The Impact of the Falklands War on Margaret Thatcher's Domestic Politics

Abstract

The Falkland islands are considered as a British overseas territory from 1833.The Argentine government tried to occupy the islands, but it failed in each attempt. One of the Argentine attempts was the military invasion in 1982.Britain at that time witnessed a political and economic decline. Britain under Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was suffering at home from social unrest which caused a strong opposition for Thatcher’s policies. Despite that problems, Thatcher decided to retake the Falklands by military attack. In this study, we have proved that the Falklands victory considered as a successful mean to achieve Thatcher’s domestic objectives. The war had been well used by Margaret Thatcher to regain the public support and to cover her failure in such domestic issues. The Falklands victory had many impacts on Thatcher’s domestic politics. It assured her a second term in office by winning the 1983 general elections and allowed her to continue her programs. On the economic side, the victory allowed Thatcher to reform the unions and follow a new defense policy.