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Battle of Bay of Pigs; A Cuban Civil War
"Onward comrades! Fight for free Cuba!" - Pepe San Roman to his soldiers; 12th April 1961 on the beaches of Bay of Pigs.

After 1959 Fidel Castro created strong links between Cuban and Soviet governments in order to strenghten his own rule over island. It was unacceptable for American anti-communists like John F. Kennedy who feared that Soviet Union may use Cuba as base for attack on American countries. In order to solve this "trouble" he accepted several assasinations attempts against Castro including shooting, placing a bomb in one of Havana buildings, bribed prostitutes and many others. Finally, on 12th April of 1961 year Division 2506 composed from Cuban refugees trained by American advisors and equipped with modern weapons mixed with American marines and paratroopers landed on Playa Giron in the Bay of Pigs. Quick actions overwhelmed local militia (some of communists forces even joined invaders) and allowed Division to seize Zapata Peninsula where 8,000 men with support from artillery, tanks and aircrafts entrenched and waited on anti-Castro Cuban uprising. Tired by heavy fighting forces waited after reinforcements promised by President Kennedy but they never came as Fidel Castro mobilized 200,000 militia.

Militias sent by Fidel Castro attacked heavily entrenched invaders' forces and suffered very heavy losses (up to 12,000) but continued assault with heavy support from Cuban army. During next week heavy fighting caused both sides to loose thousands of people and resulted with capitulation of last remains from Division 2506. Invasion strained US-Cuba relations, repaired more than fifty years later after Castro death. It strenghtened his reign over island and alliance between Soviet Union and Cuba. Some historians claim that Kennedy never sent reinforcement for invaders because he was threathened by Nikita Khrushchev that Havana government had been placed under nuclear umbrella and any interference will result in active involvement of Soviet Armed Forces.

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