Argentina's Darkest Hour

[RedGuy353]

It is January 1, 1979, Argentina almost started a war with Chile over the territory of the Beagle and the Strait of Magellan on December 22, 1978. A conflict that was resolved diplomatically with the intervention of Pope John Paul II, Videla knew that this conflict could have made military rule very popular, but it was not feasible to start it... "yet."
What other way was there to increase the popularity not only of the regime but also of the country? Little by little, the disappearances of the subversive groups became known and one or another clandestine center was discovered. What could distract people enough that his plan to disappear and finish them off wouldn't fail? the Falklands,
Malvinas, a very patriotic and sensitive issue in Argentine society. If he managed to get them back, Argentine society would love him, no, adore him.
But he knew that doing so would not only pit him against the United Kingdom and the United States.
Reluctantly, he learned that his only avenue for help was the Soviet Union.
Since November 1979 he would secretly begin training with the armed forces that would last until 1981, he knew that Galtieri was useless and that he would spoil his plan. By continuing as leader of the military Junta, he would cause instability in it, which would lead to problems in the future.
Could Videla carry out his plan?
Relations between Chile and Argentina were weak, both countries feared that the conflict over the Strait of Magellan would reappear.
The persecution of the subversive groups continued. Thanks to the boycott that various organizations carried out in the country in the 1978 World Cup, the "illegal" activities of the military junta began to be public knowledge while the Pinochet dictatorship had the approval of NATO and especially the CIA. .
The first suspicions of an operation to recover the islands began when the purchase of three Mirage M-III E aircraft and 4 Mirage IAI M 5 Dagger aircraft was discovered, the United States intelligence services were monitoring Argentine purchase activities.
Videla managed to convince the US high command that they bought it to "fight subversion more efficiently."

Follow the thread to find out and give your opinions for the story.
I promise to update constantly.

 

[Monk78]

Full scale South American conflagration please ,get Brazil involved too over Uruguay .

 

[RedGuy353]

Full scale South American conflagration please ,get Brazil involved too over Uruguay .

I will think about how to add it to the story, thanks for answering my post

 

[Sport25ing]

Maybe including the only carrier-vs-carrier action outside of WWII if Brazil is involved

 

[Monk78]

Maybe including the only carrier-vs-carrier action outside of WWII if Brazil is involved

Plagued by accident, poor reconnaissance and defensive measures to protect against submarines, essentially inconclusive battle

 

[Monk78]

I will think about how to add it to the story, thanks for answering my post

My pleasure
Covert help from communists ( via Cuba) for the argentines as Realpolitik always trumps ideology. In this case the destabilization of western hemisphere

 

[RedGuy353]

It is January 1, 1979, Argentina almost started a war with Chile over the territory of the Beagle and the Strait of Magellan on December 22, 1978. A conflict that was resolved diplomatically with the intervention of Pope John Paul II, Videla knew that this conflict could have made military rule very popular, but it was not feasible to start it... "yet."
What other way was there to increase the popularity not only of the regime but also of the country? Little by little, the disappearances of the subversive groups became known and one or another clandestine center was discovered. What could distract people enough that his plan to disappear and finish them off wouldn't fail? the Falklands,
Malvinas, a very patriotic and sensitive issue in Argentine society. If he managed to get them back, Argentine society would love him, no, adore him.
But he knew that doing so would not only pit him against the United Kingdom and the United States.
Reluctantly, he learned that his only avenue for help was the Soviet Union.
Since November 1979 he would secretly begin training with the armed forces that would last until 1981, he knew that Galtieri was useless and that he would spoil his plan. By continuing as leader of the military Junta, he would cause instability in it, which would lead to problems in the future.
Could Videla carry out his plan?
Relations between Chile and Argentina were weak, both countries feared that the conflict over the Strait of Magellan would reappear.
The persecution of the subversive groups continued. Thanks to the boycott that various organizations carried out in the country in the 1978 World Cup, the "illegal" activities of the military junta began to be public knowledge while the Pinochet dictatorship had the approval of NATO and especially the CIA. .
The first suspicions of an operation to recover the islands began when the purchase of three Mirage M-III E aircraft and 4 Mirage IAI M 5 Dagger aircraft was discovered, the United States intelligence services were monitoring Argentine purchase activities.
Videla managed to convince the US high command that they bought it to "fight subversion more efficiently."

Follow the thread to find out and give your opinions for the story.
I promise to update constantly.

"June 20, 1979, Casa Rosada, Buenos Aires"
It is the 159th anniversary of the death of Manuel Belgrano, creator of the Argentine flag.
Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin secretly meets with Videla.
Israel offers its support to the military government, they plan a deal.
Argentina sells the main industries to Israel, more specifically the uranium extraction industries present in Argentine Patagonia, Videla doubtful, he does not know if it is a good idea but it is his only option besides the Soviet Union.
After a dinner between Videla and Menájem Begin and some negotiation talks they establish that:
Israel will deliver a secret shipment of rifles and artillery equipment and Argentina will buy them at a lower price.
In exchange, Argentina should allow the sale of uranium extraction companies to Israel.
After reaching an agreement, they proceed to sing the Argentine anthem and the flag in the presidential courtyard.
Two months later, an Israeli merchant fleet secretly lands in the port of Rawson. Inside there are containers of metal parts for industry as a cover to hide the sale of arms and artillery to Argentina. Although Israel and the United Kingdom were close allies since the Suez incident, this future war between the United Kingdom and Argentina would be a bargain for them and especially for the Bankers of Israel.
Hardly the week after the arrival of the weapons, training begins in the main barracks in Rosario, Cordoba, Tucuman and Buenos Aires.


By the way, how the hell do you make a thread? I'm new to the page and I also speak Spanish so I don't know if it's okay how I'm doing it for something someone help me D:

I would also like more people to share my thread, they would do me a great favor B)

 

[RedGuy353]

My pleasure
Covert help from communists ( via Cuba) for the argentines as Realpolitik always trumps ideology. In this case the destabilization of western hemisphere

I doubt that Cuba wants to cooperate with Argentina after the military government persecuted and killed Guevarist guerrilla groups financed by Cuba itself.

 

[Monk78]

I doubt that Cuba wants to cooperate with Argentina after the military government persecuted and killed Guevarist guerrilla groups financed by Cuba itself.

Possible but maybe if argentines help them get advanced western military equipment?
I mean Nasser killed a lot of commies too

 

[mike of mass]

"June 20, 1979, Casa Rosada, Buenos Aires"
It is the 159th anniversary of the death of Manuel Belgrano, creator of the Argentine flag.
Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin secretly meets with Videla.
Israel offers its support to the military government, they plan a deal.
Argentina sells the main industries to Israel, more specifically the uranium extraction industries present in Argentine Patagonia, Videla doubtful, he does not know if it is a good idea but it is his only option besides the Soviet Union.
After a dinner between Videla and Menájem Begin and some negotiation talks they establish that:
Israel will deliver a secret shipment of rifles and artillery equipment and Argentina will buy them at a lower price.
In exchange, Argentina should allow the sale of uranium extraction companies to Israel.
After reaching an agreement, they proceed to sing the Argentine anthem and the flag in the presidential courtyard.
Two months later, an Israeli merchant fleet secretly lands in the port of Rawson. Inside there are containers of metal parts for industry as a cover to hide the sale of arms and artillery to Argentina. Although Israel and the United Kingdom were close allies since the Suez incident, this future war between the United Kingdom and Argentina would be a bargain for them and especially for the Jewish bankers of Israel.
Hardly the week after the arrival of the weapons, training begins in the main barracks in Rosario, Cordoba, Tucuman and Buenos Aires.


By the way, how the hell do you make a thread? I'm new to the page and I also speak Spanish so I don't know if it's okay how I'm doing it for something someone help me D:

I would also like more people to share my thread, they would do me a great favor B)

This requires quite the about face for the Argentine military's attitude towards Jews and Israel.

 

[Gukpard]

@SilverImperator @Lonard @Entrerriano

 

[Burton K Wheeler]

this future war between the United Kingdom and Argentina would be a bargain for them and especially for the Jewish bankers of Israel.

This quote concerns me quite a bit, especially given that it's in the context of a timeline that's whitewashing the Argentine and Chilean juntas.

 

[juanml82]

None would buy that Mirage fighter jets are meant to fight left wing guerrillas, but they were bought in OTL, so nothing has to change there. Israel doesn't know there are uranium enrichment facilities in Argentina at the time, and they don't need them either. Any military purchase will be just that: military purchases, as in OTL. The Israeli PM in 1982 hated the British due his experience during Israel's independence, so IOTL Israel sold lots and lots of weapons to Argentina during the war. No POD is needed. If Videla wanted a war with the UK (and Chile and Brazil at the same time??), Israel would sell whatever they needed.

Peru was already buying Soviet gear at the time, so Argentina buying it is feasible, although integration would be a problem, since the Argentine gear is NATO compatible. Since the USA was sanctioning the spare parts for the S2 Grummans, Soviet naval reconnaissance and antisub airplanes could be a reasonable purchase. They are needed, they don't pose that many problems with integrating into the rest of the naval aviation and if the yankees complain, Videla can rightly point out that it's the US that's not selling spare parts to Argentina for it's already bought aircraft.

Cuba would cooperate, if Castro could, as long as it's war against the UK. We should also remember the Junta kept perfectly good business relationships with the USSR and Videla visited communist China in 1980. Soviet and Chinese support in a war against the UK is perfectly plausible without any need for major changes.

 

[RedGuy353]

"June 20, 1979, Casa Rosada, Buenos Aires"
It is the 159th anniversary of the death of Manuel Belgrano, creator of the Argentine flag.
Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin secretly meets with Videla.
Israel offers its support to the military government, they plan a deal.
Argentina sells the main industries to Israel, more specifically the uranium extraction industries present in Argentine Patagonia, Videla doubtful, he does not know if it is a good idea but it is his only option besides the Soviet Union.
After a dinner between Videla and Menájem Begin and some negotiation talks they establish that:
Israel will deliver a secret shipment of rifles and artillery equipment and Argentina will buy them at a lower price.
In exchange, Argentina should allow the sale of uranium extraction companies to Israel.
After reaching an agreement, they proceed to sing the Argentine anthem and the flag in the presidential courtyard.
Two months later, an Israeli merchant fleet secretly lands in the port of Rawson. Inside there are containers of metal parts for industry as a cover to hide the sale of arms and artillery to Argentina. Although Israel and the United Kingdom were close allies since the Suez incident, this future war between the United Kingdom and Argentina would be a bargain for them and especially for the Jewish bankers of Israel.
Hardly the week after the arrival of the weapons, training begins in the main barracks in Rosario, Cordoba, Tucuman and Buenos Aires.


By the way, how the hell do you make a thread? I'm new to the page and I also speak Spanish so I don't know if it's okay how I'm doing it for something someone help me D:

I would also like more people to share my thread, they would do me a great favor B)

They begin secret training with the weapons commanded by the officer Mohamed Ali Seineldín, they train in artillery shooting.
Israel and Argentina strongly strengthen their ties, they would share the profits from uranium extraction.
Israel already had uranium in its stores with the development of its nuclear program.
Videla only had one trip left to make, in 1980 he took a flight to Moscow.
Initiating negotiations with Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev, Brezhnev offered to provide him with information on the location of British ships via his advanced radar system when war came.
Finally 1981, with the help of the Israeli industry, he created landing ships.
The plan was to land on the west side of the island of Gran Malvina, create a secret makeshift airport as quickly as possible and begin the attack in Puerto Argentino, without British casualties.
Meanwhile in the UK Margaret Thatcher reduced funds to the British fleet which gave the perfect opportunity to start Operation Rosario, (name suggested by officer Mohamed Ali Seineldín). On September 1, 1981, 13,000 Argentine soldiers landed on the islands.
2000 were ordered in the task of creating an airstrip pointing to Usuahia, Tierra del Fuego.
The remaining 11,000 disembarked at Port Stanley now called Puerto Argentino.
The siege of the governor's house began.
The shots fired at the ceiling by the 16 Argentine soldiers frightened and made the British marines surrender, who, thanks to the tactic of using stun grenades, made them believe that it was a larger number of Argentine soldiers.
While this was happening, the 2,000 Argentine soldiers in Gran Malvina were finishing the makeshift landing strip. The Argentine tactic made the British soldiers who were on the island surrender, without British casualties.
Unfortunately, General Pedro Giachino would lose his life from a burst of British shrapnel.
Once the governor's house was taken, the general's holy sepulcher would be made and preparations for the defense of the island would begin.

(Journalistic note one day after the assault on the governor's house and the recovery of the island from Argentine hands)

 

[Burton K Wheeler]

This quote concerns me quite a bit, especially given that it's in the context of a timeline that's whitewashing the Argentine and Chilean juntas.

Okay, since you didn't address this question, I'm going to go ahead and give you a warning about using inflammatory language. I understand you're not a native English speaker, but there is no way that "Jewish bankers of Israel" is appropriate

 

[RedGuy353]

While the 13,000 Argentine soldiers entrenched the island and prepared the defenses, 2,000 more soldiers were sent to the Gran Isla Malvinas, the defense of the airstrip was paramount. One more would be created in the vicinity of Puerto Argentino. The remaining 60,000 Argentine soldiers were planning possible defenses in case Chile decided to support the United Kingdom in the war militarily.
NATO condemned the "invasion" of the islands. Despite condemning Argentina economically, the only country to support the United Kingdom with resources and weapons would be the United States.
Argentina had Israeli, Soviet, and Peruvian support (which gave 6 planes to the Argentine navy), other countries supported Argentina diplomatically, including Uruguay, Cuba,
Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador, Antigua and Barbuda Saint Lucia and the Bahamas.
China supported Argentina and Videla in the war but did not interfere so as not to hinder Hong Kong's return relations.
Nicolas Kazazew, an Argentine journalist would arrive on the islands already recovered by the Argentines on April 4, 1982. Interviewed the Malvinense population, they repudiated the Argentine troops. They eagerly awaited the arrival of the British Marines.
While in the UK, Margaret Thatcher was notoriously alarmed by the Argentine occupation. He locked himself in his office for a whole day with about three packs of cigarettes and a bottle of whiskey, according to opposition journalists, something that cannot be fully confirmed. Margaret Thatcher called on the English population to fight in the war, therefore 2 aircraft carriers, 2 amphibious assault ships, 8 destroyers, 15 frigates, 6 tank landing ships, 1 icebreaker, 3 ocean liners, 25 tankers, 40 transports, 6 submarines, 3 minesweepers from the ports of London and Gibraltar left for the Falklands.

Okay, since you didn't address this question, I'm going to go ahead and give you a warning about using inflammatory language. I understand you're not a native English speaker, but there is no way that "Jewish bankers of Israel" is appropriate

I didn't see your message, please excuse me. The expression didn't seem bad to me, but it's okay, I'll change it.

 

[RedGuy353]

This quote concerns me quite a bit, especially given that it's in the context of a timeline that's whitewashing the Argentine and Chilean juntas.

I already removed the expression from Jewish bankers of Israel to bankers of Israel.
apologies.

 

[Burton K Wheeler]

I already removed the expression from Jewish bankers of Israel to bankers of Israel.
apologies.

I’m still a little confused why we need to use a loaded term when the Israeli banking sector isn’t as relevant to the discussion as the defense establishment and arms industry.

 

[RedGuy353]

They begin secret training with the weapons commanded by the officer Mohamed Ali Seineldín, they train in artillery shooting.
Israel and Argentina strongly strengthen their ties, they would share the profits from uranium extraction.
Israel already had uranium in its stores with the development of its nuclear program.
Videla only had one trip left to make, in 1980 he took a flight to Moscow.
Initiating negotiations with Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev, Brezhnev offered to provide him with information on the location of British ships via his advanced radar system when war came.
Finally 1981, with the help of the Israeli industry, he created landing ships.
The plan was to land on the west side of the island of Gran Malvina, create a secret makeshift airport as quickly as possible and begin the attack in Puerto Argentino, without British casualties.
Meanwhile in the UK Margaret Thatcher reduced funds to the British fleet which gave the perfect opportunity to start Operation Rosario, (name suggested by officer Mohamed Ali Seineldín). On September 1, 1981, 13,000 Argentine soldiers landed on the islands.
2000 were ordered in the task of creating an airstrip pointing to Usuahia, Tierra del Fuego.
The remaining 11,000 disembarked at Port Stanley now called Puerto Argentino.
The siege of the governor's house began.
The shots fired at the ceiling by the 16 Argentine soldiers frightened and made the British marines surrender, who, thanks to the tactic of using stun grenades, made them believe that it was a larger number of Argentine soldiers.
While this was happening, the 2,000 Argentine soldiers in Gran Malvina were finishing the makeshift landing strip. The Argentine tactic made the British soldiers who were on the island surrender, without British casualties.
Unfortunately, General Pedro Giachino would lose his life from a burst of British shrapnel.
Once the governor's house was taken, the general's holy sepulcher would be made and preparations for the defense of the island would begin.

(Journalistic note one day after the assault on the governor's house and the recovery of the island from Argentine hands)

While the 13,000 Argentine soldiers entrenched the island and prepared the defenses, 2,000 more soldiers were sent to the Gran Isla Malvinas, the defense of the airstrip was paramount. One more would be created in the vicinity of Puerto Argentino. The remaining 60,000 Argentine soldiers were planning possible defenses in case Chile decided to support the United Kingdom in the war militarily.
NATO condemned the "invasion" of the islands. Despite condemning Argentina economically, the only country to support the United Kingdom with resources and weapons would be the United States.
Argentina had Israeli, Soviet, and Peruvian support (which gave 6 planes to the Argentine navy), other countries supported Argentina diplomatically, including Uruguay, Cuba,
Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador, Antigua and Barbuda Saint Lucia and the Bahamas.
China supported Argentina and Videla in the war but did not interfere so as not to hinder Hong Kong's return relations.
Nicolas Kazazew, an Argentine journalist would arrive on the islands already recovered by the Argentines on April 4, 1982. Interviewed the Malvinense population, they repudiated the Argentine troops. They eagerly awaited the arrival of the British Marines.
While in the UK, Margaret Thatcher was notoriously alarmed by the Argentine occupation. He locked himself in his office for a whole day with about three packs of cigarettes and a bottle of whiskey, according to opposition journalists, something that cannot be fully confirmed. Margaret Thatcher called on the English population to fight in the war, therefore 2 aircraft carriers, 2 amphibious assault ships, 8 destroyers, 15 frigates, 6 tank landing ships, 1 icebreaker, 3 ocean liners, 25 tankers, 40 transports, 6 submarines, 3 minesweepers from the ports of London and Gibraltar left for the Falklands.

I didn't see your message, please excuse me. The expression didn't seem bad to me, but it's okay, I'll change it.

"Early morning of September 30, 1981"
The first cannon shots resounded in the noise of the night. The royal fleet had arrived and the first English planes were beginning to sail the seas.
The troops that guarded the airport in the Argentine port began the counterattack against the English planes that were bombing the airstrip.
British intelligence was fully convinced that the English landing could be achieved just two days after the bombing and it would be a quick war of 2 weeks but... it would not be like that.
From the Gran Malvina airstrip, 13 Argentine bombers took off towards the ships HMS Sheffield (D80), SS Atlantic Conveyor, RFA Sir Lancelot (L3029) and RFA Sir Galahad (L3005).
The already "outdated" FMA IA-58 Pucará planes had been modernized with the new Soviet radar system and together with the Dassault Mirage IIIEA planes, the launch of high-tech missiles of French origin were integrated.
Thanks to a notice from the Soviet Union of the arrival of the English fleet, the vast majority of troops were able to prepare for defense, although many others were taken by surprise.

"October 4, 1981"
The world is attentive to the battle, the Argentine ships manage to do considerable damage to the English fleet, sinking the ships HMS Sheffield, HMS Coventry and Atlantic Conveyor. The Argentine ship ARA General Belgrano would be sunk outside the combat zone on the morning of October 4, 1981, killing 194 Argentine soldiers.
The number of deaths in the battle at sea between the sinking of planes and ships would be:
412 Argentines died in the sinking of 3 ships and 11 planes and 377 British in the sinking of 3 ships and 8 planes.

(news of the sinking of the ship ARA General Belgrano)

 

[RedGuy353]

"October 12, 1981"
With the sinking of 2 Argentine ships where miraculously most of the Argentine soldiers managed to survive, dying only 169 of the 2341 soldiers who were in total on both ships.
In total 4 Argentine fighter planes managed to sink HMS Invincible, killing 140 British soldiers.
This would be a horrible blow to British morale.
The Argentine ships began to withdraw, they knew that a direct combat with the English ships would be impossible to win, the best thing would be to wear down the English navy enough and leave, and they did so by sinking 3 English Harrier and Vulcan planes.

"October 16, 1981"
After 4 days of rest and recovery, several English flotillas withdrew for damage and replenishment of recruits.
A second bombardment would begin on the Puerto Argentino airstrip and one on the Gran Malvina airstrip.
While the bombardment was taking place, a landing began in the port of San Carlos, where 3,400 English soldiers were mobilized. Quickly the Argentine commandos commanded a defense of 4,000 Argentine soldiers supported by 23 artillery pieces and 1,000 Argentine soldiers from the other side of the San Carlos Strait.
Argentine air support was relentless, surprising and formidable. But it would not be easy for the Argentine troops.
The Guemes infantry group, the most notable of the defense troops, faced groups of English paratroopers who forced them to withdraw.
The English called reinforcements of 1000 soldiers since they were fighting from two opposite points, while from one they took ground from the other they were constantly bombarded by artillery pieces. Argentina still had troop transport ships so he took 800 more soldiers to fight from the Rawson base in Argentina.

"October 19, 1981"
The British try to repel the 1000 Argentines who defended the east coast of the Gran Malvina Island.
but they fail miserably losing 132 marines, being the Argentine casualties of 108. So the remaining troops went against the Argentine troops that remained on the right side of the San Carlos Strait.

(Argentine troops photographed)