Explanation of the Bay of Pigs

The Bay of Pigs was an attempt to aid Cuban exiles after their country fell into communism in 1959. The United States provided training, equipment, and knowledge to the Cubans that tried to recapture their country. The 1961 invasion failed so Cuba turned to the Soviet Union, and the Soviets were happy to help Cuba. Khrushchev was looking for an ally in Latin America so he could build a base for the Soviet missiles. When the United States had missiles in Europe targeting the Soviet Union, the Soviets had none to use on the U.S. Mainland.