ByRyan "Fitz" GreenJon ZurinskasAndrew MontgomeryTara Taggart

Also known as the Malvinas IslandsAlmost 300 miles from Argentine mainlandCapital: StanleyTwo main islandsWest and East Falkland Hundreds of small islandsPopulation: 3,140

Colonial periodClaims by Britain, Spain and FrancePost-Colonial periodNapoleonic Wars liberated ArgentinaArgentina made claims, settlers expelled by British 1833

British power on the declineDecolonization is gaining momentumHowever, British still believe in self-determinationPopulation clearly in favor of staying British possessionArgentine government tries coercive diplomacy 1976Fails, government becomes impatient

New leaders come to forefront of the JuntaGeneral Leopoldo GaltieriAdmiral Jorge AnayaBrigadier Basilio Lami DozoPossible causes of the warPopular domestic unrestMisperceptions of motivationsGrowth of Argentine militaryDecline of British power

Argentine troops set up flag on South GeorgiaSeen as first event of Falklands warArgentina invades the IslandsApril 2, 1982Formal 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 MooreJune 20th British retook S. Sandwich Islands and declared an end to hostilities

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

U.S. Treaty ObligationsNATOInter-American Treaty of Reciprocal AssistanceDebateMediationSecretary of State, Alexander Haig

Intelligence InformationMilitary equipmentU.S. Secretary of Defense, Caspar Weinberger

Built by U.S. task force during World War IIRe-opened in 1957Used as staging base for RAF during Falklands War

Reagan and Weinberger both awarded Knight Commander of British EmpireSeptember 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 MenendezMenendez is allowed to strike unconditional from surrender document His surrender would be with dignity and honor according to British podcastsGeneral Moore does not allow him to insert the Argentina propaganda Las Malvinas after FalklandsDocument 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 CanberraJune 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 Thatcher1990, 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 GaltieriThis paved the way for restoration of democracy in ArgentinaElections were held in October 1983 Falkland war is made a public holiday in Argetina called: Dia del Veterano de Guerra y los Caidos en Malvinas

Military Analysis Naval battle after WWII proved vulnerability of surface-ships to anti-ship missilesReaffirmed 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 Aircraft- can operate from forward bases with no runways

Britains Tactical Errors All UK losses at sea were achieved by aircraft or missile strikes. Britain did not carefully prepare and units were stationed on different aircraft and supplies ran out Learned that even though aluminum ships do not burn, they meltFloating Flares

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 PTSDMore 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 otherSince 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 the British Army of the Rhine

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 accomplished Now an overseas territory of the UK and a member of the Commonwealth family

QuestionsWhat 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.?

Sources: The Origins of the South Atlantic War John Arquilla and Mara Moyano Rasmussen Journal of Latin American Studies , Vol. 33, No. 4 (Nov., 2001), pp. 739-775 Published by: Cambridge University Press Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3653763

http://www.falklands.info/background/geography.html

Pictures from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falklands

"Falkland Islands War." Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica Inc., 2012. Web. 23 Mar. 2012. .

Smith, Gordon. "Ascension Island, 1982 Falklands War." Navy and Naval History.Net. Web. 21 Mar. 2012. .

http://www.psywar.org/falklands.phphttp://www.falklands.info/history/82articles.html

*Argentina calls them the Malvinas Islands.4,700 square miles- comparable in size to Connecticut Islands are fairly close to Argentina.Located not far from Antarctica; South Atlantic climate means it is cool, windy, volatile weather.Mostly flat, used for farmland and grazing (meat and wool from sheep), fishing and tourism are other main industries.Mountains of over 2,000 feet:Mount Usborne on East FalklandMount Adam on West FalklandLow population, low crime rate.*Britain became more aware of the strategic value of the islands.British forcefully expelled all Argentine settlers.Claims now based on discovery, conquest; has maintained continuous settlement; asserts right of self-determination for settlers (who are almost entirely Anglo-Saxon).Argentina internally divided, weak especially compared to British Empire, at its height in this time.*Great Britain decolonizes heavily after World War II, giving up (sometimes unwillingly) holdings across the globe such as in Africa and IndiaNo longer has the power to keep its hold over coloniesColonial peoples want freedomPeople of Falklands consider themselves British; anglo-saxon ethnicity dominantColonists see no benefit in Argentinian controlBritish Government willing to discuss sovereignty of Falklands w/ Argentina in 1970s, colonists firmly against itSerious diplomatic effort in 1976 to wrest control of the islands from British*Anaya is the impetus for a forceful solution the Falkland issueThe invasion of the Falklands can be explained as a diversion to distract Argentines from poor economic conditions and harsh military rule.13% unemployment120% inflationThe disappeared of Argentina- thousands of civilians abducted, tortured, imprisoned, murderedMuch popular sentiment that The Falklands were part of ArgentinaThe U.K. did not expect the Argentinians to actually invade, and the Argentinians did not expect the U.K to retaliate and try to take back the islands.U.S. and European military analysts at the time predicted that Argentina had a good chance to win.*Troops posed as scrap-metal merchants, took over abandoned whaling station, a UK possession. Island is hundreds of miles to east of Falklands.Junta believes U.K. is sending fleet to South Georgia, moves up invasion of Falklands from May to April.Galitieri did not plan on fighting the British at first, wanted to use takeover of islands as bargaining chip.Organizational pressure from within and popular pressure from the Argentine public made it impossible to back down and made conflict with the British inevitable.*http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/200775/Falkland-Islands-War*http://www.falklandswar.org.uk/FAQ.htm**Ro Pact only obliges U.S. to intervene if one of adherents is attacked. In this case, Argentina was acting as aggressor. Debate: Supporters of Argentina were concerned with undermining NATO. Supporters of Argentina were concerned with reducing the effectiveness of U.S. anti-communist efforts in Latin America. Haig decides to support United Kingdom. U.S. announced it would prohibit arms sales to Argentina and provide material support for British operations. *Sidewinder Lima all-aspect infrared seeking missiles. Use of American aircraft carriers-Hermes, Invincible. U.S.non-interference-perceived threat of USSR and spread of communism; Great Britain could handle the conflict on their own militarily.*Aid in amphibious attacks. Period of inactivity. *Critics claimed violation of Monroe Doctrine. Cited conflict as failure of the Ro Pact. U.S. defended decision by citing Argentina as the aggressor.