*In 1493, Pope Alexander VI issued a Papal bull, Inter caetera, dividing the New World between Spain and Portugal. The following year, the Treaty of Tordesillas between those countries agreed that the dividing line between the two should be 370 leagues west of the Cape Verde Islands.[6] The Falklands lie on the western (Spanish) side of this line. *
Spain made claims that the Falkland Islands were held under provisions in the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht which settled the limits of the Spanish Empire in the Americas. However, the treaty only promised to restore the territories in the Americas held prior to the War of the Spanish Succession. The Falkland Islands was not held at the time, and were not mentioned in the treaty. When Spain discovered the British and French colonies on the Islands, a diplomatic row broke out among the claimants. In 1766, Spain and France, who were allies at the time, agreed that France would hand over Port Saint Louis, and Spain would repay the cost of the settlement. France insisted that Spain maintain the colony in Port Louis and thus prevent Britain from claiming the title to the Islands and Spain agreed.[5] Spain and Great Britain enjoyed uneasy relations at the time, and no corresponding agreement was reached.[4]
The Spanish took control of Port Saint Louis and renamed it Puerto Soledad in 1767. On 10 June 1770, a Spanish expedition expelled the British colony at Port Egmont, and Spain took de facto control of the Islands. Spain and Great Britain came close to war over the issue, but instead, concluded a treaty on 22 January 1771, allowing the British to return to Port Egmont with neither side relinquishing sovereignty claims.[7] The British returned in 1771 but withdrew from the islands in 1774, leaving behind a flag and a plaque representing their claim to ownership, and leaving Spain in de facto control.[8]: 25
From 1774 to 1811, the islands were ruled as part of the Viceroyalty of the River Plate. In that period, 18 governors were appointed to rule the islands. In 1777, Governor Ramon de Carassa was ordered to destroy the remains at Port Egmont. The British plaque was removed and sent to Buenos Aires.[5]: 51
Spanish troops remained at Port Louis, known then as Port Soledad, until 1811[9] when Governor Pablo Guillen Martinez was called back to Montevideo as the revolutionary forces spread through the continent. He left behind a plaque claiming sovereignty for Spain.[4][10]
Basically Spain owned the islands, found out later that the French and English were land squatting and had moved in on their islands, and had something to say about the matter. The French gave their land back to Spain, the English did not.
There’s allot of history and conflict over the CENTURIES there to unpack. Its a nuanced conversation.
By that logic, Italy should have rightful claim to most of Europe since their predecessor, the Roman Empire, once owned half the continent.
As other users pointed out, you make it as though right to self-determination doesn’t matter. Majority of Falklanders identify as British. What are the Argentines going to do about that? By your same logic, Spain should still have rightfully claim Argentina despite being defeated and evicted, and Argentines do not identify with Spain? Argentina obsessing over Falklands is getting tiring and no longer cute.
They do not identify as British, and Hong Kong is legally ceded back to China as part of 99 year lease deal between UK and China.
Jesus Christ, give it a rest. Of course, you conveniently ignore the practicality of even annexing the Falklands. Would you agree that Italy should retake France, Belgium, Spain, and the UK simply because Rome once occupied them? What would happen to the locals already living in the Falklands?
you make it as though right to self-determination doesn’t matter
Did it for Hong Kong?
They do not identify as British, and Hong Kong is legally ceded back to China as part of 99 year lease deal between UK and China.
But the residents didn’t want to go to China, they wanted to exercise their “self-determination” and stay British, exactly what you’ve been advocating in your argument for the Falklands residents and Argentina and ownership staying with Great Britain.
Its very hypocritical to not apply the same thing to both circumstances.
"On the day of the handover — supposedly a day of celebration and jubilation to “shaking off colonial humiliation” and “returning to the motherland” – an opinion poll found that only 35% of Hong Kong people were actually feeling happy or positive, 56% reported feeling neutral, mixed, or nothing, while 9% reported feeling down, worried, or negative. Nevertheless, the fact that only 9% were feeling negative showed that people were in general not too pessimistic. They did see themselves as Chinese (hence the mixed and complicated feelings despite the anxiety) and were willing to give China a chance, wishing for its success: 75% of people said in a poll that they remained confident about Hong Kong’s future.
It would be more believable if you could recite a source that is not from a UK based organization.
From everything I’ve seen on TV people did not want to belong to a Communist country, and were fearful. The intellectuals were fleeing/fled the country, and the young have been protesting as China cracks down on their freedoms/rights (they had to move trools into a garrison inside of Hong Kong over the law changes/protests).
This was from watching American news, so it may have just been that slant colored the news being show, you can never tell, but the videos I saw seemed straightforward.
On a tangent, I’m going to “bow out” of further replies. I’ve been at this for coming up on 24 hours now, and am tired of everyone wanting their “pound of flesh”, and have said pretty much everything I can say. No disrespect meant to you, just thing the conversation has reached a termination point. Take care.
The Hong Kongers were given assurance to have “one country, two system” deal to assuage their concerns before the handover to China (of course that doesn’t exactly goes according to plan because CCP being CCP, but that’s another different topic). If Falklands were to be given something similar, then that might assuage the Falklanders. However, it’s unlikely since they unilaterally elected to remain with UK. How is Argentina going to deal with English-speaking Falklanders, whose traditions and customs still identify with the British? Argentines love to chest-thump about “taking back” Falklands but never think about what will happen next. As you said, it is exactly human failings. Argentina could not even get their things together and now they want to bring their own mess to somewhere else.
Literal Spanish boots on the ground, sure, but they did own them. And the French had given them back to the Spain, who owned them by treaty.
From the wiki …
Basically Spain owned the islands, found out later that the French and English were land squatting and had moved in on their islands, and had something to say about the matter. The French gave their land back to Spain, the English did not.
There’s allot of history and conflict over the CENTURIES there to unpack. Its a nuanced conversation.
By that logic, Italy should have rightful claim to most of Europe since their predecessor, the Roman Empire, once owned half the continent.
As other users pointed out, you make it as though right to self-determination doesn’t matter. Majority of Falklanders identify as British. What are the Argentines going to do about that? By your same logic, Spain should still have rightfully claim Argentina despite being defeated and evicted, and Argentines do not identify with Spain? Argentina obsessing over Falklands is getting tiring and no longer cute.
Did it for Hong Kong?
They do not identify as British, and Hong Kong is legally ceded back to China as part of 99 year lease deal between UK and China.
Jesus Christ, give it a rest. Of course, you conveniently ignore the practicality of even annexing the Falklands. Would you agree that Italy should retake France, Belgium, Spain, and the UK simply because Rome once occupied them? What would happen to the locals already living in the Falklands?
But the residents didn’t want to go to China, they wanted to exercise their “self-determination” and stay British, exactly what you’ve been advocating in your argument for the Falklands residents and Argentina and ownership staying with Great Britain.
Its very hypocritical to not apply the same thing to both circumstances.
This is what I found with cursory search.
"On the day of the handover — supposedly a day of celebration and jubilation to “shaking off colonial humiliation” and “returning to the motherland” – an opinion poll found that only 35% of Hong Kong people were actually feeling happy or positive, 56% reported feeling neutral, mixed, or nothing, while 9% reported feeling down, worried, or negative. Nevertheless, the fact that only 9% were feeling negative showed that people were in general not too pessimistic. They did see themselves as Chinese (hence the mixed and complicated feelings despite the anxiety) and were willing to give China a chance, wishing for its success: 75% of people said in a poll that they remained confident about Hong Kong’s future.
https://www.briefingsforbritain.co.uk/hongkongers-and-britain-a-history-with-a-future/
Well, have you asked the local Falklanders yourselves if they want to be part of Argentina? Did you consider what they want? Would you like Argentina to return to Spain? It’s easy to try to speak when it’s not your own life that’s at stake. But then again, Argentines have history of their own colonisation and genocide, which Charles Darwin himself noted during his visit. Keep grasping for straws.
It would be more believable if you could recite a source that is not from a UK based organization.
From everything I’ve seen on TV people did not want to belong to a Communist country, and were fearful. The intellectuals were fleeing/fled the country, and the young have been protesting as China cracks down on their freedoms/rights (they had to move trools into a garrison inside of Hong Kong over the law changes/protests).
This was from watching American news, so it may have just been that slant colored the news being show, you can never tell, but the videos I saw seemed straightforward.
On a tangent, I’m going to “bow out” of further replies. I’ve been at this for coming up on 24 hours now, and am tired of everyone wanting their “pound of flesh”, and have said pretty much everything I can say. No disrespect meant to you, just thing the conversation has reached a termination point. Take care.
The Hong Kongers were given assurance to have “one country, two system” deal to assuage their concerns before the handover to China (of course that doesn’t exactly goes according to plan because CCP being CCP, but that’s another different topic). If Falklands were to be given something similar, then that might assuage the Falklanders. However, it’s unlikely since they unilaterally elected to remain with UK. How is Argentina going to deal with English-speaking Falklanders, whose traditions and customs still identify with the British? Argentines love to chest-thump about “taking back” Falklands but never think about what will happen next. As you said, it is exactly human failings. Argentina could not even get their things together and now they want to bring their own mess to somewhere else.