Higuch, Hélio/ Fracchia, Antonio Luis Sapienza Operation Power Pack. Volume 2: The April Revolution and the Inter-American Peacekeeping Force, 1965-1966

One volume in the series Latin America @ War. When the civil war in the Dominican Republic intensified in 1965, the United States of America intervened. Initially, US diplomats planned to evacuate some 3,500 US citizens, and in the early morning of 27 April, more than 1,100 emigrants were flown out of the country. However, as Leales' troops advanced on the capital, the rebels occupied further positions, executed a number of police officers and a US Marine Corps soldier was killed by a rebel sniper, the US ambassador declared the rebels communists and called on US President Lyndon B. Johnson to act immediately. Against the advice of his advisors, Johnson ordered the evacuation to be transformed into a full-scale military intervention: Operation Power Pack. The first open U.S. military intervention in Latin America in more than 30 years was launched in the early morning of 30 April 1965 and involved 22,500 troops, two aircraft carriers, and over 200 aircraft and helicopters. After weeks of often chaotic fighting and two failed ceasefires, a truce was brokered by the Organization of American States (OAS). US troops were replaced by 1,500 troops from the OAS-organised Inter-American Peace Force (IAPF), which began a gradual withdrawal at the end of May 1965. However, the civil war did not officially end until 31 August with a ceasefire agreement. Operation Power Pack is the first military history of the civil war and the US and OAS interventions in the Dominican Republic in 1965, and contains numerous images of authentic photos and specially created colour profiles.