MTL - Big Time 1958-Chapter 855 Falklands War

   But the problem is that Mrs Thatcher's reforms, like US President Ronald Reagan's reforms, are in a stage where negative effects have already appeared, but the benefits have not been seen for the time being. In other words, like General Galtieri, Margaret Thatcher had a very difficult life, and her strict free-market economic measures had caused her to offend many people in Britain. Before the war, her approval rating in popular surveys was very low.

   If Britain wins this war, it will also save Margaret Thatcher's political life. Once women become politicians, they tend to be more open-minded than men. Argentine occupation of the Falklands, as long as Margaret Thatcher confronted. The benefits of winning are also huge.

   Could the Soviet Union help Argentina defeat Britain? The answer is no! The strength of the Soviet Red Navy is of course far greater than that of the British Royal Navy, but the Soviet Red Navy cannot attack the British Royal Navy, and the United Kingdom is also a member of NATO. If the Soviet Union did this, it would be a global war between the Warsaw Pact and NATO. Not a local war between Argentina and Great Britain.

   Even if it could, the Soviet Union couldn’t do it! The most basic reason, why did the Soviet Union take such a big risk, thinking that after the war a military government would change its foreign policy and become a pro-Soviet country in the future? Do you count on the integrity of General Galtieri? Another important reason is that Chile and Argentina have territorial disputes. In the 1970s, General Galtieri once put his risky idea on Chile, which was also an important reason for the Soviet Red Navy to obtain a port in Chile.

   For the sake of a general Galtieri, the Soviet Union alienated the Allende government? As for maintaining close alliances with Argentina and Chile at the same time, Serov has never been prepared and hoped for a pie in the sky.

   It can make Chile stand with most South American countries in the overall situation, and it is thankful to support Argentina. You must know that in the history of the Falklands War, Chile was on the British side because of territorial disputes. All Argentine military deployments were told to the British by Chile without reservation.

  Like Britain, Chile has territorial disputes with Argentina. Chile and Argentina have been at odds since the last century over the ownership of Picton, Lennox and Nueva, the islands south of the Beagle Channel. The two countries nearly broke out into a full-scale war. Although Argentina agreed to suspend the invasion plan, it has never given up the idea of ​​using force to seize the disputed islands of Achi.

   In the Falklands War, Chile declared its strict neutrality in public, mainly for the sake of maintaining the unity of the American countries. However, during the Falklands War, both Azerbaijan and Chile deployed heavy troops on the border, and a large number of Afghan navy ships were also used to target Chile, so Chile contained a large number of Afghan troops, making them unable to enter the Falklands battlefield.

   When it came to anxious political life, Mrs. Thatcher thought of Argentina's enemy Chile. At this time, in Mrs Thatcher's eyes, President Allende was by no means that diabolical socialist. But the angel, she forgot to pick up Chile, like Cuba, an ally of the Soviet Union in Latin America. President Allende has also been opposed to imperialism of all kinds.

   Apparently the UK believes that because Chile has a territorial dispute with Argentina, once it stands with the UK, it will greatly improve the UK's chances of winning this war.

   If the KGB couldn't even find out this kind of information in a pro-Soviet country, he could die. So the chance to see how the British Empire is going has come. Maybe the loss will be too great, and maybe the Labour Party, which has a better attitude towards the Soviet Union, will come to power. Even if you secretly support the Argentine Soviet Union, it can't be worse than it is now.

Shelov felt that it was basically impossible for Argentina to win, although he also knew that the Argentine air force was very good, and the Nazi remnants who were hiding in Argentina were well trained, but the air force won alone was the United States fighting Yugoslavia, not Argentina fighting the United Kingdom. , No matter how weak the old imperialism is, it is not something that Argentina can challenge. Want Argentina to win against Great Britain, unless Cuba comes in person, with the help of strategic transport from the Soviet Air Force.

   But the Soviet Union will never give the military government this kind of treatment. The pro-American military government usually has a prerequisite. It has suppressed the pro-Soviet parties in its own country, and the Argentine military government has also done this kind of thing. If it weren't for the face of the historical and cultural traditions of Greece and the Soviet Union, the Greek Defense Forces would have been washed 800 times by Serov.

   But making Argentina die more valuable, more tragic, and more heroic, and arousing a certain degree of self-confidence in Latin America, should be a much less difficult problem. That is the backyard of the United States, and it is not the sphere of influence of the Soviet Union. The General Political Commissar is not afraid to set off a powder keg next to the enemy.

  Argentina is not the military sales market of the Soviet Union. Argentina has close relations with the United States and is not an ally of the Soviet Union. Secondly, the relationship between the Soviet Union and Argentina's opponent, the United Kingdom, is not bad. The real opponent of the Soviet Union is the United States, so there is no need for the Soviet Union to go to war. In addition, this battle is a small-scale war, who wins and who loses will not have a decisive impact, and there is no need for the Soviet Union to directly intervene.

And from history, Serov knew that when the war was about to fail, General Galtieri tried to introduce the power of the Soviet Union to intervene. In just a few days, he sold a large amount of grain to the Soviet Union at a low price. At the same time, he signed a contract to import the Soviet Union's nuclear industry, and bilateral trade and fishery agreements. The pressure of this gamble turned Reagan from leaning toward Britain to supporting Britain in fighting the war, quickly defeating Argentina, and preventing it from being pinned down by the Soviet Union in the South Atlantic.

   "Chairman, what is the intensity of our intervention?" General Chebrikov asked this question after thinking for a while. He wanted to know the bottom line of the Soviet Union in this matter, otherwise he would always look forward and backward when doing things.

"As long as Argentina asks for help, it can give satellite and intelligence support. We have a batch of Granite anti-ship missiles in storage at the Red Navy base in Chile, as well as six Backfire bombers. Backfire bombers must not be used, they are used for To protect Chile, but as long as Argentina asks for help, the Granite missiles can be sold to Argentina." Shelov thought for a while and set the level of Soviet involvement in this war.

"Tell the Argentines that although the United Kingdom is a traditional maritime country and the navy is the most powerful military among the three armed forces, the British Army is definitely not weak, but it is not large enough. The weakest of the United Kingdom is the air force. The fighter jet is not weak, but Inexperienced!" At the end of the command, Serov stopped talking.

   Without early warning of air attack, the British Navy, which is not very air defense capable, will need to keep extremely expensive fighter jets on patrol at all times, ready to intercept any air attack. Who provides early warning in the UK? It was provided by Chile, so it is now more difficult for Britain to intervene in the war.

  A few hours later, Chilean President Allende, who had recently been wooed by British diplomats, received a telegram from the Soviet Union. There was no direct instruction on what the Chilean president should do in the bulletin because it was interference in internal affairs. Rather, it is a feasibility analysis of the strengths of both the UK and Argentina. Allende, who saw this information, would naturally make the most favorable choice.

   First of all, the Soviet Union determined that the United Kingdom would solve the problem by means of war, and that it was difficult for Argentina to defeat the United Kingdom. Unless Chile and Cuba sent their troops to help Argentina, which the Soviet Union did not recommend when war broke out. After such neutral intelligence, President Allende will naturally understand that it is beneficial to help Argentina appropriately. However, the goodwill to the United Kingdom still has to be paid in full, depending on what price the United Kingdom can afford.

   A few days later, the formation of the British Expeditionary Force was completed, and British newspapers began to report at length on the composition of the fleet and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's determination to win the war.

  The supreme commander of the fleet is the command of Admiral John Feldhouse. The aircraft carrier is the core force of Task Force 317.8, commanded by Rear Admiral Woodward. Including the two aircraft carriers Athletic God and the newly commissioned Invincible-class aircraft carrier Invincible, more than 20 Sea Harrier vertical lift fighters are the air force that the entire task force can use against the Argentine army. The task force enjoyed autonomy and was able to project forces over the coast of the Falkland Islands.

Another naval task force, 317.0, commanded by Commodore Michael Clapp, was the main force of the amphibious force. It carried Task Force 317.1, consisting of the 3rd Commando Brigade of the Royal Marines (including the British Army Parachute Regiment and the Royal Armoured Regiment). The task force was led by Brigadier General Julian Thomson.

   The third task group consisted of submarines, with three to four submarines, commanded by a submarine general. Before the start of the operation, the British declared that the area of ​​200 nautical miles of the Falkland was a no-navigation zone, and foreign ships were not allowed to enter.

"The British Empire is so loud that foreign ships are not allowed to enter?" Serov looked at Defense Minister Marshal Ustinov with a mocking expression and said, "If the Red Navy goes to see the lively scene, would the British dare to attack us? attack?"

A smile flashed across Marshal Ustinov's face. Without answering the General Political Commissar's words, Shi Shiran picked up the phone and ordered, "The heavy aircraft cruiser Baku, the heavy cruiser Kalinin, and those who have just been commissioned. Two 10,000-ton cruisers, with six nuclear submarines, and tugboats ready to go to the South Atlantic for trial voyages, let's see how a naval power with rich experience actually fights."

  The 10,000-ton cruiser, just launched three ships, is called the glorious class by NATO. In fact, Ustinov's fleet of watching the fun is already stronger than the task force formed by the United Kingdom. Serov laughed in a low voice, "I feel that this time old imperialism might be embarrassing."

   While the Red Navy was making adjustments, the British Royal Task Force was approaching the waters off the Falkland Islands, and the war could start at any time.