Causes + Practices + Effects of the Falklands War

long term causes

• 1592-4: British claim but no settlement

• 1820: Argentine successor state claim after Spanish liberation

• 1840: formal British colony

short term causes

• military regime in Argentina had significant economic problems

• cut public spending and tried to revive private sector

• similar issues on britain

• 1981: Galtieri’s regime faced legitimacy issues

• Thatcher was unpopular as hell

• important to the Argentine navy

immediate causes

• key representative from Royal Navy, Admiral Sir Henry Leach, (in absence of Chief of Defence) reassured Thatcher the war could be won

• December 1981: Project Alpha → 42 Argentine ‘workers’ landed at Leith and did not cooperate with landing procedures

the invasion

• 2 April 1982

• stanley occupied

• foreign office was able to apply years of experience to initiate coherent international response unlike uncoordinated attempts by Argentina

• British ambassador to the un pushed through security council resolution 502, called for immediate withdrawal of Argentine forces

• america supported Britain because they were a more valuable long term ally

escalation

• 5 April: British carriers Hermes and Invincible set sail

• end of April: Menéndez had 13,00- troops on the islands, concentrated at goose green and 10,000 in the hills west of Stanley

• 34:100 aircraft British:argentine

• 1 may 1982: air battle began → sea harrier planes,

  • on the first day alone 4 Argentine planes were shot by sidewinders

  • British harriers were destroying Argentine fleet, destroying over half the 134 combat aircrafts

war at sea

• 2nd May: Thatcher herself gave the order to sink the Belgrano with 2 torpedoes killing 368 Argentinians inside

• fearing continued attacks the fleet headed home and remained their for the duration of the war

• britain claimed the right to self defence → article 51 of the UN charter

• argentina had purchased 5 Exocet missiles and continued the war at sea from the sky

• 4th May: HMS Sheffield did not get the full warning of approaching aircrafts from HMS Glasgow (sending its own message) and was hit by an Exocet, 22 killed

Amphibious landing

• 18th May: Brigadier Julian Thompson + 3,000 troops landed in San Carlos Bay

• waited for helicopters to get to Stanley 80km away

• 21st May: fleet was destroyed by Argentine bomber crafts → 5 warships hit and HMS Ardent Sunk, offloading supplies were easy targets and anti-aircraft missiles were days away from operation

• 23rd May: HMS Antelope was sunk

• lasted 4 days → 8 ships damaged and 2 sunk, 25 men killed

Atlantic Conveyor

• 26th May: exocets previously locked on warships locked onto the indefensible conveyor and all 9 helicopters were destroyed

• troops had to walk w/ 120 pounds of kit for over 4 days

• 2nd paratroopers headed to goose green, got pinned in open space until Harriers dropped cluster bombs on Argentine artillery

• 2nd in command sent a letter demanding surrender under threat of heavy fire and civilian casualties responsibility

• goose green liberated after 6 weeks

• 50 Argentinians and 16 British soldiers killed

Stanley

• 2 landing ships w/ over 500 troops and supplies was offloaded into the morning due to misunderstandings and shot at → 49 killed and 115 injured

• Melendez was told 900 had been killed

• 11th June: battles for Mt Longdon and Tumbledown began at night

• 3rd paratroopers successfully took Mt Longdon after 7hrs

• 2nd scotsguard led assualt on tumbledown

• outnumbered 2:1 by 700 elite Argentine 5th marines

• 30 guardsmen climbed to higher ground and rained down fire, allowing other troops to advance

• Argentine troops fled to Stanley → discipline was breaking down

• 14th June: demanded Argentine surrender and Menendez agreed

Effects of the Falklands War

• 2.5 months

• 700 Argentinians and 252 British soldiers died and 3 Falkland islanders

• war ended without a peace treaty

• Galtieri was removed and the ban on political parties was lifted

• October 1983: democratic elections brought Raoul Alfonsin to power

• 1985: Galtieri and nine colleagues were put on trial and sentences to long terms in prison, pardoned by President Carlos Menem and charged with kidnapping in 2002, died 2003

• strengthened Thatchers position → 9th June 1983 early election → gained 58 seats and conservatives held power for 15yrs

• wave of nationalism, recovering economy

• ptsd among British and Argentinian soldiers