By

Ryan "Fitz" Green

Jon Zurinskas
Andrew Montgomery
Tara Taggart

Also known as the Malvinas Islands

Almost 300 miles from Argentine mainland
Capital: Stanley
Two main islands
West and East Falkland
Hundreds of small islands
Population: 3,140

Colonial period
Claims by Britain, Spain and France
Post-Colonial period
Napoleonic Wars liberated Argentina
Argentina made claims, settlers expelled by
British 1833

British power on the decline

However, British still believe in selfdetermination

Decolonization is gaining momentum

Population clearly in favor of staying British possession

Argentine government tries coercive diplomacy

1976

Fails, government becomes impatient

New leaders come to forefront of the Junta

General Leopoldo Galtieri

Admiral Jorge Anaya
Brigadier Basilio Lami Dozo

Possible causes of the war

Popular domestic unrest

Misperceptions of motivations
Growth of Argentine military
Decline of British power

Argentine troops set up flag on South Georgia

Seen as first event of Falklands war

Argentina invades the Islands

April 2, 1982
Formal Declaration of War about a
month later

April 2nd 1982 Argentina launches an amphibious landing on

the
Falkland Island
Argentine Marines quickly seized the capital of the Falklands,
Port
Stanley.
The small garrison of marines were
largely outnumbered, and forced to
surrender to Argentine forces.
The following day the island of South
Georgia was invaded.
After a brief firefight, the small
presence of Royal marines were
forced to surrender to Argentine forces

Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher ordered the assembly of

naval task force to retake the island. In mid April Admiral
Sir John Fieldhouse began moving south

On April 25th British forces recaptured South Georgia Island

after sinking a Argentine Submarine.

Shortly after RAF bombers began bombing Argentine

controlled
airfields and radar towers.

May 2nd, HMS Conqueror sank ARA

Belgrano, killing 323 and capturing
over 700 seamen

May 4th A successful missile strike

claimed HMS Sheffield killing 20
crew members

May 21st British Amphibious Task group mounted

operation Sutton, this led to the British securing a
beachhead at Port San Carlos to conduct offensive
operations.

On the same day HMS Ardent

was sunk followed by HMS
Antelope on the 24th and HMS
Coventry on the 25th.

Early on May 27th British forces attacked Darwin and Goose Green
which was occupied by Argentine Infantry forces.

After a grueling two day battle British forces pushed the Argentine
forces back.The result was 961 Argentine forces were captured.

Meanwhile British Commandos and SAS were moved onto Mount Kent.
They met resistance from Argentine Commandos.

On May 31st after waging an intense

hit and run battle British forces
defeated the Argentine Commandos
at the Battle of Top Malo House.

June 1st 5000 British troops arrived to attack Port

Stanley

British ships were attacked and badly damaged

by Argentine bombers.

BBC television recorded

this happening,
which were seen around
the world.

June 11 1982 British launch as brigade

sized attack against high grounds
surrounding Stanley.
The battles of Mount Harriet, Two Sisters and
Mount Longdon resulted, followed by the
Battle of Wireless Ridge and Mount
Tumbledown

British Victory at Mount Tumbledown, last

line of natural defense.
Argentine forces in Stanley became
worried.
June 14th General Menendez surrendered
to MG Jeremy Moore
June 20th British
retook S. Sandwich
Islands and declared
an end to hostilities

British
Argentines
British Army - 122
Navy - 392 (323 in ARA
Royal Navy - 87
Belgrano, rest most marines)
Royal Marines - 26
Army - 179 (11 officers, 30 sc,
Merchant Navy - 9
138 conscripts)
Royal Fleet Auxiliary - 7 Air Force - 55 (36 pilots)
Falkland Islanders - 3
Gendarmeria (border guard) -7
Royal Air Force - 1
Prefectura (coast guard) -2
Total 255
Total 635
Total wounded - 777
Total wounded - 1068

U.S. Treaty Obligations

NATO
Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance

Debate
Mediation
Secretary of State, Alexander Haig

Intelligence Information
Military equipment
U.S. Secretary of Defense, Caspar
Weinberger

Built by U.S. task force during World War

II
Re-opened in 1957
Used as staging base for RAF during
Falklands War

Reagan and Weinberger both awarded

Knight Commander of British Empire
September 2001-Vicente Fox

End of the War

June 14, 1982- Commander agrees to cease
fire and 9,800 argentine troops dropped their
weapons
British Major Jeremy Moore flew into Port
Stanley to meet with General Menendez
Menendez is allowed to strike unconditional
from surrender document
His surrender would be with dignity and honor
according to British podcasts

General Moore does not allow him to insert

the Argentina propaganda Las Malvinas after
Falklands
Document was formally signed and the war is
over.

War Results
War lasted 72 days and claimed the lives
of 236 British and 655 Argentine Troops
War cost of at least $2 billion
9,800 Argentine troops were made POWS
and were repatriated to Argentina on liner
Canberra
June 25- Governor Rex Hunt returns as
Commissioner of the Falklands at Stanley
British Government decreed all classified
information would be available to public in
2002.

War Results
War helped revive and reelect Margaret
Thatcher
1990, she supplied the backbone to George
Bush and urged him to take military action when
Iraq invaded Kuwait

Defeat severely discredited the military

government and forced the resignation of
Leopoldo Galtieri
This paved the way for restoration of
democracy in Argentina
Elections were held in October 1983

Falkland war is made a public holiday in

Argetina called: Dia del Veterano de Guerra

Military Analysis
Naval battle after WWII proved
vulnerability of surface-ships to antiship missiles
Reaffirmed effectiveness of aircraft in
naval warfare and re-emphasized the
importance of total air supremacy.
Missiles proved lethality so ships used
close-in weapons system (CIWS)
UK decided to build Harrier Aircraftcan operate from forward bases with

Britains Tactical Errors

British Ministry of Defense had been
accused of failing to prepare service
personnel for war and for care
afterwards
Ignored issue of PTSD

More veterans have committed

suicide since the Falkland War ended
than the number of troops killed in
action

Argentinas Tactical errors

Britain had spread disinformation that
their hunter-killer subs were deployed
in number and this failed to be true,
but the Argentinians believed the
reports
The army did not use their troops
effectively, majority stayed near Port
Stanley

Political Analysis
War illustrates role of political
miscalculation and miscommunication
Both sides underestimated the
importance of the Falklands to the other

Since the UK is an integral U.S. ally

and important part of NATO, to permit
a loss would have been a signal to the
USSR that the NATO alliance was
militarily and politically weak.
Victory was not over-looked by USSR
and they increased troop levels facing

Falkland Islands Today

Economic prosperity and
modernization through establishment
of fisheries regime
Offshore oil exploration, onshore
mineral prospects are ongoing
processes
Tourism is expanding quickly,
especially from expedition ships
an international airport, an all-purpose
jetty, the creation of a development
corporation and more have all been

Questions
What were the causes of the Falkland Wars?
Why did the Argentine general surrender so quickly?
Did the U.S. make the correct choice in supporting the U.K.?