On Thursday 16th April and Friday 17th April, The University of Manchester is hosting a major conference about the Falklands/Malvinas conflict.
44 years have passed, but the conflict still resonates deeply in both the UK and Argentina. Once a little-known far-flung archipelago for the British, the islands became emblematic of the UK's pride and military strength in the face of declining post-imperial influence. For Argentines, the islands remain a unifying symbol of national identity under 'la causa Malvinas'.
Now, as the 45th anniversary approaches, it enables us to pose and address histories, legacies and a number of questions through multiple lenses: What is the importance and legacy of the conflict forty-four years on? How have scholarly and popular works regarding the conflict and the continued territorial dispute been represented since? What is the current shape and future scope of a nascent Falklands/Malvinas scholarship?
This conference will be particularly interested in, but not limited to, media coverage and military aspects of the conflict and thereafter.
The event hopes to build upon the success of the last conference held at The University of Manchester in 2019, and provides an opportunity for veterans from both sides, experienced and independent scholars, early career academics and postgraduate students, to share their ideas and present their research in a supportive and interdisciplinary environment.
The event seeks to draw upon researchers from across the North-West and beyond, and possibly to initiate a 'Falklands/Malvinas Network' that might consider further projects and publications as the 45th anniversary of the conflict draws near.
Presenting the conflict from both sides, the conference has keynote speakers including Professor Sir Lawrence Freedman, Emeritus Professor of War Studies at King's College London, who is a leading authority on strategic theory, international history and nuclear policy, and has served as the official historian of the Falklands Campaign and adviser on major UK defence inquiries.
Also speaking will be Professor Virginia Gamba - a senior United Nations official and Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict who has more than three decades of global experience in disarmament, peacebuilding, and human security - and Rear Admiral Jeremy Larken DSO, a Cold War submariner and senior Royal Navy commander who played a key operational role in the Falklands Campaign as Captain of HMS Fearless and Chief of Staff to Commodore Michael Clapp, the amphibious Maritime Force Commander, bringing firsthand expertise in crisis management and high-level military leadership.
Together, they represent an exceptional breadth of insight into warfare, diplomacy and strategic decision-making at the highest levels.
The full conference programme and ticket information can be found at www.fm44conference.com, or you can follow @fm44conference on X (Twitter) and @fm44conference.bsky.social on Bluesky.
Conference sponsors: British Commission for Military History (BCMH), Society for Latin American Studies (SLAS) and The University of Manchester's Student Enhancement Fund.
