Falklands War

Lead up to the war

Build-up

Galtieri, who was the leader of the military government of Argentina at the time, aimed to counterbalance public concern over economic and human rights issues with a speedy nationalist victory over the Falklands. Argentina exerted pressure in the United Nations by raising subtle hints of a possible invasion, but the British either missed or ignored this threat and did not react. The Argentines interpreted the lack of British reaction as disengagement from the Falklands, and assumed that the British would not use force if the islands were invaded. This viewpoint was encouraged by the planned withdrawal of the last of the Royal Navy in 1981, which would have been included in a general downsizing of the fleet throughout British territory, and the British Nationality Act of 1981, which stripped Falkland Islanders of full citizenship rights.

Related Topics:
Human rights - Nationalist - United Nations - Disengagement - Royal Navy - 1981 - Fleet - British Nationality Act of 1981 - Citizenship

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The passionately anti-British head of the Argentine navy, Admiral Jorge Anaya, developed the plan to invade the Falklands. Following the failure of further diplomatic talks in January of 1982, the invasion plans were finalised and scheduled for April of the same year. The invasion of the populated areas of the Falkland Islands was preceded by the invasion of South Georgia, located 1,390 kilometres east of the Falklands. The invasion was carried out on 19 March 1982 by a group of Argentine civilians who posed as scrap metal merchants in order to establish a camp on South Georgia and raise the Argentine flag. The Royal Navy Antarctic patrol vessel HMS Endurance was dispatched to remove the camp on 25 March, but was prevented from doing so by three Argentine warships, forcing it to retreat. However, despite further evidence that the Argentine Navy had begun to assemble troops in Puerto Belgrano, the UK Joint Intelligence Committee's Latin American group stated on 30 March that "invasion was not imminent".

Related Topics:
Admiral Jorge Anaya - January - 1982 - April - South Georgia - Kilometre - 19 March - Civilian - Scrap metal - Merchant - South Georgia - Antarctic - HMS ''Endurance'' - 25 March - Warship - Puerto Belgrano - UK Joint Intelligence Committee - Latin America - 30 March

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Failed diplomacy

Since formal diplomatic relations were ended between the United Kingdom and Argentina, separate nations represented each nation's diplomatic interests. Peru was the representative of Argentina in the United Kingdom, while Switzerland represented the United Kingdom in Argentina. By this arrangement, Argentine diplomats in London were credentialed as Peruvian diplomats of Argentine nationality, while United Kingdom diplomats in Buenos Aires were credentialed as Swiss diplomats of British nationality. The then-Secretary-General of the United Nations, Javier Pérez de Cuéllar, announced that his efforts in favour of peace were futile. Although Peru and Switzerland exerted great diplomatic pressure to avoid war, they were both unable to head off the conflict, and a peace plan proposed by Peruvian president Fernando Belaunde Terry was rejected by both sides.

Related Topics:
Diplomatic relations - Peru - Switzerland - Diplomat - London - Nationality - Buenos Aires - Secretary-General - United Nations - Javier Pérez de Cuéllar - Peace plan - Peruvian president - Fernando Belaunde Terry

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Invasion

:Main article: 1982 invasion of the Falkland Islands

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The British Government warned Rex Masterman Hunt, the then Governor of the Falkland Islands, of a possible Argentine invasion on 31 March. Hunt then organised a defence, and gave military command to Major Mike Norman RM who managed to muster a small force of marines. The Argentine Lieutenant-Commander in charge of the invasion, Guillermo Sanchez-Sabarots, landed his squadron of special forces at Mullet Creek. He proceeded to attack the Moody Brook Barracks, the Government House, and Stanley, until the British Falkland Islands government located at the Government House surrendered on 4 April.

Related Topics:
British Government - Governor of the Falkland Islands - 31 March - Major Mike Norman RM - Marines - Lieutenant-Commander - Guillermo Sanchez-Sabarots - Squadron - Special forces - Mullet Creek - Moody Brook Barracks - Government House - Stanley - Surrender - 4 April

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Life under the occupation

Argentina attempted to make several unwelcome changes to the culture of the Falkland Islands, in spite of earlier assurances that the Islanders' way of life and cultural identity would be maintained. Argentina changed Stanley's name to Puerto Argentino, made Spanish the official language of the Islands, and commanded traffic to drive on the right by painting arrows on the road indicating the direction of traffic and changing the location of street and traffic signs. Despite the arrows, islanders defiantly continued to drive on the left, demonstrating their determination to remain British.

Related Topics:
Spanish - Drive on the right

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Task force

The British were quick to organise diplomatic pressure against Argentina and because of the long distance between the Falklands and United Kingdom, the British were reliant on a naval task force, centred around the aircraft carriers HMS Hermes and the newly-commissioned HMS Invincible and commanded by Rear Admiral John "Sandy" Woodward. This task force would have to be self-reliant and able to project its force across the littoral area of the Islands. A second component was the amphibious assault shipping, commanded by Commodore M.C. Clapp RN. Contrary to common belief, Admiral Woodward did not command Commodore Clapp's ships. The embarked force comprised 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines, (including units from the Parachute Regiment) under the command of Brigadier J. Thompson RM to bring it up to its wartime strength. Most of this force was aboard the hastily commandeered cruise liner Canberra. Both Clapp and Woodward reported directly to the Commander in Chief Fleet (CINCFLEET), Admiral Sir John Fieldhouse, in Britain, who was the overall commander of the operation. In order to keep neutral shipping out of the way during the war, the UK declared a 'total exclusion zone' of 200 nautical miles (370 km) around the Falklands before commencing operations.

Related Topics:
Aircraft carrier - HMS ''Hermes'' - HMS ''Invincible'' - Rear Admiral John "Sandy" Woodward - Littoral - 3 Commando Brigade - Parachute Regiment - Brigadier J. Thompson - ''Canberra'' - John Fieldhouse

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Prince Andrew, served as a helicopter pilot in HMS Invincible during the war, although he did not take part in any direct war action.

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The British called their counter-invasion Operation Corporate. When this task force sailed from Britain the American news magazine Newsweek cover headline proclaimed "The Empire Strikes Back!"

Related Topics:
Operation Corporate - Newsweek - The Empire Strikes Back

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Although the public mood in the UK was in support of an attempt to reclaim the islands, international opinion was much more divided. To some, Britain was a former colonial power, seeking to reclaim a colony from a local power, and this was a message that the Argentines initially used to garner support. To others, Britain was seen as the stable democracy that had had its territory invaded by a military dictatorship. British diplomacy centred on arguing that the Falkland Islanders were entitled to use the UN principle of self-determination and an apparent willingness to compromise. The UN Secretary-General said that he was amazed at the compromise that the UK had offered. Nevertheless, Argentina rejected it, basing their arguments on rights to territory based on actions before 1945 and the creation of the UN. Many UN members realised that if territorial claims this old could be resurrected, and invasions of territory allowed unchallenged, then their own borders were not safe. So on April 3 the UN Security Council passed Resolution 502, calling for the withdrawal of Argentine troops from the islands and the cessation of hostilities. On April 10 the EEC approved trade sanctions against Argentina. In spite of this, President Ronald Reagan and the U.S. administration remained (officially) neutral. (America is suspected of supporting Britain with intelligence, however.)

Related Topics:
Colonial - Democracy - UN - Secretary-General - April 3 - UN Security Council - April 10 - EEC - Ronald Reagan

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Shuttle diplomacy and US involvement

Legally, the United States had military treaty obligations to both parties in the war, bound to the UK by NATO and to Argentina by the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance (the "Rio Pact"). In March, Secretary of State Alexander Haig directed the U.S. Ambassador to Argentina, Nicholas Henderson, to warn the Argentine government away from any invasion. President Ronald Reagan requested assurances from Galtieri against an invasion and offered the services of his Vice President, George H. W. Bush, as mediator, but was refused.

Related Topics:
NATO - Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance - Secretary of State - Alexander Haig - Ronald Reagan - George H. W. Bush

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In fact, the Reagan Administration was sharply divided on the issue. Meeting on 5 April, Haig and Assistant Secretary of State for Political Affairs Lawrence Eagleburger favored decisive backing of Britain, concerned that equivocation would undermine the NATO alliance. Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs Thomas Enders, however, feared that supporting Britain would undermine U.S. anti-communist efforts in Latin America. He received the firm backing of U.N. Ambassador Jeane Kirkpatrick, Haig's nominal subordinate and political rival.

Related Topics:
Reagan Administration - 5 April - Lawrence Eagleburger - Anti-communist - U.N. Ambassador - Jeane Kirkpatrick

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The White House continued its neutrality; Reagan famously declared at the time that he could not understand why two allies were arguing over "That little ice-cold bunch of land down there". But he assented to Haig and Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger's position. Haig briefly (April 8–April 30) headed a "shuttle diplomacy" mission between London and Buenos Aires, but at the end of the month Reagan blamed Argentina for the failure of the mediation, declared U.S. support for Britain, and announced the imposition of economic sanctions against Argentina.

Related Topics:
White House - Neutrality - Secretary of Defense - Caspar Weinberger - April 8 - April 30

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In an infamous episode in June, Kirkpatrick cast a second veto of a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire, then announced minutes later that she had received instructions to abstain. The situation was blamed on a delay in communications, but perceived by many as part of an ongoing power struggle between Haig and Kirkpatrick.

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Galtieri likely did not think that the UK would react; otherwise, it is doubtful that Argentina would have launched the attack. Of course, this would have been astounding to British people at the time, already familiar with Margaret Thatcher's controversial uncompromising style of government. In as many words, she declared that the Crown and the Empire had been assaulted, and would not surrender the Falkland Islands to the Argentine jackboot. This stance was aided, at least domestically, by the staunchly conservative British press, especially The Sun, which ran such headlines as 'GOTCHA' (following the sinking of the General Belgrano). The Daily Mirror, on the other hand, vehemently opposed the war, and went so far as to say that reading The Sun would "damage your mind".

Related Topics:
Margaret Thatcher - Crown - Empire - The Sun - The Daily Mirror

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A US preoccupation with the Soviet Union and communism and the thought Britain could handle the matter on its own may have factored into this view as well, although assessments of this theory vary. In the broader sense of the Cold War, with the performance of UK forces watched closely by the Soviet Union, it was worthwhile for the UK to handle without assistance a conflict minor in scale compared to an all-out NATO vs. Warsaw Pact war. Regardless, American non-interference was vital to the U.S.-British relationship. Ascension Island, a UK possession, was on lease to the Americans, and the British needed to resume its use as a relay point and air base. The most decisive American contribution was AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles of the latest L model (these missiles were much more deadly than older models of the Sidewinder), spy satellites and intelligence information.

Related Topics:
Soviet Union - Communism - Cold War - NATO - Warsaw Pact - Ascension Island - AIM-9 Sidewinder

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There were also rumours, later expanded upon by Weinberger, which spoke of lending an aircraft carrier, although this was not public knowledge at the time. It is worth noting that both Weinberger and Reagan would go on to receive honorary knighthoods, the honour of Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, from Queen Elizabeth II. American critics of the U.S. role claimed that, by failing to side with Argentina, the U.S. violated its own Monroe Doctrine (even though an American nation, Argentina, attacked the possession of an existing European power, Britain, that predated the Doctrine).

Related Topics:
Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire - Queen Elizabeth II - Monroe Doctrine - Argentina - Britain

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In September 2001, Mexican president Vicente Fox would cite the conflict as proof of the failure of the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance.

Related Topics:
Mexican - Vicente Fox - Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance

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French involvement

French president François Mitterrand gave full support to the UK in the Falklands war.

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As a large part of Argentina's military equipment was French-made, French support was crucial. France provided aircraft identical to the ones it supplied to Argentina for British pilots to train against. France provided intelligence to help sabotage the Exocet missiles it sold to Argentina.

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Sir John Nott, who was Secretary of State for Defence during the conflict later acknowledged: "In so many ways Mitterrand and the French were our greatest allies". http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=%2Fnews%2F2002%2F03%2F13%2Fnot13.xml

Related Topics:
John Nott - Secretary of State for Defence

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The effects of France's actions during the war have contributed to Argentina's shift toward American sources for combat aircraft and upgrades (e.g. the A-4AR Fightinghawk, a refurbished A-4 Skyhawk). The country's national aeronautical manufacturing company FMA (Fábrica Militar de Aviones) is now owned by Lockheed-Martin.

Related Topics:
A-4 Skyhawk - FMA

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Since the end of the war, Latin America has consistently purchased more American and Russian aircraft than French. The last major French combat aircraft sale in Latin America was Mirage 2000's for Peru in the late 1980s.

Related Topics:
Mirage 2000 - Peru

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