The Falkland Islands As An International Problem

Although the Falklands War of 1982 had a decisive outcome in respect to the restoration of British control, it failed to resolve the basic cause of the war: the Anglo-Argentine dispute over sovereignty. Relations between the two countries remain unstable, whilst a series of events throughout the past three decades have emphasised the sensitive and important nature of the international problem. First published in 1988, this book stresses the dispute’s significance as both a domestic and an international problem, with important consequences for other governments and such international organisations as the United Nations, as well as the two key players. The book shows an equal concern for the obvious and immediate problem of sovereignty, and for the long term future of the South Atlantic and Antarctic region. Discussing issues that remain of major political relevance, this reissue will be of particular value to students of politics, international relations and diplomatic history with an interest in the key developments within and background to the Anglo-Argentine dispute.

Although the Falklands War of 1982 had a decisive outcome in respect to the restoration of British control, it failed to resolve the basic cause of the war: the Anglo-Argentine dispute over sovereignty. Relations between the two countries remain unstable, whilst a series of events throughout the past three decades have emphasised the sensitive and important nature of the international problem. First published in 1988, this book stresses the dispute's significance as both a domestic and an international problem, with important consequences for other governments and such international organisations as the United Nations, as well as the two key players. The book shows an equal concern for the obvious and immediate problem of sovereignty, and for the long term future of the South Atlantic and Antarctic region. Discussing issues that remain of major political relevance, this reissue will be of particular value to students of politics, international relations and diplomatic history with an interest in the key developments within and background to the Anglo-Argentine dispute.

Discusses the various aspects of the issue and stresses the dispute's significance as a domestic and international problem, the nature of the rival Anglo-Argentine cases for sovereignty, and the development of the dispute.

Thirty years after the Argentinian invasion of the Falkland Islands, the war remains a source of continued debate and analysis for politicians, historians and military strategists. Not only did the conflict provide a fascinating example of modern expeditionary warfare, but it also brought to the fore numerous questions regarding international law, sovereignty, the inheritance of colonialism, the influence of history on national policy and the use of military force for domestic political uses. As the essays in this collection show, the numerous facets of the Falklands War remain current today and have ramifications far beyond the South Atlantic. Covering issues ranging from military strategy to Anglo-American relations, international reactions and international law to media coverage, the volume provides an important overview of some of the complex issues involved, and offers a better understanding of this conflict and of the tensions which still exist today between London and Buenos Aires. Of interest to scholars of history, politics, international relations and defence studies, the volume provides a timely and forthright examination of a short but bloody episode of a kind that is likely to be seen with increasing frequency, as nations lay competing claims to disputed territories around the globe.

The dispute over the South Atlantic islands that Britain calls the Falklands and Argentina claims as the Islas Malvinas has its own unique features, but the legal and political problems at its center, the tension between sovereignty based on prior title, the principle of territorial integrity, and the right of "a people" to self-determination are core issues in many of the other difficult conflicts that beset our rapidly changing world. This book presents a comprehensive analysis of the Falklands/Malvinas dispute and offers concrete suggestions for a new approach to its resolution. The author reviews the long and complex legal history of the islands, from the papal bulls of the fifteenth century and the diplomatic maneuverings of the European colonial powers to the break-up of empires and the evolution of the concept of self-determination. He also describes more recent developments in detail: the role of the United Nations, the failed negotiations that preceded military conflict in 1982, and the profound changes that have occurred in the islands since then. The Falklands War did not resolve the dispute between Britain and Argentina; after a period of stalemate, new initiatives are emerging, new proposals are being offered. The author argues that the opportunity now exists for all three partiesArgentina, Britain, and the islandersto get beyond outdated assumptions and rigidly held positions and construct a new framework for discussions and negotiations, one based on the real and present mutual interests of all concerned. This book makes an important contribution not only to the ongoing debate on the fate of the Falklands/Malvinas but also to the field of international law and conflictresolution.

The complex question of the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands remains far from resolved, even after the military and political events that took place from April to June 1982. The first scholarly work of its kind, this broad and dispassionate study of the causes of the South Atlantic war between Britain and Argentina addresses the larger issues raised by the Falkland crisis and untangles a web of events and attitudes that stretch back over the past century. The book begins with a close evaluation of the two pivotal arguments: Argentina's stance that international law supports their historical right to the islands, and Britain's position that the length of their occupation of the Falklands, together with the principles of self-determination, legalized their de facto control. Gustafson then discusses how potential off-shore oil reserves, diplomacy, domestic politics, and the use of force entered into the sovereignty dispute; analyzes the effects of war on international relations; and considers possible future approaches to handling the dispute.

This is a collection of important new work on the Falklands Conflict by the leading authorities in the field, British and Argentine. The themes of the volume are defence and diplomacy, and the problematic relationship between them. The authors investigate aspects of the conflict from the relevance of Falklands/Malvinas past, through the diplomatic and military crisis of 1982, to shifts in public opinion in both countries. Contributors include Peter Beck, Peter Calvert, Lawrence Freedman, Virginia Gamba-Stonehouse, Guillermo Makin and Paul Rogers.