The feared nuclear war was almost blown up to a global level as Cuba aligned itself with the Soviet Union after Castro's rise to power, a revolutionary Marxist. This caused John F. Kennedy, the president of the U.S at that time, to invade Cuba and overthrow Castro and his supporters. In April 1961, anti-Castro Cubans landed on the Bay of Pigs, Cuba, to stimulate an uprising. However, the unsuccessful outcome of the invasion diminished U.S pride.