Routledge Revivals
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. Relationsbetween 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 disputes 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. Beck emphasises 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.
First published in 1988
by Routledge
This edition first published in 2014 by Routledge
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and by Routledge
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Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
1988 Peter J. Beck
The right of Peter J. Beck to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
Publishers Note
The publisher has gone to great lengths to ensure the quality of this reprint but points out that some imperfections in the original copies may be apparent.
Disclaimer
The publisher has made every effort to trace copyright holders and welcomes correspondence from those they have been unable to contact.
A Library of Congress record exists under LC control number: 89183459
ISBN 13: 978-1-138-01797-9 (hbk)
ISBN 13: 978-1-315-77997-3 (ebk)
Additional materials are available on the companion website at
http://www.routledge.com/books/series/Routledge_Revivals
First published in 1988 by
Routledge
a division of Routledge, Chapman and Hall
11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4P 4EE
Published in the USA by
Routledge
a division of Routledge, Chapman and Hall, Inc.
29 West 35th Street, New York NY 10001
1988 Peter J. Beck
Phototypeset in English Times by Pat and Anne Murphy,
Highcliffe-on-Sea, Dorset
Printed and bound in Great Britain by
Biddies Ltd, Guildford and Kings Lynn
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Beck, Peter
The Falkland Islands as an international problem.
1. Falkland Islands. Political events, 18331987.
International political aspects
I. Title
997.11
ISBN 0-415-00909-X
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
ISBN 0-415-00909-X
AA | Australian Archives, Canberra |
AARI | Associacin Argentina de Relaciones Internacionales |
BBC | British Broadcasting Corporation |
CARI | Consejo Argentino para las Relaciones Internacionales |
CEAS | Centro de Estudios del Atlantico Sur |
CO | British Colonial Office Records |
COI | Central Office of Information |
CRS | Commonwealth Record Series, Australian Archives |
EEC | European Economic Community |
EEZ | Exclusive Economic Zone |
FAO | UN Food and Agriculture Organisation |
FCO | Foreign and Commonwealth Office |
FIC | Falkland Islands Company |
FICZ | Falkland Islands Interim Conservation and Management Zone |
FID | Falkland Islands Dependencies (after 1985: Dependencies of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands) |
FIDC | Falkland Islands Development Corporation |
FIEC | Falkland Islands Emergency Committee (later UKFIC) |
FIG | Falkland Islands Government |
FO | British Foreign Office Records |
HCDC | House of Commons Defence Committee |
HCFAC | House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee |
HMSO | Her Majestys Stationery Office |
IPU | Interparliamentary Union |
LADE | Lineas Areas del Estados |
MOD | Ministry of Defence |
MP | British Member of Parliament |
NA | USA National Archives, Washington |
NAM | Non-Aligned Movement |
NATO | North Atlantic Treaty Organisation |
NZ | New Zealand Archives, Wellington |
OAS | Organization of American States |
OAU | Organization of African Unity |
OPEC | Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries |
RAF | Royal Air Force |
RIIA | Royal Institute of International Affairs |
SATO | South Atlantic Treaty Organisation |
SAZOP | South Atlantic Zone of Peace |
TEZ | Total Exclusion Zone |
UKFIC | United Kingdom Falkland Islands Committee (formerly FIEC) |
UN | United Nations |
UNGA | United Nations General Assembly Records |
UPU | Universal Postal Union |
YPF | Yacimientos Petroliferos Fiscales |
Soon after the 1982 war one reviewer, overcome by the proliferation of official, academic and journalistic studies on the Falklands/Malvinas dispute, complained that never in the sphere of human conflict had so much been written by so many so quickly. He might well have added a reference to the relatively low quality and narrow focus of most products of the Falklands publication industry, since the majority were characterised by either a vague, incomplete and instant knowledge of the topic and/or an attempt to prove a particular point rather than to search for an objective and balanced account. Nevertheless, a number of studies, mostly in the form of articles, pamphlets and radio broadcasts, have made important contributions, even if, pending the appearance of the memoirs of the key actors and the eventual availability of archival material, it seems difficult to anticipate further major revelations.
Against such a background, this book is presented as a work of synthesis designed to pay due regard to varying viewpoints, to correct existing misconceptions, to identify difficulties and opportunities, and to encourage readers to look again at a longstanding problem. Although an attempt has been made to offer balanced coverage of divergent attitudes, it does tend nevertheless to represent a British interpretation. The chief emphasis has been placed upon the nature and development of the dispute until the present day, while focusing also upon options for a settlement. The 1982 war, albeit the major event in the history of the dispute and discussed in several chapters, is not covered in detail, since this enables more attention to be devoted to aspects often ignored by previous writers, including post-war developments. In any case, the war has been fully covered already, while the Antarctic dimension was analysed in my book