Falkland Islands War

Introduction & Top Questions
The outbreak of conflict
The course of the conflict
Costs and consequences

References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics

Images

Map showing the Falkland Islands War of 1982, with the left inset displaying southern South America, highlighting Argentina, the Falkland Islands, Argentine air force and naval bases, and the British 200-mile war zone. The main map details West and East Falkland, marking Argentine troop concentrations, areas of conflict, and the path of the British advance toward Stanley, along with key settlements and landing sites.

The Argentinian cruiser General Belgrano lists heavily as it sinks in the South Atlantic, surrounded by orange life rafts holding survivors in rough water.

At a Glance

Falkland Islands War summary

Quizzes

Civil War era cannon overlooks Kennesaw Mountain National Battle. (military, artillery, American history)

Pick Your Battles Quiz

Louis IX of France (St. Louis), stained glass window of Louis IX during the Crusades. (Unknown location.)

World Wars

D-Day. American soldiers fire rifles, throw grenades and wade ashore on Omaha Beach next to a German bunker during D Day landing. 1 of 5 Allied beachheads est. in Normandy, France. The Normandy Invasion of World War II launched June 6, 1944.

A History of War

Related Questions

How did Argentina’s defeat affect its military government?
How did Argentina’s economic problems influence the decision to invade the Falkland Islands?
How did Exocet missiles affect the Falkland Islands War?
How did Leopoldo Galtieri use the Falkland Islands dispute to build support for Argentina’s military government?
How did the Beagle Channel dispute affect Argentina’s military planning in 1982?
How did the Queen Elizabeth 2 and Canberra help the British war effort?
How did the United Nations try to address the Falkland Islands sovereignty dispute before 1982?
How many people died on each side during the Falkland Islands War?
What conditions did British infantry face while marching across East Falkland?
What happened when Argentine troops landed at Stanley on April 2, 1982?
When and where was the Argentine cruiser General Belgrano sunk?
When did Argentina seize South Georgia during the Falkland Islands War?
When did British forces retake South Georgia?
When did General Mario Menéndez surrender to British forces?
When did the Falkland Islands War begin and end?
When was civilian rule restored in Argentina after the Falkland Islands War?
Where did British forces make their main landing on East Falkland?
Which British ships were sunk by Argentine forces after the San Carlos landing?
Which countries supported Britain during the Falkland Islands War?
Who led Argentina during the Falkland Islands War?
Who was the British prime minister during the Falkland Islands War?
Why did Argentina claim sovereignty over the Falkland Islands?
Why did Argentine salvage workers raise their flag on South Georgia in March 1982?
Why did Britain create a 200-mile war zone around the Falkland Islands?
Why did Britain use destroyers and frigates as radar pickets during the war?
Why did British commanders choose to land at Port San Carlos instead of attacking Stanley directly?
Why did British forces travel through Ascension Island on their way to the Falkland Islands?
Why did Chile remain wary of Argentina during the Falkland Islands War?
Why did about half of Argentina’s war deaths occur in the sinking of the General Belgrano?
Why did most Latin American governments support Argentina during the Falkland Islands War?
Why did the United States support Britain during the Falkland Islands War?
Why was air superiority important in the Falkland Islands War?
Why was long-distance logistics important during the Falkland Islands War?
Why were Argentine pilots able to make only one attack pass against British ships?
Why were British aircraft carriers so important to Britain’s campaign in the Falkland Islands?
Why were many Argentine troops on the Falkland Islands unprepared for the war?
What was the Falkland Islands War?
How many casualties were there in the Falkland Islands War?
What was so unusual about the Anglo-Zanzibar War (1896)?
What happened in the Anglo-Zanzibar War?
Who were the main countries involved in the Anglo-Zanzibar War?
What led to the Crimean War?
What was the outcome of the Crimean War?
What were the Opium Wars?
What caused the Opium Wars?
Who were the main combatants in the Opium Wars?

History Wars, Battles & Armed Conflicts

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External Websites

National Army Museum - The British Army and the Falklands War
BBC Newsround - The Falklands War: 40th Anniversary of the South Atlantic conflict
U.S. Naval War College Digital Commons - The Falklands Crisis and the Laws of War
Royal British Legion - The Falklands War
National Institute for Defense Studies - An Overview of the Falkands War1 : Politics, Strategy and Operations (PDF)
The British Empire - The Falklands War
Military History Encyclopedia on the Web - The Falklands War 1982

Britannica Websites

Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

Falkland Islands War - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)
Falkland Islands War - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

Falkland Islands War

Argentina-United Kingdom [1982]

Also known as: Falklands War, Malvinas War, South Atlantic War(Show More)

Written and fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....

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History

Falkland Islands War, a brief undeclared war fought between Argentina and Great Britain in 1982 over control of the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) and associated island dependencies. Argentina had claimed sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, which lie 300 miles (480 km) east of its coast, since the early 19th century, but Britain seized the islands in 1833, expelling the few remaining Argentine occupants, and since then consistently rejected Argentina’s claims. In early 1982 the Argentine...

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