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Who the hell does the Falklands belong to
Author: Dmitry
Proofreader: Asaka / Editor: Yakult
In the just-concluded World Cup match, Argentina, the favorite to win the championship, lost 1:2 to Saudi Arabia, breaking the first big upset since the start of this World Cup.
Whenever Argentina is sadly out of the World Cup, Madonna's old song "Argentina, Don't Cry for Me" always echoes in my ears. Argentina, home to world number one star Lionel Messi, has failed to win the World Cup for years.
The first 4 sessions failed to realize their dreams
It's the 5th, is there any hope?
(Photo: OneImage & Wiki) ▼
Argentina last won the World Cup in 1986, the first World Cup that Maradona consecrated. In the quarter-finals against England, legend has it that Maradona called on players in the dressing room to avenge the war of 4 years ago.
At this moment, the honor belongs to Argentina!
(Photo: Wiki) ▼
The war Maradona is talking about is the Anglo-Armagh war. Now, 40 years after the war, the dispute over sovereignty over the island has not subsided. So what is the basis for the British and Argentine claims to the archipelago in the South Atlantic, and can Argentina claim back this territory?
Argentina and the Malvinas Islands (Falkland Islands)▼
The Lost Land of the Atlantic
The Malvinas Islands are located in the southeast of South America. It is about 480 kilometers from the coast of Argentine Patagonia and more than 13,000 kilometers from the British mainland.
The archipelago covers an area of about 12,000 square kilometres and consists of two main islands: the Great Malvina (West Falkland) and Soledad (East Falkland), as well as 776 affiliated islands.
Grand Malvina and Soledad
(Photo: Google Map) ▼
According to research, the first humans to arrive here were the indigenous people of southern Argentina, that is, the legendary "Patagonian giant". When the average height of European men was less than 165cm, Patagonian could reach an average height of 181cm, which was a well-deserved giant of that era.
The "giant" became more and more evil as it spread
Others say that 3.7 meters of body have been seen here
(Photo: wiki) ▼
The indigenous peoples of Patagonia did not establish settlements on the Falklands, which meant that for a long time the Malvinas Islands were almost uninhabited desert islands.
This is still the case in most parts of the island today
(Details of Soledad Island)
(Photo: Google Map) ▼
As for which European navigators discovered the archipelago first, there are many opinions, with Britain, the Netherlands, France, and Spain all saying that they discovered the Falklands first. In the Age of Exploration, when circumventing Cape Horn, anyone may catch a glimpse of such a land in the fog, so who discovered it first at the specific time is impossible to verify.
In 1690, English captain John documented the island's waters and wildlife
(Photo: Shutterstock)
What is certain is that the first human settlement on the Falklands was established by the French. In 1764, the famous French navigator Louis Antoine de Bougainville established a port on the island of Soledad (East Island). The flotilla was named "îles Malouines", the French home port of "Port Saint-Malo", which is the origin of the name "Malvinas Islands" in Spanish.
Louis Antoine de Bougainville on the island of Soleda
Founded Port of St. Louis (tribute to King Louis XV)
(Photo: wiki) ▼
After the French occupied the East Island, British colonists followed, establishing their own stronghold in the West Island. Later, Spain invoked the provisions of the "Papal Meridian" to claim the territory of the Falklands from both countries. Spain first paid France a sum of money to get the East Island, and then forcibly expelled the British to get the West Island. The entire Falklands became part of the Spanish colonies of the Americas.
Spain, Portugal, this law of dividing the world is quite overbearing
And the real strength can't keep up with this flag▼ at all
Two years later, the Kingdom of Spain established the Viceroyalty of La Plata in its South American colony, with its capital in present-day Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina. The Viceroyalty was considered the predecessor of Argentina, and the Malvinas Islands were also included.
The Viceroyalty of La Plata developed rapidly and was almost self-sufficient in its economy
In 1806, he repelled the British invasion on his own
and pushed them to independence
(Photo: wiki) ▼
In 1810, a large-scale revolutionary movement against Spanish colonial rule broke out in Buenos Aires and a provisional government was established. Six years later, the United Province of La Plata became independent. Over the next 10 years, after the nascent nation experienced turmoil, integration and division, a country known as Argentina emerged from the world.
The May Revolution created Argentina
(Photo: wiki) ▼
De jure, Argentina inherited Spanish colonies in the region, including the Falklands. However, the British, taking advantage of the withdrawal of the Spanish colonists and the emptiness of power on the island, sent men and horses to occupy the Malvinas Islands. In 1841, the British completed the expulsion of Argentine officials and appointed a British lieutenant governor on the island. This lost land of the South Atlantic became its own colony.
Port Louis was renamed Port Stanley by the British
Become the seat of the local government
(Photo: wiki) ▼
Argentina's independence was an important step towards the end of mankind's colonial history, and the British in turn invaded the newborn country and expanded their colonies, which undoubtedly opened the wheel of history.
The Malvinas Islands can only be regarded as a small corner of the vast territory of the British Empire
However, it is an important maritime location for Argentina
Cleanse colonial legacies
Colonialism is a disgraceful page in human history. The acts of oppression, domination, enslavement and exploitation of weak and small countries and regions by the Western powers by taking advantage of their military and technological superiority have brought profound disasters to the colonial people. Therefore, putting an end to the colonial era and removing the vestiges of colonialism is also one of the main objectives of the United Nations.
The United Nations has a Special Committee on Decolonization
Visiting missions and missions would be sent to the Non-Self-Governing Territories
Eighty colonies had been promoted to independence
(Photo: United Nations un.org) ▼
On 14 December 1960, the United Nations General Assembly issued resolution 1514, which emphasized: "Considering the important role of the United Nations in assisting independence movements in the Trust Territories and Non-Self-Governing Territories, recognizing the urgent desire of the peoples of the world to eliminate colonialism in all its forms ... Reaffirming that peoples are free to dispose of their natural wealth and resources for their own purposes on the basis of mutual benefit and international law, without prejudice to any obligations arising from international economic cooperation based on the principle of mutual benefit and international law, ”
In sum, the resolution demonstrates the commitment of the United Nations to the establishment of the eradication of all forms of colonialism. That had given Argentina great confidence to claim the Malvinas Islands, which had belonged to them.
This year exactly
The first year of the Fourth International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism (2021-2030).
(Photo: un.org)▼
In 1965, Resolution 2065 of the United Nations General Assembly explicitly mentioned the issue of the Falk Islands. The original text stated: "... The Falklands were one of those forms of colonialism, which was eliminated. ”
The reason for the lawsuit is very clear. However, the British did not admit it. The illegal occupation of the Malvinas Islands continued.
After negotiations were fruitless and neither side gave in to each other. In 1982, the two countries finally met each other.
Argentina believes that it is in its own right place and can fight a war
Although Britain had to go on a long expedition, it would never let go
(Photo: wiki) ▼
The time period at which the war took place was also very delicate. When Argentina's military junta came to power in 1976, it imposed repressive rule in the country, assassinating and arresting anti-government activists everywhere, and people were terrified. At this time, Argentina's economy also experienced a downturn.
Those who were killed, disappeared or tortured at the time
and those forced into exile, probably as many as 30,000
(Photo: wiki) ▼
Argentina was originally one of the most economically developed countries in the Americas, and once considered itself the first brother of South America. However, due to the lack of industrial base, the industry is single, and it is heavily dependent on agricultural exports, and in the global Great Depression, due to the slow sale of agricultural products, it suffered a recession. Since then, due to political turmoil, those in power have been even less willing to build a domestic industrial base.
The Belle Époque in Argentina is over
After all, an economy so dependent on other countries
No matter how rich it is, it is temporary
(Photo: wiki) ▼
In addition, Argentina took sides in World War II and showed pro-axis political tendencies, and in the Anglo-Afghan confrontation stage, the then British Prime Minister "Iron Lady" Thatcher directly called the Argentine military government "fascist". For this reason, Argentina could not integrate into the circles dominated by the two camps of the United States and the Soviet Union in international trade.
The economic decay further intensified domestic contradictions, and Argentina desperately needed a victory in a foreign war to alleviate the acute contradictions at home.
Galtieri wanted to divert his attention and solve the crisis
I didn't expect to step down after beating myself
(Photo: wiki) ▼
And Britain at that time was not very good. After many years of peace, accompanied by the decline of Britain's economic strength, Britain's military spending has been reduced again and again, and by 1980, the British Navy showed a scene of aging equipment and floating people. It can be said that combat effectiveness has fallen to the lowest point since World War II.
Thousands of miles forward
On 2 April 1982, Argentina suddenly sent troops to the Malvinas Islands. The British officers and men stationed on the Falklands were taken prisoner of the Argentines without preparation. The photo of the British troops lying on the ground and surrendering quickly spread around the world, and the British side was disgraced.
I thought that under the blitzkrieg, the weakened Britain would not have much chance of victory even if it responded
The result was unexpected for the Argentines
(Photo: wiki) ▼
The British quickly organized a counterattack, but the Argentines were not worried. Britain is thousands of miles away from the Falklands, and for a long time, many warships have not been regularly repaired, and it is already good to be able to sail to the South Atlantic, let alone fight?
The war had not yet departed from the expectations of the Argentines, and of the two aircraft carriers that Britain could mobilize at that time, the Invincible aircraft carrier malfunctioned less than an hour after leaving port.
That's him
In 2011, it was auctioned by Turkey to be dismantled into scrap iron
(Photo: wiki) ▼
However, as an old maritime power, Britain has a deep foundation in both strategic determination and maritime mobilization capabilities. If there is a malfunction of the aircraft carrier, it will be driven first, and it will be repaired while rushing to the battlefield at sea. If there are not enough ships, civilian ships will be requisitioned first.
During this half-world march, most of the British ships were civilian ships. The team includes the 67,000-ton luxury cruise ship Queen Victoria, the migrant passenger ship Canberra and so on... Some of them had just finished transporting a wave of guests when they received the message that "your ship has been requisitioned by the Queen."
Look at the aircraft carrier Invincible from the escort destroyer
(Photo: wiki) ▼
In this process, the British officers and men showed amazing organizational skills and military literacy, and even when fighting in the southern hemisphere thousands of miles away, there were no logistical problems such as insufficient supplies on the battlefield.
In contrast, Argentina, which has not experienced a large-scale hot war for more than 100 years, is very unfamiliar with the bloody smell of war. The local war took advantage of the time and place, and could have been left to work, but the logistics supply was difficult to say, and the weapons and numbers of the troops defending the island, as well as the fortifications on the island, were far from meeting the needs. Moreover, at the beginning of the war, France banned the export of Exocet missiles to Argentina, which shows that the position of the great powers is already clear.
The war ended with the defeat of Argentina and the British continued to occupy the Malvinas Islands to this day.
On 14 June, Argentina surrendered
Now St. Martin's Square erects a monument to fallen soldiers
(Photo: wiki) ▼
Of course, regardless of the outcome of the war, how long this status quo will last. We still have to look at the issue of the ownership of the Falklands by the criterion of right and wrong.
Argentina's independence marked the end of colonialism in the region, and the colonizers' occupation of an overseas territory in the same barbaric way as in the past was bound to be spurned by the international community.
San Martín and Bolivar
Eternal liberator, eternal hero of the Americas
(Photo: wiki) ▼
Today, colonialism is long overdue, but there are still some countries that are still in the mutilation. At the end of World War II, there were about 70 colonies in the world, including Hong Kong and Macao on the mainland. There are 17 left today, 10 of which are British, which speaks volumes.
Soon after Britain's victory in the Falklands War, Thatcher immediately negotiated with China on the return of Hong Kong, but in the face of the tough statements of mainland leaders, the "Iron Lady" did not take the slightest advantage.
The Falklands victory was a big boost to Margaret Thatcher
But we will not compromise on the issue of sovereignty
(Photo: Shutterstock)
In addition to the Falklands, the UK illegally occupies many overseas territories. For example, the Chagos Archipelago, which the United Nations clearly identified as belonging to the Republic of Mauritius, was once expelled by the British. It took years of arbitration resolution to barely obtain residency. The UN demanded that Britain withdraw unconditionally from the Chagos Archipelago, but Britain objected.
The British army created famine and slaughtered animals on the island
The U.S. military also built military bases
They are all too skilled at changing the facts of population replacement
(Photo: wiki) ▼
There are countless such examples, although the empire no longer exists, but under the trend of Brexit and the rise of power politics in the international community, it may take a long time for Britain to end its colonial era.
Although Argentina lost the war, Maradona eliminated England four years later with the "Goal of the Century" and "Hand of God", which can be regarded as a revenge. Since then, however, Argentina has played a tragic role in the World Cup.
Argentina's defeat to Saudi Arabia cast a shadow over their way to promotion. This should be the last World Cup that Messi will play, and I hope that Argentina can be ashamed and brave and show their strength in the following matches.
Bibliography:
1. United Nations General Assembly Resolution 1514 (XV) of 14 December 1960
2.https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islas_Malvinas#Toponimia
3.https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202106/1227216.shtml
4.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falkland_Islands#History
5.https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1454913/falkland-island-news-argentina-uk-british-overseas-territory-falklands-latest
*The content of this article is provided by the author and does not represent the position of the Earth Knowledge Bureau
Cover: OneImage.com
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