The Falkland Islands — an archipelago of approximately 12,000 km² in the South Atlantic with a population of approximately 1,800 — had been administered by the United Kingdom since 1833. Argentina (which calls the islands Las Malvinas) had maintained a sovereignty claim throughout. Anglo-Argentine negotiations through the 1970s had failed to resolve the dispute.
By early 1982 the Argentine military junta under General Leopoldo Galtieri faced domestic political collapse — annual inflation above 200 percent and public protest against the regime’s human rights record (approximately 30,000 “disappeared” across 1976-1983). The junta concluded that a successful seizure of the Malvinas would consolidate domestic legitimacy.
2 April 1982
Approximately 600 Argentine commandos landed at Mullet Creek and York Bay near Port Stanley at approximately 04:30 on 2 April 1982. The defending Royal Marine garrison of 68 men under Major Mike Norman held the Government House for approximately three hours before being ordered to surrender. No defenders were killed. The Argentine military assumed control of the islands by midday on 2 April 1982. South Georgia, approximately 1,400 km southeast of the Falklands, was seized on 3 April 1982.
UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher authorized Operation Corporate — the recovery of the islands — within 48 hours. The British task force sailed from Portsmouth on 5 April 1982 comprising two aircraft carriers (HMS Hermes, HMS Invincible), the cruise liners Canberra and Queen Elizabeth 2 as troop transports, plus approximately 100 supporting vessels.
UN Security Council Resolution 502 of 3 April 1982 demanded Argentine withdrawal. US Secretary of State Alexander Haig conducted shuttle diplomacy across 8-30 April 1982 without progress. The United States announced on 30 April 1982 that it would provide military and intelligence support to the United Kingdom.
The war
The British task force reached the South Atlantic on 21 April 1982. South Georgia was recaptured in Operation Paraquet on 25 April 1982.
The principal naval engagements:
— 2 May 1982 — HMS Conqueror (a nuclear submarine) torpedoed and sank the Argentine cruiser ARA General Belgrano approximately 56 km outside the British-declared exclusion zone. 323 Argentine sailors died. The sinking remains politically controversial; Thatcher’s defence that the cruiser had been manoeuvring against the task force was supported by the 1994 Argentine acknowledgment that the Belgrano had been ordered to attack — 4 May 1982 — Argentine Super Étendard fighters launched an Exocet missile that struck and sank HMS Sheffield. 20 British sailors died — 25 May 1982 — Exocet attack sank the container ship MV Atlantic Conveyor carrying critical helicopter spares
The land campaign
The British amphibious landing at San Carlos Water on East Falkland began on 21 May 1982. Approximately 4,000 British troops were ashore by 25 May 1982. The advance on Port Stanley across the Falklands’ approximately 80 km of broken terrain involved:
— 27-28 May 1982 — Battle of Goose Green, the 2nd Battalion Parachute Regiment’s defeat of the Argentine 12th Regiment. Lt Col H. Jones was killed and posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross — 11-12 June 1982 — Battles of Mount Longdon, Two Sisters, and Mount Harriet — 13-14 June 1982 — Battles of Mount Tumbledown and Wireless Ridge
Argentine Major General Mario Menéndez surrendered Port Stanley at approximately 21:00 on 14 June 1982.
After
Casualties:
— Argentine military dead: 649 — British military dead: 255 — Falkland Islander dead: 3 (from British naval gunfire during the recapture of Stanley)
The Galtieri junta collapsed within 72 hours of the surrender. Galtieri was dismissed on 17 June 1982. A civilian government under Raúl Alfonsín was elected in October 1983.
Thatcher won the June 1983 UK general election in a landslide attributed to the Falklands victory.
Argentina has continued to assert sovereignty over the islands. A 2013 Falklands referendum recorded 99.8 percent in favour of remaining a British Overseas Territory.