The Falklands War, also known as the Malvinas War, was a conflict between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas). Argentina alleged that the islands were discovered by Spain in 1520, and when it became a republic, it claimed sovereignty over the islands, which it exercised from 1820 to 1833. But the United Kingdom held that the islands were discovered by an English sailor in 1592, and that they had exercised sovereignty since 1833 when it removed the Argentine governor and took control of the islands. The war ended with the victory of the United Kingdom.

The British are estimated to have captured 11,400 Argentine prisoners during the war. Argentina reported that 650 lives had been lost, of which half died in the sinking of the General Belgrano, while Britain lost 255. Argentina’s military government was critiqued for its failure to effectively prepare its military for the invasion that it had given command to. In 1983, civilian rule was restored, and at the same time the British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, garnered patriotic support through the war, leading to a landslide victory for the Conservative Party in the 1983 election.