Operation Corporate. The conflict began on 2 April , when Argentina invaded and occupied the Falkland Islands , followed by the invasion of South Georgia the next day. On 5 April, the British government dispatched a naval task force to engage the Argentine Navy and Air Force before making an amphibious assault on the islands.
The conflict lasted 74 days and ended with an Argentine surrender on 14 June, returning the islands to British control. In total, Argentine military personnel, British military personnel, and three Falkland Islanders were killed during the hostilities. The conflict was a major episode in the protracted dispute over the territories' sovereignty. Argentina asserted and maintains that the islands are Argentine territory, [ 4 ] and the Argentine government thus described its military action as the reclamation of its own territory.
The British government regarded the action as an invasion of a territory that had been a Crown colony since Falkland Islanders, who have inhabited the islands since the early 19th century, are predominantly descendants of British settlers, and strongly favour British sovereignty. Neither state officially declared war , although both governments declared the islands a war zone. The conflict had a strong effect in both countries and has been the subject of various books, articles, films, and songs.
Patriotic sentiment ran high in Argentina, but the unfavourable outcome prompted large protests against the ruling military government , hastening its downfall and the democratisation of the country. In the United Kingdom, the Conservative government, bolstered by the successful outcome, was re-elected with an increased majority the following year. The cultural and political effect of the conflict has been less in the UK than in Argentina, where it has remained a common topic for discussion.
Diplomatic relations between the United Kingdom and Argentina were restored in following a meeting in Madrid , at which the two governments issued a joint statement. In , Argentina adopted a new constitution , [ 7 ] which declared the Falkland Islands as part of one of its provinces by law. In , the United Nations called upon Argentina and the United Kingdom to reach a settlement of the sovereignty dispute. Therefore, while confident of British sovereignty, the FCO was prepared to cede the islands to Argentina.
