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The Falkands War

Two contrasting accounts of the conflict in the South Atlantic from an islander and an Argentine conscript.

On the fortieth anniversary of the Argentine invasion of the Falkland Islands, Max Pearson hears two contrasting accounts of the war with Britain. Patrick Watts was the manager of the radio station on the Falklands; he kept broadcasting calmly as Argentine troops burst into the studio. Patrick Savage was a conscript in the Argentine army; for him, the fighting was a cold, frightening and brutal experience that culminated in defeat. Max also gets analysis of the conflict from Argentine political scientist, Dr Celia Szusterman.

In the second half of the programme, there are first-hand accounts of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979; the US-USSR trade deal that fuelled inflation in the 70s; and a historic handshake in space between an American astronaut and a Soviet cosmonaut.

PHOTO: Argentine troops on the Falklands shortly after the 1982 invasion (Getty Images)

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50 minutes

Last on

Mon 11 Apr 2022 23:06GMT

Broadcasts

  • Sat 9 Apr 2022 13:06GMT
  • Sun 10 Apr 2022 19:06GMT
  • Mon 11 Apr 2022 23:06GMT

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