The United States was on high alert during the Cold War, when considering the establishment of any radical regime. As a nation, the United States has always been intolerant to socialist and Marxist-Leninist regimes. According to United States ideologies, the spread of communism would cause dangerous implications both at home and abroad. As the Cold War progressed, the need to terminate communism was necessary. The Cuban Revolution was the most challenging event during the Cold War period. With the rise of guerilla forces and eventual overthrow of the Batista government, we were introduced to a new political player, Fidel Castro. In fact it was the failure of the United States and its strategy in the Bay of Pigs to overthrow this revolutionary leader that opened the doors for Fidel Castro to escalate not just in stature, but also prestige among nations worldwide.
The ingress of Fidel Castro into the political arena generated much uncertainty as well as hostility in Washington. The need to terminate communism became the number one goal of President Eisenhower. Due to Cuba's strategic location, the United States could not allow communism to flourish so close to home, nor could Castro remain in command. With the rise to power of Castro and his regime, the United States was forced to make a move. In Washington, Eisenhower's vision to combat communism and take over Cuba was placed in the hands of newly elected President Kennedy. Known as the Bay of Pigs, this plan would prove to be the first challenge of this administration. This operation, if successful would not only bring down Castro, but it would also continue the pursuit to extinguish communism. .
There were four structural reasons for a planned attack on Cuba. First, the United States could not allow Castro to pursue his desire for autonomy. Since Cuba was so close to home, the United States had to dispose of radical influences that would be detrimental to national security.