So how did this war come about? What were the consequences to such a falling out? And almost 30 years later is the war still relevant to Argentineans? British colonisation of the Falklands occurred in 1840 and it remained until the war began. In 1964, Britain and Argentina went to the United Nations, with both countries believing they had justification to stake the islands as their own. Argentina claimed that, given their geographical situation and for the sake of ending colonialism within South America, the islands should be given back. Britain argued that transferring power to Argentina without the islanders consent would also constitute colonialism. Despite the turbulence, relationships between British settlers in the Falklands and the Argentinean population remained, with islanders often sending their children to school in mainland Argentina in the 60’s and 70’s. In 1982, after years of negotiation, the British were still refusing to hand the islands back to Argentina, sparking military action. In truth, the start of the war had something to do with the leaders of both countries.

In Argentina, newly elected president Leopoldi Galtieri was determined to silence critics who had become disillusioned with the military rule and the dire economic situation. Galtieri believed Britain would not retaliate if Argentina took control of the islands by force, and with a new sense of patriotism, the Argentineans would forget about the country’s problems. Similarly, Margaret Thatcher had been Britain’s Prime Minister for three years and with an upcoming election and popularity waning, was keen to assert her authority in order to revive political support. Galtieri sent 5000 soldiers to the islands on the 2nd April 1982 and they easily overcame the British, who had been thoroughly unprepared for an invasion. They were once again declared Islas Malvinas by Galtieri, who visited the islands, to highlight the change in power. The British were taken by complete surprise and it generated huge media attention. The interventions of the United States and the UN offering discussions proved fruitless, and Britain set up a military base in Ascencion Island in the mid Atlantic. Britain’s first military response was in late April, when the British Navy sent in several vessels and the first air attack responses were seen on the 1st May. The most tragic event of the war was the bombing and sinking of Argentina’s General Belgrano ship, which was struck by a British submarine. The attack inflicted huge damage and, despite managing to save 700 people, 323 Argentineans lost their life, roughly half of the country’s casualties in the war. As well as the terrible loss of human life, the strike had a significant impact on the war as Argentina called back all of its naval presence, with the surrounding sea controlled by Britain.  

The Argentineans never fully recovered from such a strategic loss; although there were several responses, most notably the sinking of HMS Sheffield which killed twenty British crew, the British started to take control of the islands. Five thousand British troops were sent to the Falklands on 1st June, with the intention of taking control of Stanley, the islands’ major runway and port. After more loss of life, the Argentineans declared a cease fire on 14th and handed control of the islands back to the British. In 74 days, 904 people were killed, including 649 on the Argentinean side. The aftermath of the war meant there was real hatred between the two countries for a number of years.

The latest spat between the leaders of the two countries has highlighted, at least diplomatically, that the possession of the islands is still a controversial subject. Ani, a Spanish teacher at a Spanish school in Buenos Aires, still has strong feelings for the war, even though she believes most of the population in Argentina do not care much about it now; “To the majority of Argentineans, the Malvinas islands are not important any more, but I remember it clearly because my father met a lot of the casualties. There were many boys who were not properly trained and ordered to fight against the British. My father met a lot of soldiers who had parts of their body blown off, and I would never want to see war happen again”. Given the stance which both the British Prime Minister and the Argentinean President have taken recently, the issue of who owns the islands is likely to resurface in the future. Whatever happens, both sides need to realise that diplomacy and negotiation are vital. The amount of people killed in the Falklands war in such a short space of time should serve as a reminder that war is not an acceptable way to end a dispute, and that any issues should be resolved through discussions and not on the battlefield.