Chapter 855: Falklands War

But the problem is that at present, Margaret Thatcher's reforms, like those of US President Ronald Reagan, are at a stage where negative effects have appeared, but the benefits are still not seen for the time being. In other words www.biquge.info like General Galtieri, Margaret Thatcher had a very difficult time, and Margaret Thatcher's strict free-market economic measures had offended many people in Britain. Before the war, her approval rating in civil surveys was very low.

If Britain won the war, it would also save Margaret Thatcher's political life. Once a woman becomes a politician, she is often more open-minded than a man. Argentina's move to occupy the Falklands was only met by Margaret Thatcher. The benefits of winning are also huge.

Could the Soviet Union help Argentina defeat Britain? The answer is no! Of course, the strength of the Soviet Red Navy far exceeded that of the British Royal Navy, but the Soviet Red Navy could not attack the British Royal Navy, and Britain was also a member of NATO. If the USSR had done so, it would have been a global war between the Warsaw Pact and NATO. It was not a local war between Argentina and Great Britain.

Even if it could, the USSR could not do it! The most basic reason is, why did the Soviet Union take such a big risk to think that after the war a military government would change its foreign policy and become a pro-Soviet country in the future? Do you expect the discipline of General Galtieri? Another important reason is that Chile and Argentina have territorial disputes, and in the seventies General Galtieri once put the idea of risking on Chile, which was also an important reason why the Soviet Red Navy was able to obtain ports in Chile.

For the sake of a Galtieri general, the USSR was alienated from the Allende government? As for maintaining close alliances with Argentina and Chile at the same time, Serov has never been prepared and hoped to put pie in the sky.

It is thankful that Chile can stand on the overall situation and stand with most South American countries and support Argentina, you must know that in the Falklands War in history, Chile was on the side of Britain because of territorial disputes. All of Argentina's military dispositions were told to the British by Chile without reservation.

Like the United Kingdom, Chile has a territorial dispute with Argentina. Chile and Argentina have been at loggerheads over the ownership of the islands south of the Beagle Channel, Picton, Lennox and Nueva since the last century. The two countries came close to a full-scale war. Although Argentina agreed to suspend its invasion plans, it has not given up on the idea of seizing the disputed islands by force.

In the Falklands War, Chile publicly declared its neutrality, mainly out of concern for the unity of the Americas. However, during the Falklands War, both Agargians and Chile deployed heavy troops on the border, and a large number of Afghan naval ships were also used to target Chile, so Chile held back a large number of Argentine troops and prevented them from entering the Falklands battlefield.

At a time when political life was at stake, Margaret Thatcher thought of Chile, Argentina's enemy. At this time, President Allende, in the eyes of Margaret Thatcher, was by no means the diabolical socialist. Rather, it was an angel who forgot that Chile, like Cuba, was an ally of the USSR in Latin America. President Allende has also been opposed to imperialism of all kinds.

Obviously, Britain believed that Chile had a territorial dispute with Argentina, and if it sided with Britain, it would greatly increase Britain's chances of winning the war.

If the KGB could not even find out such information in a pro-Soviet country, it could die. So the opportunity to see the success of the British Empire has come, and perhaps the losses will be too great, and the Labour Party, which has a better attitude towards the Soviet Union, will come to power. Even if you secretly support Argentina and the USSR, you are not afraid, anyway, it cannot be worse than now.

Serov felt that it was basically impossible for Argentina to win the war, although he also knew that Argentina's air force was very good, and the remnants of the Nazis hiding in Argentina were well trained, but the air force won alone because the United States fought Yugoslavia, not Argentina against Britain, and no matter how weak the old imperialism was, it was not something that Argentina could challenge. If Argentina wanted to win against Britain, it would be unless Cuba went into battle in person, and with the help of strategic transport from the Soviet Air Force.

But this kind of treatment, the Soviet Union will never give to the junta, the pro-American junta usually has a necessary condition, it has suppressed the pro-Soviet parties in its own country, and the Argentine military junta has also done this kind of thing. If it weren't for the face of the historical and cultural traditions of Greece and the Soviet Union, the Greek Defense Forces would have been washed by Serov 800 times.

But it should be a much less difficult question to make Argentina's death more worthwhile, more tragic, more heroic, and to inspire a certain degree of self-confidence in Latin America. That was the backyard of the United States, and it was not the sphere of influence of the USSR, so the General Political Commissar was not afraid to detonate a powder keg on the side of the enemy.

Argentina was not a Soviet military sales market, and Argentina had close ties with the United States and was not an ally of the Soviet Union. Secondly, the relations between the Soviet Union and Argentina's rival, Britain, were not good, and the real opponent of the Soviet Union was the United States, so there was no need for the Soviet Union to make a big move. In addition, this battle is a small-scale war, and who wins and who loses will not have a decisive impact, and there is no need for the Soviet Union to directly intervene.

Moreover, from history, Serov knew that when General Galtieri was about to lose the war, he tried to bring in the Soviet Union to intervene, and sold a large amount of grain to the Soviet Union at a low price in just a few days, and at the same time signed an agreement on the import of the Soviet nuclear industry, trade and fisheries between the two sides. This gamble turned Reagan from leaning toward Britain to supporting Britain in the war, quickly defeating Argentina and preventing it from being pinned down by the Soviet Union in the South Atlantic.

"Chairman, how much do we intervene?" General Chebrikov thought for a while and asked this question, he wanted to know the bottom line of the Soviet Union in this matter, otherwise he would always look ahead and backward when doing things.

"As long as Argentina asks for help, it can give satellite and intelligence support, and we have a batch of Granite anti-ship missiles stored at the Red Navy base in Chile, as well as six Backfire bombers. Backfire bombers must not be used, they are used to protect Chile, but Granite missiles can be sold to Argentina as long as Argentina asks for help. Serov thought for a moment and decided on the level of Soviet involvement in this war.

"Tell the Argentines that although Britain is traditionally a maritime country, and the navy is the most powerful of the three services, the British army is definitely not weak, but it is not large enough, and the weakest thing in Britain is the air force. The fighter is not weak, but inexperienced! At the end of the command, Serov stopped squeaking.

Without early warning of an air attack, the British Navy, which is not very capable of air defense, will need to keep extremely expensive fighter jets on patrol at all times to be ready to intercept any air attack. Who provided the early warning in the UK? It was provided by Chile, so it was now more difficult for Britain to intervene in the war.

A few hours later, Chilean President Allende, who had recently been courted by British diplomats, received a telegram from the Soviet Union. There was no direct command in the newspaper on what the Chilean president should do, because it was interference in internal affairs. Rather, it is a feasibility analysis of the forces of the United Kingdom and Argentina. Allende, who saw this information, would naturally make the most advantageous choice.

First of all, the Soviet Union determined that Britain would definitely solve the problem by means of war, and that Argentina would have a difficult time defeating Britain. Unless Chile and Cuba sent troops to help Argentina, the Soviets did not recommend doing so in the event of war. After this neutral intelligence, President Allende naturally understood that it was beneficial to help Argentina appropriately. However, the goodwill of the United Kingdom still has to be taken in full, depending on what the British can afford.

A few days later, the British Expeditionary Force was formed, and British newspapers began to report extensively on the composition of the fleet and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's determination to win the war.

The supreme commander of the fleet was Admiral John? Federhouse conducted. The aircraft carrier is the core force of Task Force 317.8 and is commanded by Rear Admiral Woodward. It includes two aircraft carriers, the USS Athletic and the newly commissioned Invincible-class aircraft carrier USS Invincible, on which more than 20 Sea Harrier vertical lift fighters are the air force that the entire task force can use to counter the Argentine army. The task force enjoyed autonomy and was able to project forces along the coast of the Falkland Islands.

Commodore Michael Krapp commanded another naval task force 317.0, with amphibious forces as its main force. It carries Task Force 317.1, which consists of the 3rd Commando Brigade of the Royal Marines (including the British Army Parachute Regiment and the Royal Armoured Regiment). The task force was led by Brigadier General Julian Thomson.

Task Force 3 consisted of submarines and consisted of three to four submarines, commanded by a submarine commander. Prior to the operation, Britain declared a no-sail zone within 200 nautical miles of Falkland and that foreign ships would not be allowed to enter.

"The British Empire is so loud that it does not allow foreign ships to enter?" Serov looked at Defense Minister Marshal Ustinov with a sneering expression and said, "If the Red Navy goes to see the excitement, will the British dare to attack us?" ”

A smile flashed on Marshal Ustinov's face, and without answering the words of the General Political Commissar, Shi Shiran picked up the phone and ordered, "The heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser Baku, the heavy cruiser Kalinin, and the two 10,000-ton cruisers that have just entered service, with six nuclear submarines, and tugboats are ready to go to the South Atlantic for sea trials, let's go and see how the naval power with rich experience fights." ”

The 10,000-ton cruiser, three of which have just been launched, are called the Glorious-class by NATO. In fact, Ustinov's fleet, which was very lively, was already more effective than the British task force. Serov lowered his voice and smiled, "I feel that this time the old imperialism may be ashamed." ”

At the same time as the Red Navy was making adjustments, the British Royal Task Force was already approaching the waters off the Falklands, and war could begin at any time.