British Troops in Falklands War, Hulton Archive, Getty Images, 1982
“This was the beginning of the Falklands crisis, a confrontation between the heirs to the British Empire and a Latin American military junta that was perceived by some, before the killing started, as an amusing anachronism, but in fact was a case study in miscalculation.”
~ Alexander Haig, Caveat: Realism, Reagan and Foreign Policy, 1984
Perhaps the more evident reason as to why negotiations between Great Britain and Argentina failed is the fact that both sides misunderstood each other. Argentina didn't think that Great Britain would counter their invasion since the Falkland Islands are over 8,000 miles (12,300 kilometers) away from Britain and as expressed previously by the British, the Falklands have become more of a burden to govern in recent years. Similarly, Great Britain did not understand the nature of the junta that ruled Argentina. Much of Argentina's inconsistent proposals were derived from their flawed decision-making process, not from ill intentions.
"Reasons for mutual misunderstanding ranged from simple ignorance to intentionally misleading statements. No matter the cause, however, mutual misunderstanding was one of the most important practical impediments to effective negotiation."
~ Joseph Mauro, The Falkland Islands War: Diplomatic Failure in April 1982, 2010
Distances between UK, Argentina, and the Falklands, Getty Images, 2012
Galtieri Addressing the Nation, Diario La Nación, Wikimedia Commons, 2 April 1982
"This will not prevent us from persisting in our tradition as a peace-loving nation and from respecting all world nations, nor will it prevent us from resuming with dignity, through friendly gestures stemming from our natural generosity, diplomatic negotiations which may give an institutional basis to the situation which we have achieved, clearly safeguarding those legitimate interests we have always respected."
~President Leopoldo Galtieri, Address to the Nation, 2 April 1982
"The two nations could agree to set the issue of sovereignty aside and develop economic and cultural ties between Argentina and the Falklands instead; they might establish condominium, or joint sovereignty; or Britain could transfer sovereignty to Argentina with the understanding that Buenos Aires would lease the islands back to London for 99 years or some other mutually acceptable timeframe."
~James Lockhart, War on the Rocks, 2015
As well as misunderstanding Great Britain's perspective, Argentina also had mistaken the US's position in these negotiations. Argentina had assumed that the US would be willing to aid them in the negotiations in exchange for pressuring the new socialist Nicaraguan government, the Sandinistas. While the US was hoping that the junta's influence in Latin America would be used against the Sandinistas, there was no way the US would support an armed invasion against Great Britain, its greatest ally, let alone by an undemocratic government.
"I do not understand why the United States government, with all its resources, cannot stop Mrs. Thatcher from launching this attack."
~ Leopoldo Galtieri, Phone Call with Haig, 1982
Professor Lowell Gustafson, Zoom Interview, 30 January 2022
"...Argentina’s misunderstanding of the United States’ allegiances contributed to its hubris in claiming and occupying the islands."
~ Joseph Mauro, The Falkland Islands War: Diplomatic Failure in April 1982, 2010
Most of Argentina's plan seemed to rely on the US's support throughout the negotiation process, which is why US's refusal to help was even more detrimental to their plan.
"As it turned out, Argentine forces has no chance against British forces backed by American intelligence and logistics. The results of the decision to invade were not just regrettable for those wo made it; they were catastrophic."
~ David C. Gompert, Blinders, Blunders, and Wars, 2014
US Mediation by Diario Clarin, National Security Archives, 1982
"We must find an element that brings cohesion to society and the country. That element is Malvinas."
~Admiral Jorge Isaac Anaya, 1982