What if the British Empire never existed ?

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graphite · 61-69, M

Anybody else remember when Argentina tried to take the Falkland Islands in 1982? Right off the coast of Argentina. One of the few remnants of the British Empire. Argentina invaded, with the UK caught napping, with the place undefended. Margaret Thatcher sent fleets of ships down there and after a short war, retook the place. The US backed the UK, in violation of the Monroe Doctrine from 1823, which opposed European colonialism in the western hemisphere. Apparently, Prince Andrew sat on one of the ships off the Falkland Islands but its questionable whether he ever saw any actual combat.

Nimbus · M

@graphite Yea, they wanted the 'Malvinas' back and underestimated the Brits.

graphite · 61-69, M

@Nimbus Britain had left the place undefended. So the UK nationals on the islands found themselves under Argentine rule for a few weeks. While the Argentines did sink one or two British ships of significance, they were no match for the British military.

BritishFailedAesthetic · M

@graphite

Apparently, Prince Andrew sat on one of the ships off the Falkland Islands but its questionable whether he ever saw any actual combat.

Finally someone has addressed the elephant in the room about him and the Falklands!

graphite · 61-69, M

@BritishFailedAesthetic Some reports say he flew helicopter missions. I don't know. It's still more military action than I ever saw, myself.

SW-User

@graphite The joke of it was that if Argentina had left the Falklands alone, Mrs Thatcher was apparently mooting its return to Argentina anyway...