The Second Falklands War was a 12-week war between Argentina and the United Kingdom over two British dependent territories in the South Atlantic, the Falkland Islands and its terriortiaral dependency, the South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. It began on 2 April 2032, exactly fifty years after the first war, when Argentina invaded the Islands and claimed them as their territory . The British government dispatched a naval task force to engage the argetinian air force and Navy before landing on the islands. The conflict lasted 84 days and ended with the Argentine surrender on the 25th of June after a British invasion of the Argentinian mainland. In total, 1298 Argetinian military personnel, 510 British military personnel, 6 islanders and 100 Argetinian civilians got killed.
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The conflict had a strong effect in both countries. Patriotic sentiment ran high in Argentina, but the outcome caused mass protests against the new junta, causing it's downfall. In the United Kingdom the Labour government became much more popular. The diplomatic relations between the two countries remained cold.
Lead-up to the war[]
General Diaz Fernandez, the leader of the new Argetinian Junta and the mastermind behind the invasion of the Falklands.
In the period leading up to the war- and, in particular, following the shift of power from president Matri to a new military junta in 2022 after the American invasion of Venezuela in the end of 2019, Argentina had been in economic stagnation and large-scale civil unrest. The leader of the Junta, general Antonio Diaz Fernandez, wanted to retake the Islands, he hoped he could take people's attention away from the bad situation by taking the Islands.
The ongoing tensions between the two countries increased on 15 march when a group of Argetinian tourists, actually Argetinian marines, raised the Argetinian flag on the cathedral of Port Stanley. While the Labour government in the UK made plans to send extra troops to the Falklands the Junta decided to attack on the 2nd of April, exactly fifty years after the first war.
The UK was initially taken by surprise by the Argentine attack on the islands, despite repeated warnings by the commander of the Royal Navy, Admiral Brown, and others. Brown believed that the decision by the Tory government off Jacob Rees-Mogg, who was defeated during the 2030 elections, to reduce British military presence on the islands , had convinced Argentina that the United Kingdom was unwilling, and would soon be unable, to defend the islands.
Argentine invasion[]
The Argetinian warship ASA Aspora patrols waters around the Falklands.
On 2 April 2032 an airplane, supposed to be full of Argetinian geologists, landed on the airport of Port Stanley. However, is was a cover for a military invasion by special forces, who exited the aircraft and quickly took the airport. The next few hours battles took place across the islands while more Argetinian troops arrived. At the end of the day, the British forces were cornered at Goverment House and forced to surrender.
Initial British response[]
Word of the invasion first reached the UK from Argentine sources. A official of the ministry of defense had a short conversation with governor O'Hara, who confirmed Argetinian forces were on the island and in control. The next few hours MI6-agents in Argentina confirmed that an invasion had taken place. British military operations during the Second Falklands War were given the codename Operation Rettaliation and the commander of the task force was Admiral Jonathan Grey. Operations lasted from 3 April until 25 June.
On 5 April, the British government set up an war cabinet to provide day-to-day political oversight of the campaign. The war cabinet met at least daily until it was dissolved on 21 July. Although Prime Minister Keira Knightley was described as dominating the war cabinet, she did not ignore or failed to consult others. There was only one decision, the bombing of Buenos Aires, were she ignored the government ministers and listened to the military.
Position of third party countries[]
On the morning of 4 April the United Kingdom's ambassador to the United Nations, Richard Morris, put a draft resolution to the UN security council. The resolution, which condemned the Argetinian actions and demanded their immediate retreat, was adopted that evening. It passed with eleven votes in support and four abstentions (Russia, China, Mexico and Vietnam). The UK received further political support from the Commenwealth of Nations and NATO. Australia, New Zealand and Canada withdrew their diplomats from Buenos Aires. NATO decided to impose sanctions on Argentina. Argentina itself was backed by most South American countries, but not by Brazil and Columbia.
The United States were concerned that the conflict could draw Russia on the side of Argentina, as had happened in Venezuela, and initially tried to mediate. However, when Argentina refused to speak to her, vice president Ivanka Trump announced that the United States would prohibit arms sales to Argentina and provide material support for the British operations. Both houses of Congress passed resolutions supporting the cooperation between the US and the UK.
British task force[]
Because of the policies of Jacob Rees-Mogg, the British government had no real contingency plan for an invasion of the Falklands and the task force was rapidly put togheter from ships that were available. It was led by the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth and consisted of 43 Royal Navy vessels, 22 Royal fleet auxiliary ships and 42 merchant ships.
The HMS Queen Elizabeth leaves its base and heads to the Falklands.
First encounters with the Argetinians began in the end of April, the British task force was shadowed by Boeing aircrafts of the Argetinian Air Force during their journey south. The unarmed Boeing's were not attacked because diplomatic talks were still underway and the government hadden taken the decision to attack the islands yet.
Recapture of South Georgia[]
The South Georgia force, Operation Southern Light, under the command of major Thomas Davies of the Royal Marines, consisted of marines from 42 commando, a troop of the Special Air Service (SAS) and troops from the Special Boat Service (SBS). They were intended to be reconnaissance troops for an invasion by Royal Marines.
The first landings of the SAS took place on 27 April, but the weather was so bad that their and other landings were cancelled the next day. On 29 April a Argetinian submarine was spotted and after a cat-and-mouse game, sunk by the Royal Navy after being hit by two torpedoes. The surviving crew was picked up by other Argetinian ships and brought to the mainland.
With no threat from any Argetinian ships Davies decided to take the 86 man that he had to do a direct assault that day, the 29th of April. After a forced short march and a naval bombardment the Argetinian forces surrenderd. Prime Minister Keira Knightley broke the news to the media, telling them to "Just rejoice and thank our armed forces for their victory on South Georgia."
Bombing of Buenos Aires[]
Argentina also had aircrafts on the mainland and used them to attack the British fleet whenever possible. After another attack an Air Force base close to Buenos Aires was bombed by the Royal Air Force, probably as reaction to the damage the Argetinians caused. About 300 military personnel and 100 civilians were killed. More than 700 people were injured. The attack caused the biggest amount of people lost by the Argetinians in the entire war.
Damage after the bombardment.
Land Battles[]
During the night of 27 May, the British amfibious task group under command of Commodore Will Browning mounted an amfibious landing on the islands. They advanced while being bombarded by the Argetinian Air Force.
By dawn of the next day, they had established a secure beachhead from wich to conduct offensive operations. From there, General Kevin Young's plan was to take Darwin and Goose Green before attacking Port Stanley. Now the British troops had landed on the islands, the Argetinian Air Force began bombing them, it lasted until the last day of the war.
From early on 3 June until 4 June 1 Para, approximately 500 men, with support of naval gunfire and artillery, approached and attacked Darwin and Goose Green. After a tough struggle that lasted all night and into the next day, the British won the battle. In all, 34 British and 94 Argetinian soldiers were killed.
Meanwhile, 40 commando prepared to move by helicopter to mount Kent. Unknown to British generals , their Argetinian counterparts wanted to tie down the British in the mount Kent area, and had send more manpower and material. For the next week, the 21st Special Air Service and the 4 commando brigade waged three intense battles with Argetinian commandos. The British were supported by the Royal Air Force. On 7 June the 21st SAS defeated the Argetinian commandos at the skirmish of Mount Kent. 15 Argetinian commandos survived the gunfight and were taken prisoner.
A member of the 21st SAS on the Falklands.
On the night of 22 June, after several days of reconnaissance and logistic build-up, British forces launched a night attack against the heavily defended ring around Port Stanley. Units of 4 commando and the 21st SAS penetrated deep behind enemy lines before being pinned down by friendly fire, sniper fire, artillery attacks and ambushes. Later thst night, 42 commando reinforced them and caused a breakthrough into Stanley. There were 50 British casualties, half of them because of friendly fire.
The second phase of the attack started in the evening of 23 June, and the momentum of the initial assault was maintained. The 21st SAS forced their way into Stanley, causing major panic under Argetinian forces. The Scots Guards used that panic to break the last line of defense and entered the city too. After another day of battles, this time in Stanley, a ceasefire was declared and the commander of the Argetinian troops on the Falklands, Major General Carvajal, surrenderd to the British General Young the next day.
Aftermath[]
This brief war brought many consequences to both parties involved. In the United Kingdom, Keira Knightley's popularity increased. The success of the Falklands campaign convinced many of the people who doubted about her to forget those doubts. Directly after the war she reinforced the strength of the British army in the Falklands and Gibraltar.