Background to the Falklands War

The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic about 300 miles (480 kilometres) from the coast of Argentina. The islands are an Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom, but have long been claimed by Argentina.

Map of Falkland Islands

In 1982, the long-running dispute over sovereignty of the Falklands (as well as South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands) came to a head, eventually leading to the Falklands War. On March 19th, 50 Argentines landed on South Georgia and raised the Argentine flag, then on April 2nd, on the orders of Argentine President, Leopoldo Galtieri, Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands (Operación Azul).

British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, encouraged by First Sea Lord, Sir Henry Leach, then dispatched a naval task force to recapture the islands against the entrenched Argentine military.

World War II

Operation Barbarossa
1941 German Invasion of Russia

Operation Citadel
1943 The Battle of Kursk

Operation Dragoon
1944 Invasion of southern France

Operation Varsity
1945 Crossing the Rhine

Invasions That Never Were

Operation Sealion
1940 German invasion of England

Operation Olympic
1945 US invasion of southern Japan

Operation Coronet
1946 US invasion of northern Japan

Special Forces

Operation Entebbe
1976 Entebbe Airport Rescue

Operation Nimrod
1980 Iranian Embassy Siege

British Cold War Operations

Operation Musketeer
1956 Suez Crisis

Operation Corporate
1982 Falklands War

Operation Black Buck
1982 Vulcan raids on Port Stanley

Operation Granby
1990-91 Persian Gulf

British Post Cold War

Operation Herrick
2002- Afghanistan

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