Falklands War

The Falklands War was fought in 1982 between the United Kingdom and Argentina over the British-controlled Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) in the South Atlantic, following Argentina's invasion and occupation of the islands on 2 April 1982 under the military junta led by Leopoldo Galtieri, seeking to bolster domestic support amid economic crisis by asserting Argentina's long-standing territorial claim. Britain under Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher responded by dispatching a naval task force across roughly eight thousand miles of ocean, and after a brief diplomatic effort failed, British forces retook the islands in a ten-week campaign combining naval, air and amphibious operations, including the controversial sinking of the Argentine cruiser General Belgrano and intense air attacks by Argentine forces on the British fleet. Argentine forces on the islands surrendered on 14 June 1982 after British troops recaptured the capital, Stanley. The brief but intense war killed several hundred combatants on each side, restored British control of the islands, and contributed directly to the collapse of Argentina's military junta the following year while bolstering Thatcher's domestic political standing.