The Falkland War was a short conflict between Argentina and the United Kingdom that took place in the spring of 1982. As both countries were considered part of the Western World, it took the whole World by surprise. However, the Argentine Republic's grievances over the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas in Spanish) were very old, and a source of great national concern.
The Falkland Islands lie about 300 nautical miles from the Argentinian shores, and more than 6000nm from Great Britain. They were discovered in the 1500s and several attempts at settlement by the Spaniards, the French, the British and the Argentinians took place. When the British finally settled them in 1833, Argentina had already achieved its independence from Spain and viewed the Islands as an integral part of its territory. It was then not a matter of European colonialists stealing lands from one another, but a direct attack on the sovereignty of the nation.
By the early 1980s, the military junta in power in Argentina was very unpopular due to severe political repression and difficult economic times. They attempted to regain popularity by launching an expedition to reclaim the Falklands, which had then a population of about 1500, mostly of British origin. The British government sent a naval force to the region and retook control of the islands within a few weeks. The Argentinian junta was discredited internally, which paved way for the restoration of democracy in the country in 1983. Today, the situation is at status quo: the British exercise control of the very sparsely populated islands, while Argentina still claims them as an integral part of its territory.
More on the Falkland Islands
The Falklands War
