For the student of military history, the Falklands War is an endlessly fascinating conflict. This reasonably minor and limited conflict is a true microcosm of modern warfare. Special forces operations, missile armed jet combat, aircraft carrier battle, strategic bomber raids, nuclear submarines, Anti-Ship Cruise Missile strikes, amphibious assaults and set piece infantry battles; the Falklands has it all. One of the few conventional, high intensity peer conflicts of the modern era, the Falklands provides an almost unique window through which to understand modern warfare, especially in the naval sphere. But despite how interesting the conflict is from a miliary history perspective, the Falklands was still a war, one which took the lives of hundreds of people and demanded countless acts of gallantry. After all, a limited war is, nonetheless, still a war, and thus the Falklands should not be underestimated. It was, at times, every bit as brutal as its far larger historical analogues.
This video is the first in a two part military history of the Falklands War, which primarily focuses on the air and sea battle which took place during April and May of 1982. It covers the Argentine invasion of the Falklands, the wider strategic background, diplomacy, and then the major air and naval battles, including the sinking of the cruiser Belgrano, the loss of HMS Sheffield, the Black Buck raids, Operation Paraquet and finally the Battle of San Carlos, including the landing of the amphibious force and the week long air battle which would give the area the name “bomb alley”. Part 2 of this series covers the following land campaign, through the breakout from San Carlos to the battle of Goose Green, then through to the final engagements around Stanley. The primary source material utilized in this series is the British Official History, which has been supplemented with numerous other sources, many of which were Argentine.
0:00 The Argentine Invasion: Operation Rosario
17:56 Strategic Background: Argentine Nationalism, British Imperialism and a Historic Period of Decline
46:22 Gathering the Task Force
1:09:57 Preliminary Intelligence Assessments
1:23:44 Diplomacy and Washington
1:35:34 Operation Paraquet: The Battle of South Georgia
1:56:07 Operation Black Buck and the Opening of the Air War
2:09:15 Belgrano and Sheffield
2:40:51 Shaping the Battlespace: MI6, Special Forces Raids and the Sea Dart Missile Trap
3:02:35 Operation Sutton: D-Day at San Carlos
3:24:08 Bomb Alley: The Battle of San Carlos
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part 1 is 4 hours?! im going to enjoy this
Awesome work!
What happened to the ultimate guide to nuclear weapons btw?
Such an excellent report… Thank you……
The greatest damage done to the UK's ability to conduct expeditionary warfare was by two Labour governments a decade apart. First with the 1966 cancellation of the CVA01 carrier & then the scrapping of Ark Royal
It took the UK 40 years to regain that ability…
Basically lucky that Argentina only had five Exocet missiles – imagine if they had 20
Exocets! Ye Olde Empire vs. Mational Zoszialisto Junta Forces; HHH tour de force of historical military documentary, thank you thank you!
Awesome.
Thanks
I would love to visit the Falklands – I have a curious fascination with remote islands and communities. I have heard from a few people that the accent there sounds a bit like our Australian accents. I guess that when you put a heap of Brits on an island, you'll end up with an accent akin to ours. I cannot say that I am a huge fan of Thatcher's economic policies, although I can sympathise with a few changes she made. However, I completely support her decision to get The Falklands back. As an Aussie of English descent, it was just freaking awesome seeing Britannia rule the waves again. I imagine most Australians held a similar view.
I personally think the Falklands war is the moat interesting conflict
Love this channel ❤️
I don't understand how sinking a combat vessel of a nation that has occupied your territory can be considered a warcrime. I don't see anyone complaining about the sinking of the slava class cruiser moscow?
This guy is the goat
Where did the Ultimate Nuclear Weapons Guide go 😢
The British love war, they love killing and fighting. It's part of their culture. Stupidly, they remain in the Malvinas, and as time goes on, they will eventually have no choice but to fight for the island again. Argentines haven't forgotten and apparently they say they will take the island, and yes it seems inevitable.
❤❤❤
you need to do your homework and focus on accuracy – your statements up to your 8th minute are wrong – had you been there, and done better research speaking to the 8901 team under Noott – you would have your facts.
2:13:44 as a member of the commonwealth and the FPDA, I thank you Hypo for using this image, this was a fun little easter egg for me as a long time viewer of this channel
For those of you who might be interested, this is KD Lekir, a Kasturi class corvette in service with the Royal Malaysian Navy, she was bought from Germany sometime in the 80's and she was meant to be replaced by 6 stealth frigates from France but unfortunately due to mishandling and corruption by my govt, the old girl is here to stay for now…
This pic seems to be taken from a recent exercise, I believe last year, where RMN was testing her systems aswell as the missiles in Malaysia before joining RIMPAC 2022 in Hawaii a few weeks later, where she sunk USS Rodney during a SINKEX with her Exocet, alongside the RAN, RCN and US Navy.
love the guy holding a sign with #mylifematters. In 1982. About 13 years before the Internet became a household thing and how many years before social medias?
No part 2?
Very good and look forward to the 2nd part, at the time I was 18 and in the Territorial Army in the uk and was put on call that we might have to go to Germany to replace the regular Army that was redeployed to the Falklands conflict.
Britain fought this war out of pride more than the need of strategic value.
Excellent. Instant sub.
A well researched video. It's strange that the RN were surprised by the capability of Exocet when they carried them!
Excellent recount of this conflict. Although it as has been covered by many. None have been as through, detailed and nuanced as yours.
You've got a new subscriber. I love that you're doing this in just the amount of detail that I like in a documentary.
Also I commend that you're mixing global assessments and big picture with concrete examples. Too few history youtubers do that, especially in post-WW2 military sphere.
An expellant balanced history of a sad event . In the end the aggressor lost and maybe that's what humanity should want. Thinking of Ukraine. Hope the readers of this can see the similarity and join the Human advance to a peaceful future world.