Why Did the Bay of Pigs Invasion Fail? (Short Animated Documentary) 

Kennedy: So you can assure me that the moment the exiles land, there will be a popular uprising that does the job for us? CIA: Yes, they're crying out for freedom from communism. Just a small group of them will be enough. CIA: [whispers] Did anyone ask the Cubans for their opinion on Castro? Exile: I'm Cuban, and I hate Castro. CIA: 100% of Cubans interviewed agreed Castro needs to go, Mr. President.

I can never get enough of the prancing character across the field of flowers.

The whole “welcomed as liberators” schtick has never really worked out that well

I love how you refuse to directly point out the ineptitude of the CIA, yet we can all see it glaringly for ourselves by listening to your description. Brilliant.

Cuban Exiles: So you will assist us right? The CIA: *perhaps*

Lol I’m just imagining thousands of Cuban rebels landing in Trinidad and Tobago and just being very confused

When we’re gone two thing will have preserved history: 1. Libraries 2. James Bissonette

I like to think this universe of square people waddling around communicating only with picket signs actually exists

“Bay of pigs” Why invade that one? Just invade a shoreline which is called, I dunno “Bay of Victory” or “Bay of Expansion”.

There's an inaccuracy in this video: Fidel Castro's beard and hair weren't grey yet when Ernesto Guevara was still alive.

Correction: Guantanamo Bay is still technically a part of Cuba, leased by the United States in perpetuity as a naval coaling base. The 1934 Cuban-American Treaty of Relations requires that both countries agree to terminate the lease. Cuba has wanted to since Castro took over and the US, of course, refuses. Every year, the US sends a check for $4085 for the lease payment and every year Cuba refuses to cash it (except for right after the revolution in 1959 when things were still muddled and Cuba cashed it in error). Fidel Castro reportedly kept all the uncashed checks in his desk drawer. Cuba's position is that since the US doesn't use coal anymore and its ships and planes are all really capable of traversing thousands of miles between refuelings, the base no longer serves a purpose and the US should abandon it. On the other hand, the US position is "No."

"If surviving assassination attempts were an olympic event, I would get a gold medal." Fidel Castro

JFK: *Refuses to give the exiles air support* Also JFK when the invasion fails: *Surprised Pikachu Face*

Heh, Sneaky Bois.

It's 2021 and the torture facility at Guantanamo Bay is still in operation.

The Bay of Pigs operation is a classic illustration of "group think." As reported by numerous sources afterwards, by the time the operation was launched few among the organizers privately thought it had much chance of success. But no one had the fortitude to assert that the whole operation should be canceled, especially after so much time, effort, and resources had already been expended. So in the end approximately 1500 men were sent to land at the Bay of Pigs; an event of which the Cuban security apparatus had full knowledge beforehand. The invasion was crushed by Cuban forces within three days; the invaders lost 118 men killed in direct combat, 360 wounded, and almost the entire remainder of the invasion force was captured. In the following months, hundreds of those captured were executed.

Imagine the CIA’s shock finding out that maybe the Cuban people didn’t really want to go back to the brutal dictatorship that sold out their country

Between the Corn that shows up every time Kruschev is around, or the "sneaky bois", the little easter eggs are my favorite parts of these videos!

The history of the Cuban exiles after the Bay of Pigs is incredibly interesting, and worth looking at. They had a lot of involvement in shady CIA shit and a lot of them ascended to power and influence in a Cuban-American organized crime enterprise active in the New York area and Miami

USA to Cuban Exiles: "We'll give you all the support you need." Cuban Exiles after the Bay of Pigs Invasion: "Those bastards lied to me."

0:56 “Sneaky bois” I love this channel

When i heard Trinidad(🇹🇹) i thought, "Woah we almost got invaded", i was soon corrected 😂😂😁

It was a Bay of Pigs alright... *Bay of Capitalist Pigs*

Folks, If James Bisonette wants to fund this man's content, that's his decision. We all benefit from the Bisonette.

It was a disaster! Pres JFK later famously said in a Senate hearing: "Victory has a thousand fathers; defeat is an orphan." But JFK learned from his mistake not to trust the CIA/Military too much, and he showed this a year later during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

First of all, I wanna meet these guys - James Bisonette, Kelly Moneymaker, Rob Waterhouse and Moe.

Castro : *has a huge support from Cuban population* CIA : "Yeah the people will rise to help us, what could go wrong?"

Worth mentioning that the Soviets (and thus the Cubans) knew just about everything about where, when, how many, what equipment, etc. the invasion would consist of, thanks to superior intelligence. When the gusanos rocked up the Cubans had already been waiting with MGs and fortifications ready for a bit.

Explain the Nigerian Civil War/Biafran war next! That should be an interesting history lesson on why the world was so split on supporting either side!

Stalin being a piece of corn when the Soviets are mentioned always gets me lol

I was thinking of this today and suddenly History Matters has a video. I swear, this guy is from the future.

As a Polish person, I really appreciate the Stańczyk jester in the credits

The Bay of Pigs, proof that the CIA can make whoopsy-poopsies too.

Cmon. Do this. Say that they havent got support of James Bisonette.

Castro: hey JFK want to hear a joke JFK: sure Castro: assassination JFK: I don’t get it Castro: You will

It amazes me how often a country can mess up a perfect chance to overthrow an enemy so often.

CIA: Installs a military dictatorship in Cuba Castro: *Overthrows it* CIA: yeah they'll definitely rise up against him so we can install another

"Havana gleefully noted the wealth of the captured invaders: 100 plantation owners, 67 landlords of apartment houses, 35 factory owners, 112 businessmen, 179 lived off unearned income, and 194 ex-soldiers of Batista." - Life magazine

I love all your videos, as a History buff I love how you take topics and explain them in short easy to digest parts, and make them entertaining and informative. I would love to see one done on the Scottish Clearances as often not a lot is taught in Schools about this period and as a Canadian in was an important event that lead to a lot of the early settlers of my country and I believe you would be able to do a bang up job with it.

I stop whatever I am doing to watch History Matters everytime a new one is posted. Please never stop doing these. They are fantastic.

I liked the "sneaky Bois" twist

Also worth mentioning was that Kennedy denied the third bombgin run by the exhiled air force, thus keeping the Fidelista air force (part of the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias, FAR) in the fight bombing not only the landing force but the naval task force. One of the FAR planes bombed exactly the ship carrying all the supplies to the beachhead; since the CIA didn't have experience conducting amphibious landings they placed all the ammo for the invading brigade (plus the weapons for a whole unit that was yet to land) in one single ship. This alone garanteed they runned out of ammunition after 3 days (since that's the usual combat load for an initial force). The FAR air force also sunk a communications ship, isolating a whole beach from the operational control of the brigade, plus the paratroopers that dropped far ahead. The Americans also didn't properly communicate with guerrillas in Cuba, so they could block the bridges leading to the beach and ambush the armoured columns. That's something Fidel Castro antecipated and started anti-guerrilla sweeps the days prior to the landing. There was later an internal guerrilla in the Escambray, but it was crushed ruthlessly with the use of helicopter-borne troops by the Cubans.

1:48!Your right , that the cutest dog I have even seen

Sneaky Boiz is a new classic. Lol. Great video on a good subject that I have often wondered about. I love your videos. Great learning with awesome humor thrown in. Too darn cool! Keep them coming, please!

'Sneaky Bois' That had me dying

1:20 lol got me good. As I live in Trinidad

I absolutely love all your videos. Amazing. I binge watched them all the other day and am now feeling smarter. :)

Love being at school and randomly checking my phone to see a new video that I can watch when I get home

There's an inaccuracy in this video: The cuban revolution wasnt socialist at first, it was anticolonial/anti-imperialist. It became socialist when (among other things) the US quite idiotically refuse to legitimize/aid the new government, so in the best cold war way Castro went directly to the soviets, possibly thinking "if they are not helping me i know who will", and the soviets were all too happy capitalizing on a US mistake

I remember reading how the presence of Groupthink was so strong in the administration that they did not for a second consider if the Cuban people would react in any way other than full support for the US

Great job you are getting better with every Video you Loading up

"You're ready Mason?" *Aussie slipping* "Today's the day"

Clearly the CIA never heard of the quote made by General Moltke the Elder, “No battle plan ever survives contact with the enemy.”

Ah I love these short videos that go in depth but not to far as to bore you

I love your videos! They are so informative and funny, and your drawing style is amazing. I hope one day you do a video about Brazil or some Brazilian/Portuguese monarch (I suggest D.Pedro II).

Can you make a video about why did Russia want to sell Alaska to the Liechtenstein?

I can see some significant steps taken here from an animation perspective. Congrats, and keep up the great work!

I love these video’s. Keep them coming!!

Yessss thanks for uploading!!!

Other interesting things - 1.) The Bay of Pigs is located in a swamp. The Cuban exiles got literally bogged down in a bog. Castro had landed his invasion against Batista in South and dispersed into the mountain terrain for guerilla warfare. 2.) Cuban exile air force was split into 2 groups based in EST and CST timezones. They didn't realize the CST planes had to adjust to EST time for attacks until most planes had been shot down in smaller groups. 3.) Exile forces were former upper class Cubans and ex-Batista officers. They spoke a very noticeable posh language that was apparent to all the Cubans. Batista was universally hated among Cubans and when they encountered the posh sounding exiles with American equipment, they made obvious connection they were Batista goons supplied by America, civilians warned Havana and began fighting against exiles. 4.) Castro super popular. Castro and his M-26-Julio movement had overthrown a brutal dictator Batista and proceeded to implement reforms the helped the poor and average Cuban. Land reform finally gave tenet farmers a plot of land. Castro carried out literacy campaign that wiped out illiteracy in Cuba within 2 years (illiteracy before was over 60%). Also under Che's direction, sent out doctors in countryside to provide medical care to every Cuban, vast majority had never seen a doctor. Even Castro's hesitancy with elections was popular. Cuba had parliamentary elections since independence but were routinely rigged, exploited, or worse by America or some strong man in Havana. Cubans were wary of 50+ years of electoral bullshit and accepted and even supported Castro's hesitancy for open elections. 4.) CIA had been staging covert terrorist attacks on Cuba between 1959-1962. CIA routinely dropped napalm on sugar plantations. They orchestrated the Le Coubre arms ship explosion in 1960, killing 100 in Havana harbor. CIA tried assassinating Castro often involving powerful bombs, which killed alot of innocent bystanders. This had the effect of INCREASING Castro's popularity and galvanizing Cubans against US. 5.) Cuba was not communist at the time. M-26-Julio (M-26-7) movement was left wing but was bitter rivals of the actual Cuban Communists. They constantly exchanged stinging criticisms with the communists calling Castro and the M-26-7's moderate reform proposals a watered down sellout and too much of a compromise. Average Cuban who was supposed to rise up against Castro saw Communists as the biggest critics of Castro for being too soft. When exiles landed and told them to rise up against communism, the average Cuban would had been baffled. If your plan hinges on a popular uprising or support, you should do research into what the public thinks and how they feel. The CIA was seeing Red behind every bush, every moderate reform and in every anti-colonialist leader. The Exiles parroted this line but it was paranoia and completely removed from how actual Cubans saw thing. If a leader wanted to do a moderate reform that even leaned slightly to the left, CIA immediately labeled as communist. For example in Cuba, M-26-Julio did a land reform capping holdings at 600 hectares with land owners receiving fair compensation. This affected the United Fruit Company and was seen as communist. By comparison, US occupation forces in Japan after WW2 supported a much more stringent land reform that capped holdings at just 100 acres. This jumping at supposed Red flashes had the unfortunate effect of removing the leaders and movements who were moderate, open to compromise and popular among people, clearing the way for radical hard-core Communists to fill role of Independence freedom fighter. It created more communists than there would even been and just that fear turned into a real fear by their actions. Other example - under FDR's good neighbor policy towards Central and South America, he removed US troops from region and didn't intervene in their affairs. He allowed and even supported Mexican president Lazaro Cardenas when he nationalized Mexican oil in 1938. The result was a more stable and prosperous Mexico that had no room for radical Communists or others.

I just came up with a new idea: “How did Argentina react to Brexit?” I ask because Argentina and Britain hate each other because of the Falkland dispute, but the EU is Argentina’s second largest export market (for anyone curious, Argentina’s largest export market is Brazil), and the UK was the second most powerful EU member prior to Brexit, so how would Argentina react to Brexit?

Props for actually taking the time to draw the actual aircraft that were held in reserve at the time

The corn portrait gets me every time.

Kennedy: "good by guys, I wish you luck" Cuban exiles: "thanks, but we'd prefer some planes instead"

I watch these for fun and was so surprised when one about medieval kings showed up in my history lesson.

You need longer videos, but I still love you

Idk if you’ll see this but your videos stopped my anxiety attack I really really am thankful you saved me from a very very long flight

you can't stop impressing me with all this learning and fun videos

Cuban exiles: do you have your homework? CIA: let me look in my bag I’m sure it’s in there

Glad to see the good guys win one for a change.

Sneaky bois on the rug was too perfect

Imagine how differently it’d have gone they’d been financially supported by James Bisionette, Kelly Moneymaker, and Spinning 3 Plates...

Next do a video on Operation Downfall or Unthinkable

When I can't sleep, History Matters is there for me

US (CIA especially) has really a great record of underestimating their enemies and even greater record of underestimating enemy leaders popularity among their people.

You might want to do a video on why , when World War I was being lost and the Empire collapsed the various German states, or even just two or three of them, did not preserve their monarchies and societies and declare independence? Bavaria attempted something like that but couldn't the old and smaller regimes break off by Oct 1918 and re created the old Confederation? This idea could have been past the point of bothering with but its an interesting thought.

Love your animations and the facial expressions they do. Great history channel. Great video

Great content!

0:51 I'll never get tired of that corn portrait.

2:52 respect for "Stańczyk"

It failed because the pigs couldn’t fly.

Okay so... Literally just yesterday I was searching for a bay of pigs video from this creator.. and was pissed there wasn't one.. what timing!

How does this channel do it? Everytime they come up with an interesting topic, and always tells me exactly what I want to know?

That corn portrait in the USSR is just so comical I can’t bear it lol. Stay well out there everybody, and God bless you friends.😊

2:49 "You see the top left of Castro's portrait son? *That's called forshadowing"*

We were a bit late on that whole 'rise up against their dictators' thing.

God i love how this channel is just no nonsense

Note: "Can't be killed "..👌👌👌✔✔✔

"The cuban ppl will rise up" 😂😂

Thanks for being a good non-biased source

super helpful, but some dates would have been great!

The book “The Devil’s Chessboard” by David Talbot touched a bit on the subject of the Bay of Pigs invasion and offers some pretty unique insight as to why it went so wrong. The director of the CIA at the time, Allen Dulles, was not a fan of JFK, and the feeling was mutual. The book tells it that the team Dulles put together for overseeing the Bay of Pigs was almost purposefully unqualified for the task at hand. Dulles was heavily in favor of Plan A; supporting the exiles with air support and other direct military assistance as needed. But when Kennedy nixed that, the book theorized that Dulles put together a rag tag team to supervise the operation out of spite in hopes that either 1) once the invasion went poorly, Kennedy would cave into pressure and call in the Navy and Air Force or 2) if he didn’t do that, the failure of the invasion would make JFK look bad and show him that Dulles’ decisions should be trusted. On the day of the invasion itself, Dulles wasn’t even at the CIA headquarters. Unfortunately, when 1 failed to happen, 2 only halfway happened (JFK certainly took flak for the invasion) but it also led to secret option 3,, that being JFK forcing Dulles to resign from the post that he had held through several continuous presidential administrations at that point.

Love or Hate Castro, you have to admire what he did

That corn in the soviet office is golden.

2:49 I love that the floor says SNEAKY BOIS

CIA: Communism is bad, the people will have to rise up against it The people: *No*

Can you do "how did the rest of Europe react to the death of Charles the first" pls

2:25 "Its gonna be a while." it says. Thats putting it lightly

Ok, I know it's his most well known look, but Castro's beard wasn't always grey.

"D- for the effort, at least we tried." - John "Press F to pay respects when I accidentally get shot" Kennedy, 1960/1, perhaps.