Abstract:
The Falkland Islands War of 1982 was fought over
competing claims to sovereignty over a group of islands off
the east coast of South America. The dispute was between
Argentina and the United Kingdom. Argentina claims the
islands under rights to Spanish succession, the fact that
they lie off the Argentine coast line and that in 1833
Great Britain took the islands illegally and by force. The
United Kingdom claims the islands primarily through
prescription--the fact that they have governed the islands
in a peaceful, continuous and public manner since 1833. The
British also hold that the population living on the islands,
roughly eighteen hundred British descendants, should be able
to decide their own future. The United Kingdom also lays
claim to the islands through rights of discovery and
settlement, although this claim has always been challenged
by Spain who until 1811 governed the islands. Both claims
have legal support, and the final decision if there will
ever be one is difficult to predict. Sadly today the
ultimate test of sovereignty does not come through
international law but remains in the idea that "He is
sovereign who can defend his sovereignty."
The years preceding the Argentine invasion of 1982
witnessed many diplomatic exchanges between The United
Kingdom and Argentina over the future of the islands.
During this time the British sent signals to Argentina that
ii
implied a decline in British resolve to hold the islands and
demonstrated that military action did more to further the
talks along than did actual negotiations. The Argentine
military junta read these signals and decided that they
could take the islands in a quick military invasion and that
the United Kingdom would consider the act as a fait accompli
and would not protest the invasion. The British in response
to this claimed that they never signaled to Argentina that a
military solution was acceptable to them and launched a
Royal Navy task force to liberate the islands. Both
governments responded to an international crisis with means
that were designed both to resolve the international crisis and
increase the domestic popularity of the government. British
Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was facing an all-time low
in popularity for post-War Prime Ministers while Argentine
President General Galtieri needed to gain mass popular
support so he could remain a viable President after he was
scheduled to lose command of the army and a seat on the
military junta that ran the country.
The military war for the Falklands is indicative of the
nature of modern warfare between Third World countries. It
shows that the gap in military capabilities between Third
and First World countries is narrowing significantly.
Modern warfare between a First and Third World country is no
longer a 'walk over' for the First World country.
