| In 1961, the United States involvement in the Bay of Pigs invasion and its failure put the Kennedy administration in a defensive position in the days that were to follow. The administration was criticized for both its involvement in the invasion and the eventual breakdown of the plan. This event, along with other happenings of the time, put a tremendous amount of pressure upon the President to restore confidence in the world's view of the United States and his administration. Therefore, the major concern of the Kennedy administration when looking for a solution to the Cuban missile crisis was to uphold the credibility and prestige of the United States which had been previously damaged by the Bay of Pigs invasion. |
