MALVINAS: 30 years of a bloody war that marked an historic and legitimate claim

On April 2, 1982, Argentine troops landed in Puerto Argentino, and the military junta headed by Leopoldo Fortunato Galtieri announced the recovery of the Malvinas Islands. The British response was overwhelming, and two months later, retomaban control of the archipelago. The review of a conflict that left 649 dead, hundreds injured, and an indelible mark on society as a whole Argentina
How to reconcile a legitimate claim, historical, with an avoidable war, painful, which cost the lives of hundreds of Argentines, mostly young with little military training on their backs? How to separate the ability to recover a usurped territory of the opportunistic decision of an illegitimate government that wanted a little more oxygen to extend their stay in power?

The history of Argentina is in the April 2, 1982 a date marked by blood and fire. For the first and only time, the country engaged in a war against a foreign force, which included battles for land, sea and air. And that ended in the worst way: a painful and unforgettable defeat for former combatants and to society at large.
Few knew of the military plans of the time. Since the early years of the dictatorship, the possibility of armed conflict aimed exclusively to Chile, the dispute over sovereignty of continental ice. Even Argentine troops were mobilized long mountainous border. Falkland appeared to be on the agenda.
However, in December 1981, Leopoldo Fortunato Galtieri replaced as president de facto Roberto Viola, and from day one looks to the islands as the concrete possibility of recovering some support in society, and avoid the inevitable: the outputdemocratic.
The decision was made: the failure of diplomatic efforts continued to restore the sovereignty of the Islands (occupied by Britain illegally and illegitimately since 1833), and the lack of a specific item for the military to continue in power (the"subversion" had been largely defeated) marked the path of military occupation as the only possibility.
There was no going back: no mediation of the United States, nor the order of the Church thrived Galtieri's decision to recover the Falklands by force. On April 2, 1982, about 5,000 men under General Mario Benjamin Menendez landed at Port Stanley, later renamed Puerto Argentino.



The forty-nine Marines that made up the small British garrison in charge of keeping the islands were captured and taken to Montevideo with Governor Rex Hunt.
Crisis in Britain: Thatcher decides to recover the Islands
The surprise Argentine landing causes a crisis in the British cabinet: most of the team understood that Margaret Thatcher was not worth a military operation to recover the islands. The Foreign Minister, Lord Carrington, resigns, as a significant number of employees.


But Thatcher in the Falklands is the possibility to regain political power, given the serious economic crisis ravaging the United Kingdom, which had ground support conservatism in English society.

 Before landing, the UK achieved its first victory: the Security Council of the United Nations declared the Argentina "aggressor" and the U.S. European Economic Community and give unconditional backing Thatcher.
The Argentine military, meanwhile, achieved the support of almost all Latin American countries: Nicaragua offered troops, Venezuela, and Peru oil, aircraft replacement. Only the military government of Augusto Pinochet in Chile, is provided as an aid to the British, giving supplies and bases for commando units.
Meanwhile, with British forces towards Falkland, Secretary of State, Alexander Haig, by all means try to convince Galtieri of Argentina had more chances to recover the islands by diplomatic means. But the negative obsecada military junta takes the Reagan administration to formally announce the April 30, support for Britain.

The "we are winning" the inexorable defeat
In the days following the formal declaration of war by Britain, Argentina society boiling times of extreme living, driven by the official propaganda that promoted the idea that the Malvinas "had recovered forever." That contrasted with the difficult reality that soldiers lived in the South Atlantic harsh winter without adequate provisions to deal with a harsh geographical environment.
Before the British landing, there is the most painful episode for Argentina during the conflict: Sunday May 2nd, an attack nuclear submarine HMS Conqueror sank the cruiser ARA General Belgrano. The fact killed 323 Argentine sailors (nearly half of the country had fallen during the conflict), and gave Britain the possibility of naval superiority in the area.

In addition, generated much controversy, having produced the attack outside the exclusion zone established by the British government around the islands.
Finally, on May 21 British troops landed successfully in San Carlos (Falkland), and begins a series of clashes that Argentine forces carried forward with great value, causing heavy casualties among British soldiers.
Poor preparation of British commandos to fight in a hostile scenario hoped for who really trust in the possibility of recovery of the Falklands by force. But the striking difference between that at the time was the third world's technological strength, supported by the first, quickly put in check Argentine plans.
The main ground combat took place on May 28. A British contingent consists of 600 men defeated a garrison Argentina increased in number in Goose Green (in South Malvina) after a hard fight.
The British advanced toward the main garrison in Argentina that was located in the capital, Port Stanley (Puerto Argentino), and on June 8 was the biggest disaster, when the troop ship Sir Galahad by Argentine aircraft was destroyed in Port Fitzroy.
But that would only be an exception amid the general decline of the Argentine positions, with the consequent advance of the British.


Chronicle of a foregone conclusion
Despite this circumstantial success, little by little the British forces were advancing, causing numerous casualties and continuous wear on the Argentine soldiers, who also suffered from the limited supply coming from the mainland and the marked difference in the arms with respect to their enemy .
British troops occupied the highlands surrounding Stanley, and on June 14 came the inevitable: Argentina garrison under the command of General Menendez surrendered.
General Galtieri announced on national TV the end of the war, the defeat of Argentina, and took the first step to the end of the military dictatorship that began on March 24, 1976.
Meanwhile, Margaret Thatcher with Ronald Reagan gave another demonstration of military power the world powers, which had never allowed an emerging country, under a dictatorial government, they scored a military victory in the midst of the Cold War.
In total, 649 Argentines who gave their lives in the Falklands during the war, and 1188 were injured. But the consequences continued: over 500 veterans committed suicide in the years after the war, amid the indifference of society, and the abandonment of democratic governments.
However, in recent years the demand for the legitimate sovereignty over Malvinas Argentina took on new momentum. Far from delusions war of 1982, and diplomacy as the only way. Without doubt, the best tribute to those who lost their lives in a bloody conflict that drew the history of Argentina.

Argentine war veteran shows his tattoo of the Islas Malvinas (Falkands Islands) during a demonstration near the British embassy in Buenos Aires (AFP Photo / Juan Mabromata)