Was the Falklands War a Success or a Failure for Thatcher's Administration?
Was the Falklands War a political success or failure for the - Thatcher government? -
On 2 April 1982, the British political system was rocked by news of an extraordinary event eight thousand miles away in the South Atlantic. A long-standing and thorny dispute with Argentina over sovereignty of the Falkland Islands – a tiny relic of empire proximate to the South American mainland – had erupted with a sudden and unprovoked invasion of British territory by Argentine forces. Britain’s Conservative government faced the greatest crisis in foreign affairs for a generation (Freedman, 1988). Behind this audacious Argentine manoeuvre laid the assumption that the British Government – struggling with union strife, plunging popularity and a faltering economy – had neither the strength nor willpower to defend remote islands which most of its electorate had never heard of. On the contrary, General Galtieri – the head of Argentina's military Junta – had made one crucial error: he’d seriously underestimated Britain’s Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher. Dismissing pleas from her defence officials, Thatcher ordered a small taskforce to recover the Falklands in one of the most ambitious military undertakings in British history (Snow & Snow, 2007). Against all the odds, and spectacularly outnumbered, the British forces ‘yomped’ to a resounding and historic victory after only seventy-four days of war. On 14 June 1982, the poorly equipped and badly lead Argentine conscripts surrendered and the Falkland Islands were returned to British rule. In Britain, the glow of military success, decisive leadership from Thatcher, and fervent patriotic jubilation appeared to signify an unequivocal political success for the Government. Indeed, the Falklands episode is often regarded Thatcher’s turning point; saving her unpopular administration, facilitating her 1983 election victory and paving the way for ten more years of Thatcherism – which was to leave a lasting legacy.
On 2 April 1982, the British political system was rocked by news of an extraordinary event eight thousand miles away in the South Atlantic. A long-standing and thorny dispute with Argentina over sovereignty of the Falkland Islands – a tiny relic of empire proximate to the South American mainland – had erupted with a sudden and unprovoked invasion of British territory by Argentine forces. Britain’s Conservative government faced the greatest crisis in foreign affairs for a generation (Freedman, 1988). Behind this audacious Argentine manoeuvre laid the assumption that the British Government – struggling with union strife, plunging popularity and a faltering economy – had neither the strength nor willpower to defend remote islands which most of its electorate had never heard of. On the contrary, General Galtieri – the head of Argentina's military Junta – had made one crucial error: he’d seriously underestimated Britain’s Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher. Dismissing pleas from her defence officials, Thatcher ordered a small taskforce to recover the Falklands in one of the most ambitious military undertakings in British history (Snow & Snow, 2007). Against all the odds, and spectacularly outnumbered, the British forces ‘yomped’ to a resounding and historic victory after only seventy-four days of war. On 14 June 1982, the poorly equipped and badly lead Argentine conscripts surrendered and the Falkland Islands were returned to British rule. In Britain, the glow of military success, decisive leadership from Thatcher, and fervent patriotic jubilation appeared to signify an unequivocal political success for the Government. Indeed, the Falklands episode is often regarded Thatcher’s turning point; saving her unpopular administration, facilitating her 1983 election victory and paving the way for ten more years of Thatcherism – which was to leave a lasting legacy.
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