On 2 April 1982, Argentinian forces invaded the British overseas territory of the Falkland Islands.
Argentina had claimed sovereignty over the islands for many years and their ruling military junta did not believe that Britain would attempt to regain the islands by force.
Despite the huge distance involved - the Falklands were 8,000 miles away in the South Atlantic - Britain, under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher, undertook the extraordinary feat of assembling and sending a task force of warships and rapidly refitted merchant ships to the Falklands.
