Page 78 - History of War - Issue 05-14

TRIGGER

POINT

THE START

OF THE

FALKLANDS

WAR

Facing political unrest and economic turmoil, Argentina’s
ruling military Junta gambled on an invasion of the Falkland
Islands in the hope of shoring up public support. But it had
not bargained on the British government’s resolve…

OR THE SAKE OF A TINY CHAIN OF the islands for Britain on the grounds of
islands 8,000 miles away from our prior discovery. Meanwhile, in 1766, Spain
shores, a full-scale war wouldn’t came to an agreement with France that they
appear to be worth the cost and would assume control of the islands, with de
Fsacrifice of lives. But to the surprise Bougainville receiving compensation for his
of millions of Britons in 1982, that’s exactly military installations. So there arose a situation
what happened as Prime Minister Margaret whereby Britain and Spain both inhabited the
Thatcher fought to ensure that Britain’s sovereignty islands – oblivious to one another – and were
over the Falklands remained. Argentina had both claiming sovereignty. Things came to
re-emerged as a threat to Britain’s rule a head in 1769 when British and Spanish
over the colony but was quickly rebuffed by ships crossed paths and began accusing
Thatcher and her war cabinet, with the PM each other of trespassing on their islands.
later asserting, “I never had any doubt The first Falkland crisis occurred the
about the rightness of the decision.” following year when five Spanish
The Falklands are a remote, ships land with 1,400 soldiers:
lonely group of islands in the “DEFEAT? the British are forced to leave
South Atlantic, just 400 miles I DO NOT and the threat of war loomed
off the south-eastern coast of large. The dispute was quickly
Argentina. The combined area RECOGNISE settled – allegedly by a secret
of the two main islands – East THE MEANING agreement – but Britain
and West Falkland – equates OF THE evacuated the islands just three
to an area the size of Wales, WORD” years later, due to economic
and if you gathered together pressures brought about by the
all the inhabitants – less than American War of Independence.
3,000 – they would struggle to fill The islands were left largely
a lower-league football stadium. uninhabited until 1816, when Argentina –
which had just won its independence from Spain
History of the Falklands – laid claim to them due to their close proximity.
Claims of discovery of the Falklands date back Meanwhile, Britain was just emerging victorious
to the early 16th Century, but the first recorded from the Napoleonic Wars and was determined
landing there is attributed to English Captain to reassert its imperialism. As part of this,
John Strong. Sailing through Falkland Sound it sought to reclaim the Falklands due to their
in 1690, he named the passage of water after potential as a strategic naval base around Cape
Anthony Cary, 5th Viscount of Falkland. In 1765, Horn. Accordingly, in 1833, a British naval force Margaret Thatcher and her Husband
another English Captain, John Byron, landed evicted the Argentinians. Denis, during a visit to the British
on Saunders Island. Ignorant of the presence In the period of post-Second World War Aerospace factory at Dunsfold in Surrey.
of French Admiral Louis de Bougainville (who, decolonisation, Argentina hoped that British She was photographed in December,
a year before, had built a naval base on what interest in the South Atlantic would fade, with 1982, after the British forces had secured
we now know as East Falkland), Byron claimed sovereignty of the Falklands being handed victory over the Argentine invaders
78 HISTORY WAR
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