Lessons Learned: Bay of Pigs Invasion
On April 17, 1961, 1,511 Cuban exiles in the U.S.-backed Brigade 2506 landed on Cuba’s shores at the Bahía de Cochinos–the Bay of Pigs.
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By James M. LindsayMary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy
A new installment of “Lessons Learned” is now out. This week I discuss the Bay of Pigs invasion, which began on April 17, 1961. In the video, I look at the mistakes made before and during the invasion and discuss the importance of anticipating failure and planning accordingly. Here’s a question to consider when thinking about these kinds of actions: What steps should presidents take to make sure that they are thinking how their policies might fail rather than simply engaging in wishful thinking about how they will succeed? I encourage you to weigh in with your answer in the comments section below.
I hope you enjoy the video.
If you are interested in learning more about the Bay of Pigs, Castro, Kennedy, or Cuba, here are some books worth reading:
Lawrence Freedman. Kennedy’s Wars: Berlin, Cuba, Laos, and Vietnam. (2000)
Howard Jones. The Bay of Pigs. (2008)
Higgins Trumbull. The Perfect Failure: Kennedy, Eisenhower, and the CIA at the Bay of Pigs. (1987)
Julia E. Sweig. Cuba: What Everyone Needs to Know. (2009)