A Short, Sharp, Significant War in the South Atlantic

As an American adult with an interest in military history that was a child in 1982, I knew a little bit about the Falklands War between Argentina and the United Kingdom. I knew that the Royal Navy lost HMS Sheffield to a French-manufactured Exocet anti-ship missile launched by an Argentine aircraft. But I didn’t realize the extent of the naval losses suffered by the British. I knew that Harrier strike aircraft and their pilots won renown during the Falklands War, but I didn’t realize the incredible odds they faced in winning the air war. I knew of the sinking of ARA General Belgrano (formerly a United States Navy warship, the USS Phoenix) by the Royal Navy submarine, HMS Conqueror. But I didn’t realize just how passionately Argentinians felt about their country’s claim to the Islas Malvinas.

The Imperial War Museums’ YouTube channel provides a fairly comprehensive look at the conflict as part of its Falklands Conflict playlist. While I was somewhat surprised to realize just how little I knew about the Falklands War, I took some comfort in learning that the news media coverage of the fighting was generally considered pretty abysmal by most standards and that the coverage that did take place created some real problems for the United Kingdom troops.

Click on the link below to watch the videos and perhaps gain a better understanding of the war between two nations with conflicting claims in the South Atlantic Ocean.

www.youtube.com

Falklands Conflict - YouTube

From 2 April 2022, Imperial War Museums (IWM) will mark the 40th anniversary of the Falklands Conflict. New exhibits at IWM London and IWM North will include...