Could the Falklands War get Screwed Up?

Ridiculous idea. What would be the point of it.

Argentines knew we had nukes. They were equally aware we would not use them in such a situation


The Argentinial leadership knew the British had nukes.
The people however would be intimidated.

Perhaps a public uprising, when the people think of Hiroshima or Nagasaki?


And BTW, calling someone's idea "ridiculous" is not very polite.
 
My history teacher once told me that during the Falklands War Britain threatened to use tactical nuclear weapons. Is this true and if it is, what would bring the British to escalate the war to a much higher point.

I'm not sure how much more screwed up something could be than having a war over the Falklands.
 
The Argentinial leadership knew the British had nukes.
The people however would be intimidated.

Perhaps a public uprising, when the people think of Hiroshima or Nagasaki?


And BTW, calling someone's idea "ridiculous" is not very polite.

Even the Argentinian populace were not silly enough to think we would use nukes.

Sorry if you didn't like 'ridiculous' but it was the politest and most succinct description which came to mind amongst a wide variety of other descriptions.
 
It could have screwed up in other ways. Tactical nuclear weapons may have been carried on warships i.e torpedoes and mines but they were never used. Why did HMS Conqueror use old torpedoes rather than tigerfish on the Belgrano. What were the divers trying to recover from the HMS Sheiffield? But if tactical nukes were present they weren't used and mines and torpedoes would have had little use given the ARA remained in harbour after the Belgrano was used. Use them on land and they need a delivery system and there is the problem of reoccupying the land.

There is a stronger rumour regarding sttrategic nuclear weapons on the mainland. That would have been disproportinate and would have turned world opinion against Britain ending any assistance from the United States and certain supposedly neutral South American countries. If Britain was losing the war I suspect the American's would have stepped in and imposed some kind of face saver i.e British administration restored without sovereignty
 
Conqueror used Mk8s because they'd work and the target was achievable using them. Tigerfish in 1982 were really very awful guided torpedoes with an abysmal hit % and dodgy batteries, even after mods they still weren't that marvellous.
 
Conqueror used Mk8s because they'd work and the target was achievable using them. Tigerfish in 1982 were really very awful guided torpedoes with an abysmal hit % and dodgy batteries, even after mods they still weren't that marvellous.

Plus the fact the Belgrano was an old WW2 cruiser, which Mk8's were designed for.
 
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