Falklands War
The Argentines surrendered at Port Stanley on June 14, and Britain restored its administration of the islands.
Belligerents
United Kingdom
- Commanders
- Woodward, Thatcher (Prime Minister)
- Strength
- A task force of about 100 ships and about 10,000 ground troops
Argentina
- Commanders
- Galtieri, Menendez
- Strength
- An island garrison of about 13,000, mostly conscripts
Background
The dispute between Britain and Argentina over sovereignty of the islands dates back to the 19th century. On April 2, 1982, Argentina's embattled military government sent troops to occupy the islands, and Britain promptly assembled a task force for an expedition to the South Atlantic, 13,000 kilometers away.
Course of the battle
- LandingOn April 2 Argentine forces seized the islands in a surprise attack, and the garrison surrendered.
- ExpeditionsThe British task force sailed south from Portsmouth and moved forward via Ascension Island.
- Air and sea battlesOn May 2 a British nuclear submarine sank the General Belgrano; Argentine Exocet missiles crippled HMS Sheffield and other ships.
- Landing and counteroffensiveOn May 21 British troops landed at San Carlos and fought a string of hard battles at Goose Green and in the mountains.
- RecapturedOn June 14 the Argentines surrendered at Port Stanley.
Outcome at a glance
| Date | 1982 |
|---|---|
| Place | Falkland Islands / Islas Malvinas (South Atlantic) |
| Result | The Argentines surrendered at Port Stanley on June 14, and Britain restored its administration of the islands. |
| Winner | United Kingdom |
| Casualties | 255 British and 649 Argentine servicemen were killed, and 3 islanders died by friendly fire. |
| Territorial change | Sovereignty over the islands remained as it was before the war; Argentina has never abandoned its sovereignty claim. |
Impact
After the war Argentina's military government collapsed, and elected government was restored the following year; in Britain, the Thatcher government's political standing was secured. The war was also the first large-scale real-world test of naval and air combat in the missile age: from then on, navies everywhere reassessed the threat anti-ship missiles posed to surface ships.
See the world in 1982 on the map →