Top 5 Facts About the Falklands War

Six years after President Isabel Martínez de Perón was removed from power, the military junta of Argentina pinpointed a unique opportunity when a group of scrap metal workers raised an Argentine flag on the British-occupied South Georgia Island. So, in March of 1982, General Leopoldo Galtieri and Admiral Jorge Anaya orchestrated a plot to invade and claim the Falkland Islands. And why not, right? After all, the military leaders didn’t seem convinced that the UK would even respond, and the dictatorship needed to demonstrate their tactical prowess in order to influence the Argentine public during the country’s economic crisis. So, it did actually seem like a boss move to the junta. But they were wrong. Not only did the United Kingdom take issue with the invasion, but they were ready for war.

In the preceding weeks before the official invasion, the UK had already commenced “Operation Corporate” given the drama at South Georgia Island. But the visuals of the war unfolding didn’t immediately reach the masses like they would today. Just think about it: no Twitter, no Facebook. It took some time for media to travel back then, and slanted propaganda was definitely a real issue. Sure, Vietnam taught the Americans how NOT to promote a false narrative, but even so, the Argentine publication “Gente” went right ahead with a headline like “Estamos ganando,” which means “We’re winning.” Hmm. And then there was the UK press, also behind in spreading real-time events given the slow upload time from the technology, with TV coverage being delayed by as much as three weeks. They were also willing to provide a heightened sense of drama by publishing questionable headlines of their own– notably The Sun’s “Stick It Up Your Junta!” tabloid cover.

This conflict wasn’t a matter of crossing borders to establish power. It was a matter of crossing 8,000 miles of the South Atlantic, at least for the UK. And so, that’s why military scholars find this war so fascinating, as the aerial and maritime operations revealed invaluable data on tactical operations. In a pivotal moment, Argentina’s ARA General Belgrano was sunk one month after the initial occupation, with 323 nationals losing their lives. This one event alone accounted for approximately half of the country’s total amount of casualties – 649 – with the Brits ultimately losing 255 of their own. And don’t forget about the three Falkland natives who also perished.

After the ARA General Belgrano went down, almost the entire Argentine naval fleet returned to the “Malvinas,” otherwise known as the Falkland Islands. Yet in a major twist, the junta unleashed a heavy blow to the Royal Navy by sinking the HMS Sheffield only a couple days later. The war would soon be decided on land, with the epic battle for Stanley representing the defining moment. After crossing the Sussex Mountains, the British forces made an aggressive attempt to end the dispute once and for all, or at least the war itself, as they went all in by launching three separate attacks over the course of two days. And once the UK took hold of Port Stanley, Argentina officially surrendered.

Three days: that’s how long it took for the military dictatorship to fall apart. The failed war for Argentina also meant that the President Leopoldo Galtieri was swiftly removed from power. Looking back, the UK’s Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher unsurprisingly benefited from the war, but what did it mean for Argentina? Well, it meant democracy. And given the internal “Dirty War” of the military dictatorship that had previously terrorized Argentine society, the experience became a source of creativity for the country’s artists. In fact, rock music emerged in Argentina by way of the Falklands War, along with a lasting sense of freedom.

So, does the Falklands War make a little more sense to you now? And can you locate the Falklands Islands on a map? If not, you can always watch this video again…and again…and again. For more educational top 10s and tyrannical Top 5s, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com