking, his very intelligent executiveRead MoreCuban Missle Crisis and the Realist Perspective Essay1172 Words   |  5 Pagesperspective. In 1961, President John F. Kennedy launched the Bay of Pigs Invasion of Cuba, which was a thwarted attempt by a CIA-trained force of Cuban exiles to invade southern Cuba, with assistance from United States armed forces, to oust the corrupt government of Fidel Castro. This failed operation had sent the US back into a defensive position. In former President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s remarks to Kennedy he stated, â€Å"The failure of the Bay of Pigs will embolden the Soviets to do something that theyRead MoreCold By: Na Lin Introduction The Cold War Is The Relationship1014 Words   |  5 Pagesthe USSR.Many people were worried about this issue of the growth in weapons of mass destruction more than any other issues. The Bay of PigsFidel Castro came to power in 1959 by overthrowing Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista with an armed revolt.The US did not trust Castro and was wary with his relationship with the leader of the Soviet Union,Nikita Khrushchev.The Bay of Pigs was an invasion of Cuba with Cuban exiles to overthrow Castro’s communist government and establish a non-communist governmentRead MoreJohn F. Kennedy 1158 Words   |  5 Pages â€Å"Ask not what your country can do for you. 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DuringRead MoreA Realist Analysis of the Cuban Missile Crisis1867 Words   |  8 Pagesinevitable crisis was miscommunication. Today we recognise actions taken by both states during the crisis as consistent with a realist point of view. Realism holds great emphasise on the obstacles enforced by human nature and the non-attendance of an international government. Creating international politics an area focused on power and state-interest. 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Cuba at the time also had ongoing conflict with the United States, after the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion in attempt to overthrow corrupt government leader Fidel Castro. The Soviet Union and Cuba’s newfound similar plights led to a partnership and the strategic positioning for the Soviet Union to implement ballistic missile bases in the nearRead MoreThe Ukrainian Revolution and the Russian Takeover ot the Crimean Peninsula2903 Words   |  12 Pagesover Cuba until January 1959 when Fulgencio Batista fled Cuba and Fidel Castro took control. Formal diplomatic ties were severed in January 1961. In April 1961, 1400 US spon sored Cuban exiles attempted to topple the Castro regime in the failed Bay of Pigs invasion. Fidel Castro was concerned the United States would once again invade Cuba. In May of 1962, the leader of the Soviet Union, Nikita Khrushchev provided the deterrence to Cuba when he decided to secretly install Soviet nuclear missiles