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In 1982, when Argentina wanted to attack the Falklands, Reagan was entrusted by Britain to warn Argentina: Don't do stupid things

author:Old Han reads secretary

In 1982, fierce gunfire rang out in many parts of the planet. In Asia, Afghanistan, Cambodia, the Persian Gulf, Lebanon, in Africa, Namibia, the Ogaden, and in the Malvinas Islands in the South Atlantic, gunsmoke is everywhere.

According to a United Nations report, the world's per capita military expenditure that year was $110, exceeding the average annual income of more than 1 billion people in Asia, Africa and Latin America.

In 1982, when Argentina wanted to attack the Falklands, Reagan was entrusted by Britain to warn Argentina: Don't do stupid things

Of these wars, which cost so many lives and money, the Falklands were the most intense and therefore the most visible.

This is a sea and air war. Britain dispatched 118 ships of various types, more than 1 million tons, 270 aircraft, and a total strength of 27,000 troops.

Argentina participated in the battle with 33 ships, 120,000 tons, more than 250 combat aircraft, and a total strength of 65,000 troops. After fierce struggle, the two sides ended with the British army reoccupying the Falklands and the Afghan army defending the island announcing its surrender.

Foreign military analysts believe that the Falklands War is a typical local war and a three-dimensional war. It involves all fields of modern warfare and will have a far-reaching impact on the future operational thinking, army building, and the development of weapons and equipment of various countries.

This battle lasted 74 days, which is not a long time, but it did leave extremely rich materials for military experts, politicians and historians around the world, which deserve people's serious summary and study.

The two countries have been arguing for a century and a half

The Malvinas Islands (known as the Falkland Islands in the United Kingdom and other Western countries) are located in the waters between the southern Atlantic Ocean and Antarctica, more than 500 kilometres off the coast of Argentina and 12,800 kilometres from London, England.

The Falklands covers an area of more than 11,700 square kilometers and consists of more than 200 large and small islands, of which Soledad Island in the east and Greater Malvina Island in the west are the largest.

Most of the islands are deserted. The capital, Port Stanley, on the island of Soleda, is the only town in the archipelago with more than 1,000 inhabitants. The Falklands have a total population of nearly 2,000 and are largely of Scottish, Irish and Welsh descent.

In 1982, when Argentina wanted to attack the Falklands, Reagan was entrusted by Britain to warn Argentina: Don't do stupid things

Antarctica has a cold climate, with an average annual temperature of 5.5 degrees Celsius, with the hottest January averaging less than 10 degrees Celsius. Antarctic animals such as seals, sea lions, walruses, penguins and albatrosses inhabit and haunt uninhabited reef islands.

There are reportedly as many as 10 million penguins in the Falklands. The inhabitants depend on animal husbandry, with more than 650,000 sheep, and there is almost no agriculture or industry.

Residents grow only potatoes and vegetables in their family gardens, and the only small soda factory becomes a symbol of industry. The Falkland Islands Corporation has a monopoly on almost the entire economy of the Islands.

It owns more than half of the archipelago and has a wharf and trading house in Port Stanley. The company buys wool on the island twice a year and ships it all to the London Wool Exchange. It's almost isolated. The inhabitants live a monotonous life,

No newspapers, no televisions, no entertainment. At 10 p.m., people go to bed. The most lively social event of the year is the sports event held during the sheep shearing season. The usual leisure activities are only flower planting and fishing.

Some people may ask: what is worth fighting for in some deserted and remote sesame grain islets like this? In fact, although the Falklands are far from the mainland and the place is not large, its strategic position cannot be underestimated.

More than 400 kilometers west is the famous Strait of Magellan. This is the gateway from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean via the Strait of Magellan or around Tierra del Fuego and Cape Horn.

During the First World War, the British fleet hidden here launched a surprise attack on a German fleet passing through nearby waters, and the Germans were caught off guard, as a result, 4 cruisers were sunk, more than 2300 people were killed, and the entire fleet was destroyed. This has been written into the naval textbooks of many countries.

In addition, the Falklands are an outpost for Antarctic scientific expeditions and an ideal logistical depot. What's more, very rich oil resources have been found on the Falklands continental shelf.

In 1982, when Argentina wanted to attack the Falklands, Reagan was entrusted by Britain to warn Argentina: Don't do stupid things

It is estimated that there are more oil reserves here than in the UK's North Sea oil fields. Once developed, it is estimated to produce 2 million barrels per day, more than the 1.7 million barrels per day produced by the North Sea fields, compared to Argentina's 500,000 barrels in all of 1981.

Some Western observers believe that it is precisely because of the discovery of the Falklands that the rich oil resources have made the dispute over sovereignty tense.

However, Argentina and Britain have been arguing about the sovereignty of the Falklands for a century and a half.

According to relevant documents, the Dutchman Sebald Delvet first discovered the Falklands at the end of January 1600 and named it the Sebald Islands.

In 1630, an Englishman named Strong was sailing in the South Atlantic and stumbled upon the islands to escape a storm, which he called the Falkland Islands.

More than a century later, in 1764, French Admiral de Burgenville led a group of men to land in the Falkland Islands, declared the islands to French ownership, and renamed them the "Maloyuané Islands".

The name of the Falklands evolved from this. The French occupation was strongly opposed by Spain, which ruled Argentina at the time. Spain was a powerful maritime power at that time. France does not dare to underestimate it.

After negotiations, France handed over the Falklands to Spain after receiving a sum of compensation. In 1767, the Spanish flag was raised on the Falklands for the first time.

The British were reluctant that the Falkland Islands, discovered by their ancestors, fell into Spanish hands. In 1770, the British fleet attacked the Falklands and was repulsed by the Spanish navy. After repeated negotiations, Britain signed a secret treaty with Spain, and Britain recognized Spain's sovereignty over the Falklands.

In 1816, Argentina became independent from Spain, and the Falklands came under Argentine jurisdiction. On November 6, 1820, Argentine Navy Colonel Giulette led troops to land on the island of Soledad, fired a 21-gun salute, and planted the national flag on the peak of the fortress. Since then, the Falklands have been under effective Argentine governance.

However, nine years later, in 1829, Britain made representations to Argentina to "recover" the Falklands on the grounds that they were first discovered by the Englishman Davis in 1592.

In 1982, when Argentina wanted to attack the Falklands, Reagan was entrusted by Britain to warn Argentina: Don't do stupid things

Where did a Davis come from? The Argentines were unheard of and rightfully refused the British demands. Therefore, on January 2, 1833, the British sent the frigate "Epic Goddess" to occupy the Falklands by force.

Since then, the Falklands have become British overseas territories. The British set up the Governor's House, the Executive Council and the Legislature on the island. Under British rule, the indigenous people who originally lived on the Falklands were successively squeezed out by British immigrants, and the Falklands were gradually assimilated by the British.

Argentina has always refused to recognize British rule over the Falklands and has always demanded the restoration of sovereignty over the islands. In 1958, the issue of sovereignty over the Falklands was brought before the United Nations.

Since then, the United Nations has adopted four resolutions calling on Afghanistan and Britain to settle their disputes through negotiations. However, the two sides have been talking for many years but cannot get along.

The Albanian side believes that the Falklands originally belonged to Spain, and after Argentina's independence, sovereignty should be returned to it. The British side claimed that the Falklands were already a British colony and could only be dealt with in a decolonized manner, that is, the Falklands residents held a referendum and the citizens decided on their belonging. Argentina strongly opposes this, as the island's inhabitants are almost exclusively British.

Negotiations have been intermittent and disputes have come and gone. On February 26, 1982, negotiations resumed after a 10-year hiatus. This time the atmosphere was much more intimate than before.

The Arab side proposed a timetable for holding monthly ministerial meetings, showing a friendly attitude of long-term planning and slow consultation. The British side felt that Argentina's attitude had relaxed and readily agreed.

In fact, Argentina had no hope of a negotiated solution to the sovereignty issue, believing that the British side had no sincerity in negotiating and was merely delaying.

This time, the representatives of the Afghan side showed "looseness" and "friendliness" at the negotiating table, with the aim of confusing and paralyzing the other side. While the British were secretly happy, Argentina had already made other plans. A plan, code-named Operation Rosario, is being worked out intensively.

On March 19, the Argentine company Davidov sent the transport ship "Buen Sousse Bay" to Port Leen, South Georgia, to dismantle an old whale processing plant.

After 39 Argentine workers landed, an Argentine flag was raised on the island out of love for their homeland. South Georgia is a subsidiary island of the Falklands, more than 1,400 kilometers away from the Falklands, and most of the area is frozen all year round and inaccessible.

Who knew that the above incident had become the fuse of the Falklands War. The British were greatly annoyed when they learned this, lodged a strong protest with the Afghan side, and sent 40 marines from the Falklands to the South Island on the icebreaker "Patience" to "restore order."

In 1982, when Argentina wanted to attack the Falklands, Reagan was entrusted by Britain to warn Argentina: Don't do stupid things

Argentina is also determined to take this opportunity to settle the dispute over sovereignty over the Falklands once and for all. As a result, the Albanian side sent two guided-missile frigates to the South Island, and on March 28, all 22 British troops and 13 British expedition members who remained on the island were arrested.

The Argentine flag, lowered by the British, was raised again over the South Island. When the British heard the news, they hurriedly dispatched two warships and a submarine to turn the tide. Warships on both sides, gun to gun, and the air suddenly became tense.

The British Empire was caught off guard

On 29 March, when British reinforcements arrived in South Georgia, Argentine ships were ordered to head north to Uruguayan waters to participate in joint exercises with the Uruguayan Navy.

The disengagement of the two armies brought a sigh of relief to the British. Unexpectedly, the Argentine Navy abruptly withdrew from the exercise on the evening of March 31, and more than 10 warships, loaded with soldiers and equipment, turned around and headed south, heading for the Falklands at full speed. Argentina had decided to implement Operation Rosario and put an end to the dispute over sovereignty over the Falklands by force.

The movement of the Afghan fleet frightened the defenders of the Falklands who were closely following the exercise, and one by one exclaimed, "We are deceived!" ”

They immediately sent this 100,000 urgent intelligence to London. It was already 7 p.m. Thatcher was returning from her office in the House of Commons to the Prime Minister's residence for dinner.

Intelligence officers hurried in and handed over the Falklands intelligence to the prime minister. Margaret Thatcher couldn't help but be shocked when she saw it. In her own words, "every nerve in her body was tense."

The territory of the British Empire will be "taken" by Argentina by force in a blink of an eye. Where to put the face of "the sun does not set in the country"? As the first female prime minister of the United Kingdom, how did she face the people of her country and the world? A series of questions immediately entered Thatcher's mind.

What to do? The female prime minister was shocked and immediately notified officials from the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to hold a meeting at No. 10 Downing Street. At this time, the Foreign Secretary, Lord Carrington, was visiting Israel, and the Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral Terence Cain, was a guest in New Zealand.

Margaret Thatcher ordered them to return quickly, and at the same time told the relevant personnel at home to rush to the Prime Minister's Office.

The people have arrived. Thatcher was straight to the point, briefly and briefly introduced the critical situation in the Falklands Islands, and proposed that "everything possible must be done to stop the invasion of the Afghan army."

Various options were put forward and finally the female Prime Minister decided to send a small fleet on duty in Gibraltar to the Falklands for reinforcements. However, from Gibraltar to the Falklands, the distance is 13,000 kilometers, and it takes two weeks to sail to arrive.

In 1982, when Argentina wanted to attack the Falklands, Reagan was entrusted by Britain to warn Argentina: Don't do stupid things

As a matter of urgency, it is necessary to try to prevent the landing of Afghan troops on the Falklands. It has been suggested that President Reagan was "the man most powerful to stop the invasion." So Margaret Thatcher immediately took a pen and wrote a letter to Reagan, and the letter was delivered to the White House in the fastest way.

On April 1, the small fleet urgently lifted anchor and headed for the Falklands. That night, Reagan hung up a long distance to Argentine President General Galtieri. Galtieri heard that Reagan was calling, and he knew eight or nine points as soon as he guessed.

He did not pick it up immediately, but consulted with the other two members of the ruling council about countermeasures. In Argentina, the ruling council is composed of the commanders of the army, navy and air force, and the president is appointed by it.

Although Galtieri was the commander-in-chief of the Army and chairman of the executive committee, he only held slightly more power than 1/3, so he did not dare to talk to Reagan without permission.

When the three giants of the executive committee met, they felt that things were a little tricky. Reagan's intention was clearly to intercede for Britain and dissuade Argentina from resigning, which was unacceptable.

The Executive Committee's situation at home at the moment is not good: foreign debt is as high as $36 billion, inflation is like a horse out of control, the people's cries for "bread and work" are rising one after another, and the activities of the "overthrowing military government" of political parties "wanting democracy and rule of law" are on the rise.

Under these circumstances, the junta decided to use the recovery of the Falklands and the realization of the people's long-cherished national wish for more than 100 years to achieve national unity and thus maintain its dominance.

Therefore, it is inconceivable that the Executive Committee should change its course. However, Reagan was, after all, the president of the United States, and it would not be wise to reject his claims outright. After consultations, Galtieri came up with the "best of both worlds" approach.

Reagan waited 20 minutes by the phone when Galtieri finally came to answer. As soon as Reagan came up, he impulsively expressed his "surprise" at the Argentine fleet heading for the Falklands Islands, and then talked about the serious consequences of the Argentine "invasion" of the Falklands, and strongly dissuaded Argentina from doing such "stupid things."

Galtieri calmly replied to Reagan, roughly speaking: "The fleet has approached the Falklands, where the wind and waves are high, communication with the fleet has been interrupted, and I am sorry that I cannot communicate with it." ”

Reagan made a 50-minute phone call, setting a record for the longest call he had with a foreign leader. Despite this, he has not yet fulfilled the heavy trust of the "Iron Woman".

In 1982, when Argentina wanted to attack the Falklands, Reagan was entrusted by Britain to warn Argentina: Don't do stupid things

While Reagan was talking to Galtieri, the Afghan fleet led by Lieutenant General Garcia, commander of the Argentine 5th Military Region, had already taken up a position near the Falklands.

According to the "Operation Rosario" plan, the Afghan army dispatched a total of three task forces this time. The 40th Amphibious Task Force consisted of eight ships, two Marine battalions, one field artillery battalion and two naval aviation helicopter squadrons tasked with capturing Port Stanley, the capital of the Falklands Islands.

Task Force 60 consisted of 1 guided-missile frigate, 1 supply ship, 2 Marine platoons and 1 army support detachment of 60 men, equipped with 2 helicopters, and was tasked with capturing South Georgia.

Task Force 20 consisted of seven ships, including Garcia's flagship aircraft carrier "May 25", and was tasked with observing the enemy formation for the two task forces at Yubian.

The headquarters of Lieutenant General Garcia is located on the flagship. Now Task Force 60 is heading for South Georgia. Task Forces 40 and 20 are combat-ready off the coast of the Falklands.

Rear Admiral Dael, Rear Admiral Bussell, and Air Force Major General Webb, who commanded the landing force's Navy and Air Force, all entered command positions. Just after midnight on 2 April, President Galtieri gave the order to enter the Falklands Islands. More than 5,000 Afghan troops began to land in three ways.

At this time, the British Governor Rex Hunt hastily declared a state of emergency in Port Stanley, and the 79 British Royal Marines and 120 Islands Guards stationed there hastily entered the position.

Since the Port Stanley communications center had long been blown up by the Afghan army, Hunter was unable to communicate with London. At about 4:30 a.m., the British were outnumbered and announced their unconditional surrender.

The Afghan army took the Falklands Island lightly at a small cost of seven casualties and two helicopters. General Garcia took over power on behalf of Argentina.

The Argentine blue and white flag was raised simultaneously at the Doge's Palace and the British Marine Corps camp, and the Argentine national anthem was played on the radio. A group of Britons such as former Governor General Hunter naturally had a place to go, and an Argentine military plane sent them to Uruguay and then asked them to change to a British plane to return home. At this time, London did not know what had happened on the Falklands.

After dawn, the Argentine government issued a communiqué announcing to the nation that the Argentine army had recovered the Falklands and that the Argentine flag was flying over the Falklands.

Hundreds of thousands of people in the capital, Buenos Aires, poured into the streets to cheer and celebrate. At a press conference held by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Argentine Foreign Minister Mendes could not contain his inner joy and said: "Today is the happiest day of my life!" ”

A Western journalist asked him: "Why did Argentina invade the Falkland Islands?" ”

In 1982, when Argentina wanted to attack the Falklands, Reagan was entrusted by Britain to warn Argentina: Don't do stupid things

"No, madam," Méndez corrected loudly, "we are not invading, but reconquisit, reconquest!" ”

On the night of 3 April, Argentine Task Force 60 reoccupied the South Island. The six British Marines who hid in the cave and resisted were all taken prisoner.

On 4 April, the Argentine Government announced that Argentina had fully recovered the Malvinas Islands and its affiliated islands.

"Iron Woman" sends task forces

When the news that the Falklands were occupied by the Afghan army reached London, the government and the public were in an uproar. The press criticized the government for its "incompetence", pointing out that the capture of the Falklands by the Afghan army was a "great shame" for the British Empire.

The headline of the front page editorial of London's Daily Mail on April 2 was two big words - "shameful". The opposition party shouted and asked the government, "Why not take precautions?" "What do the government's intelligence agencies eat?"

On April 2, the British Cabinet held an emergency meeting at the Prime Minister's residence at 10 Downing Street to discuss ways to deal with the Falklands crisis. The meeting decided to sever diplomatic relations with Argentina, impose economic sanctions on Argentina, and decided to mobilize the forces of the three armed forces and quickly form a task force to sail to the Falklands.

On Saturday, April 3, the British Parliament held an emergency session to debate the Falklands issue. It was the first time since the Suez Canal crisis in 1956 that the meeting was held over the weekend. Labour MPs shouted for the government to "resign", but the prime minister, nicknamed "Iron Woman", flatly refused, stressing that "now is the time for strength and determination".

On the same day, Thatcher formed a "wartime cabinet" headed by her, consisting of Foreign Secretary Carrington (later replaced by Pym), Defense Secretary Knott, Home Secretary Whitlow, as well as Conservative Party President Parkinson and British Army Chief of Staff Marshal Lewin.

The "Wartime Cabinet" meeting decided to appoint Rear Admiral Woodward as commander of the fleet and Moore as commander of the landing force, and set out three principles for the two commanders: "Minimize casualties, do not bomb the Argentine mainland, and when to land depends on political needs." ”

Woodward and Moore heard the news and immediately set about developing a course of action. According to their opinion, the task force was divided into 3 echelons.

The first echelon includes 37 ships, 20 fighters, 58 helicopters, 3,500 marines, and its backbone is the aircraft carriers Invincible and Aster. The first echelon set sail one after another from April 5.

The second echelon, consisting of 23 ships, 20 combat aircraft and 1,500 Marines, departed around April 26. The third echelon, consisting of 18 ships and a motorized rifle brigade of more than 3,000 men, departed around May 12. The plan was drawn up quickly and implemented immediately after approval by the "War Cabinet".

In 1982, when Argentina wanted to attack the Falklands, Reagan was entrusted by Britain to warn Argentina: Don't do stupid things

On April 5, the first group of the task force set out on time. At this time, Thatcher's thoughts were as difficult to calm as the waves of the sea. The Foreign Secretary, Lord Carrington, "irrevocably" offered to resign because he was not aware of the "invasion" intention of the Afghan army in advance and caused "national humiliation", and the female prime minister accepted his resignation and immediately appointed Pym, the leader of the Conservative Party House of Commons, to replace him.

Defense Secretary Nott also wanted to blame the crown, but Margaret Thatcher did not allow it. She feels deeply that she is now truly facing the most serious challenge since she came to power, and that her political career has depended entirely on restoring British rule over the Falklands.

One day, she told reporters: "Falkland has become my life, my blood. ”

But how do you get Falkland back into the arms of the Empire? Naturally, what she thought most about was to use force to take it back. But she is not without concerns.

The fleet is set off, leaving aside the difficulties of logistical supply caused by the long transport lines, and what about fighting in the icy South Atlantic? How sure is the labor expedition?

The history of Napoleon's crushing defeat in Moscow in the harsh winter she has not forgotten, and if the mistakes of Napellon are repeated, the consequences will be terrible. She felt a heavy responsibility on her shoulders, and she was a little careless,

It will make a big mistake, and you may end up with a bad name. Thinking about it, she felt that it would be ideal to let the Afghan army withdraw from the island without a single shot.

But she knew that "gentle persuasion will never make Argentina drop what it has taken by force". Therefore, the strongest possible pressure must be exerted on Argentina to force it to spit the Falk Islands out of its mouth.

Thatcher made up her mind and decided to launch a powerful peace offensive backed by the task force, claiming that as long as Argentina withdrew, various proposals, even the sovereignty of the Falklands Islands, could be negotiated, and she wanted to firmly hold the banner of peace in her hands.

In order to force Argentina to comply, she has taken a multi-pronged approach on various fronts such as military, diplomatic, and economic. On the one hand, the Ministry of Defense announced the requisition of various civilian vessels such as merchant ships and oil tankers to join the task force.

Oil tankers carry fuel to ships, aircraft and troops, passenger ferries and ferries act as troop carriers, cargo ships carry helicopters, Harriers, heavy equipment and supplies, and other ships act as hospital ships, repair ships or tugboats.

This has greatly strengthened the logistical support of the task force. At the same time, let the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Trade strengthen the implementation of economic sanctions against Argentina and freeze Argentina's $2 billion assets in the United Kingdom.

On the other hand, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs launches a diplomatic offensive through embassies and consulates abroad. The female prime minister herself called and wrote to heads of state and government asking them to take action against Argentina's "aggression".

In 1982, when Argentina wanted to attack the Falklands, Reagan was entrusted by Britain to warn Argentina: Don't do stupid things

The countries of the European Community, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and other countries have expressed their support for the United Kingdom, agreed to impose sanctions against Argentina, including arms embargo and trade freeze, New Zealand also announced the severance of diplomatic relations with Argentina, Canada recalled its ambassador from Argentina.

Through these effective measures, Margaret Thatcher finally succeeded in retaking the Falklands and lifting her crisis of confidence.

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