198 Chapter 2
Participants: 160 Argentina/200 United Kingdom
Outcome (and Settlement): Unclear (None)
Fatalities: None
Narrative: An Argentine destroyer fired shots across the bow of a British research
ship in international waters south of the Falklands. The British ship evaded attempts
by the Argentines to seize the ship.
Coding changes: End Date changed from February 11, 1976.
MID#3630
Dispute Number: 3630
Date(s): March 31, 1982 to June 14, 1982
Participants: 160 Argentina/200 United Kingdom
Outcome (and Settlement): Victory for side B (Imposed)
Fatalities: >999 deaths
Narrative: This dispute describes the Falklands War or Guerra de las Islas Malvinas
between the United Kingdom and Argentina over control of Falkland Islands and
accompanying South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands just off the coast of Argen-
tina. The islands were owned and occupied by the British since 1833, but popular sen-
timent in Argentina had long held those islands to be unredeemed Argentine territory
that became British only after a period of Spanish, Argentine rule. The military junta
of Leopoldo Galtieri in Argentina had underwhelming public support and tried to
encourage greater legitimacy at home by seizing the islands from the British. Britain
had clear military superiority but was so far removed from the islands that it only kept
a small defense force on the islands. When Argentina made the decision to invade, the
British personnel on sight were quickly routed.
The dispute began when a group of Argentine marines posed as a group of civilians
on board a naval transport en route to the Falkland Islands. When they arrived, they
scouted the island in preparation for a potential invasion. While this was concealed
from the British at the time, the Argentines had created a diplomatic incident by
ignoring protocol for visits to the island and, importantly, raised the Argentine flag on
the islands. They were asked to leave for a wanton violation of protocol—including
slaughtering protected reindeer on the island and defacing British flags—and tensions
between both states increased. Thinking that the British would try to send reinforce-
ments to the islands, Argentina made the decision for an invasion on April 2. War
followed, culminating in a British victory as codified in a June 14 surrender from
Argentine general Mario Menendez to British general Jeremy Moore.
The South Georgia, South Sandwich, and Falkland Islands were once more British.
The military junta in Argentina, which had gambled all on this invasion, collapsed
following the war.
Coding changes: Start Date changed from March 1, 1982.
MID#3064
Dispute Number: 3064
Date(s): August 3, 1983 to August 7, 1983