History UsefulNotes / TheFalklandsWar

* The war, as well as the terrible conditions of the UK in the early in 1980s, form the backdrop for the Music/PinkFloyd album, ''Music/TheFinalCut''. Several of its songs, like "Southampton Dock" and "The Gunner's Dream", are written from the point of view of the schoolteacher from ''Music/TheWall'', a shellshocked UsefulNotes/WorldWarTwo veteran, who watches young soldiers go off to fight in the Falklands for no reason, and expresses dismay that no one has learned from history and that England failed to fulfill the post-war promise to promote peace instead of fighting and bloodshed. "Get Your Filthy Hands Off My Desert" and "The Fletcher Memorial Home" directly blast both sides of the war and various world leaders in general, condemning Galtieri and Thatcher ([[LongList and Reagan, and Begin, and Brezhnev, and so on]]) as "colonial wasters of life and limb" who make WarForFunAndProfit with an inhuman disregard for people's lives.

On April, the [[UsefulNotes/NationalReorganizationProcess Argentine military junta]] launched an invasion of the islands it called the Malvinas, thinking that the British military wouldn't be able to respond effectively (if they'd left it a year later, they wouldn't have been able to). UsefulNotes/MargaretThatcher dispatched a Royal Navy task force, which arrived in May.

Incidentally, the Falklands conflict was technically a ''rematch'' between Britain and Argentina. [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_invasions_of_the_River_Plate Britain invaded Argentina]] during UsefulNotes/TheNapoleonicWars when Argentina was still a Spanish colony, part of the [[=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viceroyalty_of_the_R%C3%ADo_de_la_Plata Viceroyalty of the Rio de la Plata]], and Spain was allied to France. The invasion was an embarrassing defeat for Britain, particularly since the Spanish colonists fought it off by themselves without any help from Spain. The colonists' irritation at the lack of Spanish aid was one of the reasons for their later revolution.

Resulted in 255 British and 649 Argentine deaths, as well as those of three civilians. The British lost several ships totaling to six ships and one landing craft, including two Type 42 Destroyers, while Argentina lost 9 ships total, including a trawler. The British also lost 11 airplanes and 24 helicopters (totaling to 35) while Argentina lost 75 airplanes and 25 helicopters (totaling to 100). (keep in mind that the British had at the time modern weaponry, training and material while Argentina used outdated equipment, sent untrained, barely legal and inexperienced conscripts, many still in school, instead of its actually dangerous regulars and used ordnance that sometimes didn't even work.). The most notable Argentine loss was of the cruiser ARA ''General Belgrano'' (which had previously survived the [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII attack on Pearl Harbor]][[note]] ARA ''General Belgrano'' was built as the American ''Brooklyn''-class light cruiser USS ''Phoenix''. She was the largest US warship to escape Pearl Harbor during the attack, and served admirably throughout the war, only to be declared surplus in 1946 by a US Navy that had enough ships afloat to make a large artificial continent, but no war to fight with them. Faced with the expensive proposition of scrapping the retired cruiser, the US government sold her to Argentina for a song in 1957.[[/note]]) outside the pre-arranged war-zone to the British nuclear submarine HMS ''Conqueror''. The Argentine Navy played little part in the war after that. In the wake of the conflict, Argentine author Creator/JorgeLuisBorges described it as [[WasItReallyWorthIt "a fight between two bald men over a comb."]]

Diplomatic efforts failed, as neither side was willing to back down. It's also possible that war was what both sides truly wanted, since it actually helped both sides politically-speaking. The newest junta and UsefulNotes/MargaretThatcher needed to regain their popularity, and [[LetNoCrisisGoToWaste fighting a war helps to boost a leader's popularity (assuming they win, that is).]][[note]]Many believe this requirement for a good image was the true reason behind the war.[[/note]] For the Argentine junta, this naturally failed spectacularly with their defeat, and they were toppled the next year.

Resulted in 255 British and 649 Argentine deaths, as well as those of three civilians. The British lost several ships totaling to six ships and one landing craft, including two Type 42 Destroyers, while Argentina lost 9 ships total, including a trawler. The British also lost 11 airplanes and 24 helicopters (totaling to 35) while Argentina lost 75 airplanes and 25 helicopters (totaling to 100). (keep in mind that the British had at the time modern weaponry, training and material while Argentina used outdated equipment, sent untrained, barely legal and inexperienced conscripts, many still in school, instead of its actually dangerous regulars and used ordnance that sometimes didn't even work.). The most notable Argentine loss was of the cruiser ARA ''General Belgrano'' (which had previously survived the [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII attack on Pearl Harbor]][[note]] ARA ''General Belgrano'' was built as the American ''Brooklyn''-class light cruiser USS ''Phoenix''. She was the largest US warship to escape Pearl Harbor during the attack, and served admirably throughout the war, only to be declared surplus in 1946 by a US Navy that had enough ships afloat to make a large artificial continent, but no war to fight with them. Faced with the expensive proposition of scrapping the retired cruiser, the US government sold her to Argentina for a song in 1957.[[/note]]) outside the pre-arranged war-zone to the British nuclear submarine HMS ''Conqueror''. The Argentine Navy played little part in the war after that.

The [[UsefulNotes/NationalReorganizationProcess Argentine military junta]] launched an invasion of the islands it called the Malvinas, thinking that the British military wouldn't be able to respond effectively (if they'd left it a year later, they wouldn't have been able to). UsefulNotes/MargaretThatcher dispatched a Royal Navy task force, which arrived in May.

** The ActionPrologue of ''Film/{{Octopussy}}'' shows Bond on a mission in [[BananaRepublic an ambiguous Latin American nation]] with a [[AnonymousRinger Fidel Castro lookalike as its leader]]. Since the movie was made around the time the war took place, some fans have speculated that the nation was Argentina.

* Referenced in ''Film/TomorrowNeverDies''. Elliot Carver tries writing a headline for the potential British/Chinese armed conflict, at one point writing "The Empire WILL Strike Back" in homage to the page quote headline.

* ''La Asombra Excursión de Samba en las Islas Malvinas,'' ("Samba's Amazing Adventure in the Falkland Islands") features the titular schoolboy traveling back in time to witness the events of 1982. As this is a children's educational cartoon series funded by the Argentine government, the episode includes such factual highlights of the War as the [[BlatantLies bombing of HMS Invincible by a lone Argentine Etendard]] and the [[BlatantLies Gurkha Regiment's defeat in hand-to-hand fighting with Argentine conscripts at the Battle of Mount Longdon.]]

*** Granted, many argentines worth their salt in argentine military history and with a reliable source of info knows that said cartoon is also biased here and there.

* The main character of ''Film/UnCuentoChino'' is also a veteran, whcih explains his abrasive manners and hostility - particularly to anything British.

* Part of Film/TheIronLady shows the war from Thatcher's point of view.

Resulted in 255 British and 649 Argentine deaths, as well as those of three civilians. The British lost several ships totaling to six ships and one landing craft, including two Type 42 Destroyers, while Argentina lost 9 ships total, including a trawler. The British also lost 11 airplanes and 24 helicopters (totaling to 35) while Argentina lost 75 airplanes and 25 helicopters (totaling to 100.) (keep in mind that the British had at the time modern weaponry, training and material while Argentina used outdated equipment, sent untrained, barely legal and inexperienced conscripts, many still in school, instead of its actually dangerous regulars and used ordnance that sometimes didn't even work.). The most notable Argentine loss was of the cruiser ARA ''General Belgrano'' (which had previously survived the [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII attack on Pearl Harbor]][[note]] ARA ''General Belgrano'' was built as the American ''Brooklyn''-class light cruiser USS ''Phoenix''. She was the largest US warship to escape Pearl Harbor during the attack, and served admirably throughout the war, only to be declared surplus in 1946 by a US Navy that had enough ships afloat to make a large artificial continent, but no war to fight with them. Faced with the expensive proposition of scrapping the retired cruiser, the US government sold her to Argentina for a song in 1957.[[/note]]) outside the pre-arranged war-zone to the British nuclear submarine HMS ''Conqueror''. The Argentine Navy played little part in the war after that.

Resulted in 255 British and 649 Argentine deaths, as well as those of three civilians. The British lost several ships totaling to six ships and one landing craft, including two Type 42 Destroyers, while Argentina lost 9 ships total, including a trawler. The British also lost 11 aircraft and 24 helicopters (totaling to 35) while Argentina lost 75 aircraft and 25 helicopters (totaling to 100.) (keep in mind that the British had at the time modern weaponry, training and material while Argentina used outdated equipment, sent untrained, barely legal and inexperienced conscripts, many still in school, instead of its actually dangerous regulars and used ordnance that sometimes didn't even work.). The most notable Argentine loss was of the cruiser ARA ''General Belgrano'' (which had previously survived the [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII attack on Pearl Harbor]][[note]] ARA ''General Belgrano'' was built as the American ''Brooklyn''-class light cruiser USS ''Phoenix''. She was the largest US warship to escape Pearl Harbor during the attack, and served admirably throughout the war, only to be declared surplus in 1946 by a US Navy that had enough ships afloat to make a large artificial continent, but no war to fight with them. Faced with the expensive proposition of scrapping the retired cruiser, the US government sold her to Argentina for a song in 1957.[[/note]]) outside the pre-arranged war-zone to the British nuclear submarine HMS ''Conqueror''. The Argentine Navy played little part in the war after that.

** Except the shepherds were British.
* Argentine ''Film/IluminadosPorElFuego'' about the musings of a shell-shocked veteran.

Resulted in 255 British and 649 Argentine deaths, as well as those of three civilians. The British lost several ships, including two Type 42 Destroyers. The most notable Argentine loss was of the cruiser ARA ''General Belgrano'' (which had previously survived the [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII attack on Pearl Harbor]][[note]] ARA ''General Belgrano'' was built as the American ''Brooklyn''-class light cruiser USS ''Phoenix''. She was the largest US warship to escape Pearl Harbor during the attack, and served admirably throughout the war, only to be declared surplus in 1946 by a US Navy that had enough ships afloat to make a large artificial continent, but no war to fight with them. Faced with the expensive proposition of scrapping the retired cruiser, the US government sold her to Argentina for a song in 1957.[[/note]]) outside the pre-arranged war-zone to the British nuclear submarine HMS ''Conqueror''. The Argentine Navy played little part in the war after that.

* Mentioned in ''Series/AshesToAshes'', where Shaz objects to Ray's cheering the sinking of ''General Belgrano'' pointing out that the Argentine sailors are only conscripts. When ''HMS Sheffield'' is lost later in the episode, Ray points out that they're clearly not all conscripts.

[[folder:Books]]
* ''First Among Equals'' has two of the central characters act as the Defense Minister and Foreign Secretary under Thatcher during the Falklands War.

** In one episode, Krusty takes a night off filming his show and sticks on a re-run, figuring that no one will notice; unfortunately for him, it happens to be the edition that was playing the night the Falklands War was declared, and he interrupted the show to deliver an AuthorFilibuster about it.

* ''Tumbledown'' (1988) - A teleplay starring [[TheKingsSpeech Colin Firth]] in one of his first lead roles, portraying [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Lawrence_(British_Army_officer) Robert Lawrence MC]], who survived a sniper shot to the head. The film was controversial due to the portrayal of the government allegedly neglecting Falklands vets.

* Serves as a backdrop for ''ThisIsEngland''. The youthful main character's father died in the war, and frustration with the country's involvement is part of what incites the Skinhead movement. To paraphrase [[AxCrazy Combo]], it was a pointless war against FUCKIN' SHEPHERDS.

* Likewise in the UK ''Series/HouseOfCards''. Prime Minister Urquhart says the same thing when a crisis blows up in Greece. However things don't go according to plan.

* Mentioned in ''AshesToAshes'', where Shaz objects to Ray's cheering the sinking of ''General Belgrano'' pointing out that the Argentine sailors are only conscripts. When ''HMS Sheffield'' is lost later in the episode, Ray points out that they're clearly not all conscripts.
* On ''YesMinister'' in the episode "The Bed of Nails", Jim Hacker opines that, if he takes on the traffic problem in Britain, "...if I succeed, this could be my Falkland Islands" -- to which Sir Humphrey replies, "And you could be General Galtieri."