During the 50 years of the Cold War, the United States was heavily involved in the fight against communism. Its primary goal was not to abolish communism, but to adhere to a policy of containment that would diminish its influence on the world and prevent its spread throughout the Western world. However, the Soviet Union had an opposing ideal that would conflict with the United States. The two nations would engage in a heated conflict that would nearly lead to World War III. In 1961, the United States planned an invasion of Cuba, which was heavily influenced by communists. dictator Fidel Castro, hoping to spark an uprising against the dictator and gain support for democracy. However, due to excessive media coverage of the "secret" plan, Castro was prepared and responded quickly with an army of 20,000, defeating the United States and forcing President John F. Kennedy (JFK) to withdraw forces. American. was the lack of support from Cuban citizens. The United States had hoped for, and frankly counted on, the full support of the Cuban rebels. When they received this support, their clumsy forces began to collapse as Cuban forces began to counterattack and push back the American forces. Without garrisoning the Cuban rebels, the United States had no chance of defeating a Cuban army. The second major flaw in the plan was the transparency of the operation. The media ran on story after story, revealing truths that the government was desperately trying to hide. After American forces in Nicaragua spoke openly about their next mission and after Cuban spies learned of the attack, Castro immediately prepared a defensive strategy and achieved victory for communism and Cuba. A year later, the United States engaged in a thirteen-day conflict. w...... middle of paper ...... due to fears of increased impact of the Soviet Union and Cuba in Latin America, the Alliance of 1961-1969 was, in essence, a variation of the Marshall Plan for Latin America. . The United States pledged $20 billion in support (mostly grants and loans) and called on Latin American governments to provide $80 billion in investment reserves for their own economies. It was the largest U.S. aid program to the developing world up to that point – and it called for considerable reform of Latin American institutions. A key element of the Alliance was US military support for friendly regimes in the region. The Alliance has not achieved all of its lofty goals. According to one study, only 2 percent of economic growth in the 1960s in Latin America directly benefited the poor; and there was a general corrosion of relations between the United States and Latin America in the late 1990s. 1960..