Why did Britain even want the Falkland Islands.?

dsm37127

the most important thing about the falklands is that it is british territory. the argentinians have always laid claim to the malvinas islands but they are part of the british sovereignty. when the argentinians invaded, the british had no choice but to take them back.

jeeper_peeper321

Because the citizens of the falklands are british citizens.

Don't you think that is the primary function of any government

To protect its citizens being threatened by a foreign government ?

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As to why the british were in the Falklands in the first place.

It used to be a supply station for British shipping and the Fleet, back in the old days.

IF SOMEONE WALKED INTO YOUR HOUSE AND SAID RIGHT THIS IS NOW MINE ,YOU,D ALLOW THAT? I DONT THINK SO.
THE ISLANDERS ARE BRITISH SO THEY RESERVE THE SAME RIGHTS AS THOSE IN THE UK ITS ALSO CALLED PRINCIPAL HAVE YOU HEARD OF THAT?

Liberals make me laugh

The people who lived there didn't want to be part of Argentina, they were happy under British rule where they wished to stay

SnoddersB

The Falkland Islands were, like other islands used as bases from their founding as British colonies. No other country wanted them and Argentina was a colony of Spain at that time. Since the advent of oil the Argentine government, especially after the military took over, used the idea that islands hundreds of miles away were theirs to take the minds of their people off the goings on in Argentina where thousands are missing. The people of the Falklands are British, as has been said before, and have the right to live in peace. At present the only produce from the Falklands are sheep and fish, it is thought there may be oil but this is either out of reach of not proven. Britain apparently went to war against Nazi Germany, to our detriment and near bankruptcy, over Poland and the rest of an ungrateful Europe at least the Falkland Islanders are grateful for their release from the Argentinian oppression.

Uncle Tonto

The significance was strategic. Basically the Falklands were the cheapest and most effective way for the British to protect their merchant vessels rounding Cape Horn.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, the UK was the world's preeminent commercial and naval power. It had the world's largest navy and the world's largest commercial fleet, but it had the smallest standing army of any world power.

Occupation of the Falklands allowed the Royal Navy to control the sea route around Cape Horn without having to set up a mainland naval base in South America. A mainland port would have to have been defended both at sea and on land. This would have been expensive, and eventually would have involved Britain in a South American land war in which it had little interest.

Much easier to simply take the Falkland Islands, which would be defended by the same ships guarding the sea route. So they did. In fact Britain had to fight over the Falklands numerous times - not just with Argentina but with Spain and Portugal.

And when you think about it, Argentina's claim to the Falklands is pretty spurious. When the British first settled the Falklands, Argentina didn't even exist. Also, Chile and Uruguay could just as easily claim the Falklands. OK, maybe Argentina is close to the Falklands, but Massachusetts is close to Rhode Island and I don't see an army of Bay Staters mobilizing to invade Providence.

The real question you should ask is what was so rotten in Argentina in the 1980s that the military junta had to engineer an invasion of two desolate islands to keep people distracted?

Britain went to war over the Falklands in 1982 because the Falklands were part of Britain. British people lived there. When someone attacks you, you fight back. You don't just bend over and take it. There was a time when the Western world understood this concept.

rommel

no one gives a toss about the Falkland islands. but we do care about the British people who call the islands their home. and we don't take kindly to morons deciding to invade our territory and shooting our citizens for no bloody reason. the Falkland Islands were never! owned or occupied by the Argie's. they tried to take them because their tin pot little generals thought they'd do a bit of sabre rattling. so they got their little arses kicked, and were reminded not to go bullying country's smaller than their own. (by that i mean the falklands) the Argies were good soldiers. they deserved better leadership. it was a stupid thing to do. and a lot of decent men died 'on both sides' for bugger all .

BadgerFarm

It was an invasion on a piece of land where the citizens were happily under British rule. It would've been nothing less than cowardice to just let it slide.

Gotcha

The people of the Falkland Islands wanted to remain British. We should fight for our own.

Gotta have more explosions!

The Falkland Islands are a tiny, miserable cluster of islands suffering from constant weather. The only thing going for the Falklands is all the squid and fish and other icky creatures spawning in the waters nearby.

Across history, it has changed hands repeatedly between several countries - some of them deciding they didn't want it, only going back for the sake of rivalry.

The significance? The few thousand people living there at the time of the invasion and afterwards prefered to be a part of Britain, not Argentina. Not to mention the invasion was technically an attack on British soil.

nosdda

During the WW1 the falkland islands was used as a coaling station for the Royal Naval ships. It was also used in the WW2 by some older naval ships. This enabled the navy to stay at sea much longer and travel the south atantic much further.

druszka717

Strategic sheep purposes

john s

the main reason we went to war for the falklands was that evil women thatcher realised it was the only way she could get herself and her party elected again

Archangel Gabriel

They did not want them, but the Thatcher Government of the time needed something to distract the public from the mess they were making of governing the UK, so they paid the old colonial war card. With backing from the populist tabloid press, the electorate were duped into supporting a war to reclaim teritory the UK had long stopped caring about.

spurs25

firstly it is because the citizens of Falklands are citizens of Britain, and the Falklands are apart of the british territory

secondly power to show argentina we still have power to defent our territory

and thirdly there is untouched oil around and under that island which could help us especially now when we are runnin out of oil

robert c

At one time it was a good place for re-supplying ships of the Royal Navy then later a coaling station!Would you believe me !When I say OIL has been found!!

Gerry Atrix

A. The Argies were wrong.
B. The Bennies did not want the Argies.
C. It is a base for keeping watch on the Antarctic.
D. Mrs Thatcher was not a babe to be messed with.

RICHARD S

The people who live there were British Citizens - why should the British Army defend Manchester or Exeter or Edinburgh - because they are British ! The resident population wished to remain British and until they vote to become part of Argentina we (the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force) would step up to a man or woman to defend their right to remain so

kenneth d

mineral wealth.as yet untapped

frankturk50

Because they are populated by British people and the government has an obligation to defend them - simple?

fill Yerboots

in all these answers the truth lays. Yes Maggie wanted her moment of victory. Denis Healey went down in my book when he apologised for saying 'To prove she had guts a lot of good men had to spill theirs on the ground' paraphrased but thats the truth. And the Falkland Islanders were and are British. They may be Bennies, but they are our Bennies. And the Junta in Argentina thought that because we published that we were withdarwing our only naval presence in that area, well we were going home. And there is oil a plenty out there in that wasteland. So you are all right, and of course the ones who paid the price for freedom, oil, or Mrs Thatchers and the Generals egos paid the price on all sides.

Neil T

As has been posted many times the islands are British Territory and their people have voted many times to remain British citizens.

The islands were of strategic importance in the course of world history and remain so to this day as they guard the shipping lanes around Cape Horn and that area of the southern hemisphere.

bravozulu

It was a seaport for ships that used those seas, mainly whaling vessels.

Pyeblow

I think it was mainly pride, as is with any international power.

URBAN SOUL

mrs thatcher thought she was a man & wanted to show the world she had balls!

Ada S

The oil,subsequently found underneath the Falkland Islands.

HotLulu853@hotmail.com

What bravozulu says.

Vitor M

Well...
Britain claimed that the island was a British territorry. There has always been a dispute in regards to that piece of land, that comes way back from the Empire.
I believe that Britain wanted those islands as it is such a strategic place. We've got South America a few miles away from there, we've got an extra place to fuel ships in the South Atlantic and many other things. The American Navy also fuels their ships there and they let Britain fuel its ships in American territory in exchange.
If if was worth or not? Of course! Land is like money. The more you have, the more powerful you are. You can sell stuff, you can produce stuff, you have an extra point in case you go to war with any South America country.
But it was a bloody and tragic war. Many people died, mostly Argentinians. War is always the worst way to go through. It should be the last resource, always. But the government has interests in things we don't know. If there is money and power in cheque, they will always fight. Whether we like it or not.

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