Command:MO - Falklands

Forty years ago this year, the United Kingdom and Argentina went to war over the possession of the Falkland Islands, off the coast of South America.

The islands had been contested for decades prior to the conflict. In 1965 the United Nations called upon Argentina and the UK to reach a settlement of the sovereignty dispute. The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) regarded the islands as a nuisance and barrier to UK trade in South America. Therefore, while confident of British sovereignty, the FCO was prepared to cede the islands to Argentina. The FCO also sought t...