havebeeninvaded,MrMoleshootsoutofbed.HethoughttheFalklandslayoffthecoastofScotland.rthattheFalklandIslands Short,victoriouswar
OnApril2nd1982ArgentinainvadedtheFalklandIslands.ThewarBritainfoughttorecover
themstillcoloursdomesticpolitics
WHENAdrianMole,afictionalteenagediaristoftheearly1980s,tellshisfathe
ThatBritainstillhadsovereigntyoveraclutchofislandsintheSouthAtlanticdid,indeed,seemodd.
Sendinganavaltaskforce8,000milestofightforathinlyinhabitedimperialrelicseemedodderstill.In
somewaystheconflicthascometoseemevenstrangersince1982.Yetforallitseccentricity,the
FalklandscampaignstillshapesthepoliticsofBritain.
Amonghistorians,themaindebatesaboutthewarslegacyconcernMrsThatcherandherConservative
government.CouldshehavesurvivedasprimeministerhadtheFalklandsnotbeenretaken?(Inher
memoirs,shesaysnot.)WouldtheTorieshavewonthe1983electionhadArgentinaneverinvaded?
(Probably.)Buttheconflictalsochangedattitudestoforeignpolicyandwaritself.
ThedashacrosstheAtlanticandsubsequentvictoryalmostasmuchofasurprisetomanyBritonsas
theyweretotheArgentinesseemedtomarkanendtoBritainsapparentlyinevitableinternational
decline,aretreatepitomisedbytheSuezdebacleof1956.Afterthe1970s,adecadeinwhich,Europe
aside,Britishleadershadmostlybeenpreoccupiedwithdomesticwoesrecession;industrialunrest;an
IMFbailouttheFalklandsmadeforeignaffairs,andBritainscloutintheworld,measuresofsuccessful
leadership.Thathasremainedthecaseeversince.
AndifBritaintookmorenoticeoftheworldaftertheFalklands,thereversewastrue,too.EverywhereI
wentafterthewar,LadyThatcher(asshelaterbecame)wroteinhermemoirs,Britainsnamemeant
somethingmorethanithad.OlegGordievsky,aKGBofficerstationedinLondonin1982who
subsequentlydefected,remembersthattheKGBconfidentlyexpectedBritaintolose.
Glorydays
AsHewStrachanofOxfordUniversityputsit,AmericasexperienceinVietnamhadmadewarseem
messyandunpredictable.LadyThatchersvictorysuggestedthatwarcouldachievepoliticalendsquickly
andefficiently.Whereakneejerkantimilitarismhadonceprevailed,Britainsarmedforcescametoseem
nobleandprofessional:thebestintheworld,asBritishpoliticiansconstantrefrainhasit.
In1982thecampaignlookedlikeastrategicblip.Themainjob,duringthecoldwar,wastodefend
EuropefromtheSovietUnion.Inretrospect,observesMrStrachan,itwasthefirstinaseriesofshort,
sharp,expeditionarywarsthatBritainwastofight:latercamethefirstGulfwar,Kosovoandthe
interventioninSierraLeone.Consciouslyorotherwise,thetriumphintheSouthAtlanticmayhave
affectedBritainsappetiteforthoseengagements.
ThatrunendedinAfghanistanandIraqmissionsthathaveinvolvedelusiveopponents,changing
rationalesanddisappointinglyuncertainoutcomes.LittlewonderthattheFalklandswarwhichwas
foughtagainstastate,forasimplecauseandtoaswiftandabsolutevictorystillinspiresprideand
nostalgiainBritain.
Perhapsitsmosttangibleimpacthasbeenondefencespending.Becauseofthewar,thenavywas
thecostofitscommitmenttotheislands,includingitsgarrisonandairandsealinkstoBritain,as200m
protectedfromcutsformuchlongerthanitwouldotherwisehavebeen.Todaythegovernmentestimates
($318m)ayear.
Thenavynowfindsitselftemporarilywithoutanaircraftcarrier,whichhasledtofebrilespeculationthat,if
lost,theislandscouldnotberetaken.Thatisscaremongering,fortworeasons.First,asSirLawrence
Freedman,thewarsofficialhistorian,summarises,Britainwouldindeedstruggletorecovertheislandsif
theywereoverrunagainbutdefendingtheminthefirstplacewouldbemucheasier,becauseofthe
menandkitnowdeployedthere.
Second,Argentinadoesnotwanttorepeatthewar,whichtriggeredtheendofmilitarydictatorshipand
theadventofdemocracy.Subsequentgovernmentshave,however,retainedtheircountrysclaimtowhat
ArgentinescallLasMalvinas.CristinaFernndez,Argentinaspresident,hasforswornforceasatactic;
yetasthe30thanniversaryoftheinvasionapproaches,shehasenergeticallypressedthecasebyother
means(inabid,someargue,todistractvotersattentionfromhighinflationandothereconomicwoes).
Recentstepsbyheradministrationhavebeendesignedtoimpedetourismalongwithfishing,a
mainstayoftheislandseconomyandevenArgentinasoveralltradewithBritain.Inthatcontext,the
friendlyinducementssheoccasionallydanglesbeforethe3,000islandersdontwash.Everythingtheyve
donemakesusdeeplysuspiciousofeverythingtheyveofferedus,saysDickSawle,amemberofthe
Falklandslegislativeassembly.MsFernndezhasstriventoenlistothergovernmentsintheregiontoher
nigglycampaignlikelytointensifyifoilisproducedintheislandswaters.Rockhopper,anenergyfirm,
foundoiloffshorein2010,andsaysitexpectstostartproductionin2016.
Foritspart,theBritishgovernmentsaysitisabsolutelycommittedtotheislandersrightofself
determination.TheyoverwhelminglywishtostayBritish,adesirethatisthebasisoftheBritishclaimto
sovereignty.Compromisewouldanywaybeimpossiblewhilethewarisalivingmemory:pollssuggest
thatpublicopinioninmainlandBritainisfirmlyagainstanyconcession.JeremyBrowne,theForeign
OfficeministerresponsibleforFalklandspolicy,doubtsthat,say,BrazilorUruguayhasmuchinterestina
regionaleconomicblockadeoftheislands.HethinksArgentinawouldbeoverreachingifittriedto
organiseone.Thatmayproveoptimistic,especiallyifanoilbonanzastimulateswiderLatinAmerican
resourcenationalism.
MrBrowneobservesthattensionovertheFalklandshasnotfollowedastraightpath:itisworsenowthan
itwas15yearsago.Thesamemaybetrueofthewarsemotionalimpact.Britainscurrentleaders,who
aremostlyintheir40s,reachedpoliticalconsciousnessintheearly1980s;theToryhalfofthecoalition,at
least,reveresLadyThatcher.TheirviewsontheFalklandsarenoticeablyfirm.Thewarsimpacton
Argentinawasmuchmoredramatic.But,quietlyandenduringly,itleftitsmarkonBritain,too.