On 2 April 1982, a ruling military junta in Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands, a British Overseas Territory that Argentina had claimed since an 1830s dispute on their British settlement. Within days Mrs Thatcher sent a naval task force to recapture the islands. Despite the huge logistical difficulties the operation was a success, resulting in a wave of patriotic enthusiasm and support for her government at a time when Thatcher's popularity had been at an all-time low for a serving Prime Minister.
