Malvinas 1982. Symmetrical Misunderstandings and Overreactions Lead the Way to War

• Main Author: Fernandez, Sergio
• Other Authors: ARMY WAR COLL CARLISLE BARRACKS PA
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 2002
• Subjects: Government and Political Science; Military Operations; Strategy and Tactics; *INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS; *ARGENTINA; *FALKLAND ISLANDS; FOREIGN POLICY; WARFARE; MILITARY FORCES(FOREIGN); GEOPOLITICS; EVOLUTION(GENERAL); CONFLICT; ATLANTIC OCEAN ISLANDS; SOUTH ATLANTIC OCEAN; UNITED KINGDOM; STRATEGY RESEARCH PROJECT; *MALVINAS; MALVINA ISLANDS; Argentina; Leith; South Atlantic Ocean
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA404419; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA404419

In 1982 Argentina and the United Kingdom faced an unwanted war for the sovereignty over the Malvinas, Georgias and Sandwich del Sur Islands. A 149 years territorial conflict, developed into a high-intensity war only few days a minor incident had occurred in a remote and isolated place called Leith, in Georgias del Sur. The study analyzes and evaluates the information from first sources available in 2002, but discarding opinions, false information or misinterpretations from other authors. The study describes the evolution of the conflict, the daily development of the crisis generated in Georgias based on their protagonists' testimonies and documents. It seeks to determine the real facts, decisions, and declarations that led two friendly nations to war. Twenty years ago, the forces were marching south in order to solve an old issue over the disputed archipelagos. Today, as in the past, the central issue of sovereignty remains unsolved due to British intransigency. It is time to learn the real lessons of this unwanted, misunderstood war.