The Falklands War

The Falklands War, also known as the Malvenas War, was a unique conflict fought between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982. The war was sparked by Argentina’s invasion of the Falkland Islands, a British territory in the South Atlantic, on April 2, 1982.

The Argentine military government, led by General Leopoldo Galtieri, believed that the invasion would unite Argentinians and distract from internal problems. However, the British government, led by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, responded quickly and decisively, sending a task force to regain control of the islands.

The war lasted 74 days and resulted in the deaths of 649 Argentine servicemen and 255 British servicemen. The British were ultimately victorious, and the Falkland Islands remained under British control.

The war had significant political consequences, with the Argentine military government being ousted and democracy being restored in 1983. In the UK, the war boosted the popularity of the Conservative government, which won the general elections in 1983.

Term	Definition	Example Usage
Malvenas War	The Spanish name for the Falklands War, used to refer to the conflict between Argentina and the United Kingdom.	“The Malvenas War was a significant event in Argentine history.”
Task Force	A group of military units, ships, and aircraft sent to a specific location to accomplish a particular mission.	“The British government sent a task force to the Falkland Islands to retake control from Argentina.”
Victorious	Having won a war or conflict.	“The British were ultimately victorious in the Falklands War.”
Ousted	To be removed from a position of power or authority, often due to a scandal or loss of support.	“The Argentine military government was ousted after the Falklands War.”
Restore	To bring something back to its original state or condition.	“Democracy was restored in Argentina after the Falklands War.”
Popular	To be well-liked or widely supported by the public.	“The Conservative government’s popularity increased after the Falklands War.”
Consequences	The results or effects of a particular action or event.	“The Falklands War had significant political consequences for both Argentina and the United Kingdom.”
Victory	The act of winning a war or conflict.	“The British victory in the Falklands War was a significant turning point in the conflict.”
Regain	To get back something that was lost or taken away.	“The British sent a task force to regain control of the Falkland Islands from Argentina.”
Spark	To cause something to happen or start a particular event or action.	“The Argentine invasion of the Falkland Islands sparked the Falklands War.”

Vocabulary Quiz: The Falklands War

Choose the correct definition for each word:

1. What does the word “unique” mean?
   • Common or ordinary
   • One-of-a-kind or special
   • Very long or prolonged
   • Related to war or conflict
2. What does the word “spark” mean?
   • To start or trigger something
   • To stop or end something
   • To move quickly or suddenly
   • To plan or prepare something
3. What does the word “decisively” mean?
   • With hesitation or uncertainty
   • With firmness or resolve
   • With speed or quickness
   • With caution or carefulness
4. What does the word “oust” mean?
   • To appoint or elect someone
   • To remove or force someone out
   • To support or back someone
   • To ignore or disregard someone
5. What does the word “boost” mean?
   • To decrease or reduce something
   • To increase or enhance something
   • To change or modify something
   • To stop or halt something

Answer Key:

1. b) One-of-a-kind or special
2. a) To start or trigger something
3. b) With firmness or resolve
4. b) To remove or force someone out
5. b) To increase or enhance something

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The Use of the Past Perfect Tense in Narratives

Explanation

The past perfect tense is used to describe an action that occurred before another action in the past. In narratives, it helps to establish a clear timeline of events and show the relationship between them. It is often used to provide background information or to explain the cause of an event. In the text, the past perfect tense is used to describe the events leading up to the Falklands War, such as “believed that the invasion would unite Argentinians and distract from internal problems” and “had sparked by Argentina’s invasion of the Falkland Islands”.

Quiz

Choose the correct answer
1. By the time the task force arrived, the Argentine military ____________________ the Falkland Islands.	a) had invaded	b) invaded	c) was invading
2. The British government ____________________ a response to the invasion by the time the war started.	a) had prepared	b) prepared	c) was preparing
3. The war ____________________ by the time the British task force arrived.	a) had started	b) started	c) was starting
4. The Argentine military government ____________________ the Falkland Islands before the British responded.	a) had invaded	b) invaded	c) was invading
5. By 1983, the Argentine military government ____________________ and democracy was restored.	a) had been ousted	b) was ousted	c) ousted

Answer Key

Answers
1. a) had invaded
2. a) had prepared
3. a) had started
4. a) had invaded
5. a) had been ousted