Final answer:
In the Bay of Pigs incident, the United States failed to overthrow Fidel Castro with a CIA-backed invasion. This failure was due to multiple factors including lack of Cuban popular support and inadequate military assistance from the U.S., leading to a foreign policy disaster for President Kennedy.
Step-by-step explanation:
Bay of Pigs Invasion and Its Outcome
In the incident at the Bay of Pigs, the United States failed to overthrow Fidel Castro with a CIA-backed invasion. The plan was initiated by President Eisenhower and implemented under President Kennedy. The goal was to support a coup by arming and training Cuban exiles to replace Castro's government in Cuba, hoping to establish a government more aligned with U.S. interests. However, the invasion failed due to the lack of expected support from the Cuban people, inadequate military backing, and the underestimation of Castro's popularity and military capability. This event was a significant foreign policy blunder, leading to increased hostilities and eventually the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Following the failure of the Bay of Pigs Invasion, Kennedy prohibited weapon sales to Cuba and supported a plan to assassinate Castro. The incident solidified Castro's rule and pushed him to seek military protection from the Soviet Union, leading to the placement of nuclear ballistic missile sites in Cuba. The event is widely regarded as a significant embarrassment for the United States and had long-standing implications for its foreign policy.