Falkland Islands: population, economy and political system. Malvinas Islands: history. Conflict over the Malvinas Islands

In the southwestern part of the Atlantic Ocean, there is the archipelago of the Falkland Islands (English - Falkland Islands), or Islas Malvinas, which in Spanish sounds like the Malvinas Islands. In fact, the territory belongs to Britain and is an important point between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, allowing control of the South Atlantic. But the Falklands are also considered by Argentina, which refers the islands to the province of Tierra del Fuego. A few years ago, they even held a referendum, as a result of which it was decided to maintain the current political status of the islands, that is, to leave them as an overseas part of Britain. But Argentina still does not retreat, and it is not possible to predict when the disputes will cease.

General information about the Malvinas Islands: where they are, area

The official name of the archipelago is the Falkland Islands. They are called Malvinas, given the Spanish name. The archipelago consists of 776 small islands and rocks, and two large islands - West and East Falkland, separated by the strait of the same name. The islands are heavily indented. length coastline is approximately 1,300 km.

The Malvinas Islands cover an area overall size which is more than 12,000 km². The capital is the city of Stanley. The locals speak English, and the currency here is the Falkland Islands pound.

Given the geographical position, one can easily determine the part of the world to which the Malvinas Islands belong - this is America. Argentine Estados is located 343 km from the archipelago. The distance to the coast of South America is 463 km. The highest points of the archipelago are Mount Usborne (705 m) in East Falkland and Adam (700 m) in West Falkland.

History of the archipelago

History says that the islands were discovered at the end of the 16th century by D. Davis, an English navigator, under whose command the expedition of the English corsair Cavendish took place. According to other sources, the Spaniards were the first to discover the archipelago. Since that time, almost a war has been waged for the Malvinas Islands. They repeatedly passed to Britain, then to Spain, so there are no indigenous people here.

Almost two centuries later, Louis Antoine de Bougainville took up the study of the Falkland Islands. The French navigator is the first person who founded a settlement here. It was located in East Falkland and was named Port Saint-Louis (the name lasted from 1764 to 1828, after which it was renamed Port Louis). In 1765, D. Byron arrived in the archipelago and, not knowing about the presence of the French here, announced the annexation of the territory to Britain. Having explored the island of Saunders, located at the eastern tip, he named the bay located here Port Egmont. Already in 1766, an English settlement was founded here, only not by Byron, but by McBride. At the same time, the Spaniards redeem French possessions, consolidate power and appoint their own governor.

The first conflict in the history of the Falkland (Malvinas) Islands occurred in 1770, when Spain drove the British out of Port Egmont by raid, which almost led to a bloody war. But the parties nevertheless preferred to sign a peace treaty, the Americans returned to their settlement, and the situation even seemed to improve. But no: both Spain and Great Britain continued to dispute the rights to the islands.

In 1774, Great Britain had to leave all overseas territories, including the Malvinas Islands. The American War of Independence was the reason for this. The British were sure that in the end the archipelago would belong to them, and even left a sign here that tacitly told about the true owners. For a fairly long period of time, the Spanish settlement was the only one on the island - from 1776 to 1811. It was considered part of the Rio de la Plata. And in 1811, the Spaniards also left the islands, following the example of the British - they installed a sign confirming their rights.

In 1816, after declaring independence from Spain, Argentina declared the Malvinas Islands to be its own. Therefore, the merchant Louis Vernet, who arrived in the archipelago in 1828, before establishing his settlement here, turned to the Argentines and, of course, the British for permission. He received approval, and then Argentina gave him permission to catch seals, which the merchant calmly did. In 1831, Louis Vernet captured several American ships. The reason is banal - the seals were not divided. Seeing how the Americans catch animals, Vernet felt that they were violating his rights. The US military ships came to the rescue and ordered the merchant to release the hostages. According to some reports, after the release of their countrymen, the US military destroyed the settlement. A year later, Argentina decides to restore it and sends an appointed governor there. However, he was immediately killed in the process of an uprising, which was staged by the locals. Vernet did not return to the archipelago anymore, having sold his possessions to an English merchant.

In 1833, the British returned to the Falkland Islands with the sole purpose of restoring their dominance over this territory, which they reported to the Argentine authorities, allowing the settlers to stay, who had already established their way of life. However, until 1834, the islands actually remained self-governing. A little later, the British Royal Navy organized a military base here. No matter how Argentina fought, the Malvinas (Falkland) Islands received the status of a strategically important British object for navigation. And for a while, the division of the territory stopped.

Division of the islands at the UN level

Calmness regarding the division of the islands continued exactly until the second half of the 20th century, until the UN was created. Argentina believed that, with the help of the Organization, it would be able to assert its rights to the archipelago to everyone. The British did not hesitate to respond - they offered to hold a referendum. Since this was the most important condition, the UN agreed with the arguments of Britain. In the 1960s, the parties again tried to negotiate peacefully, but failed. The inhabitants of the islands preferred to remain part of Britain, while the Argentines did not agree with the results of the vote. Well, they can be understood, because the bulk of the locals are British.

The history of the Malvinas Islands does not end there. Relations between the two states escalated again in 2010, when the British began to extract oil offshore the islands. In 2012, the military presence in the archipelago increased, for which Argentina accused the opponent of militarization.

In March 2013, a referendum was held, the results of which Argentina urges not to take seriously. Although the majority of the inhabitants expressed their desire to remain a British Overseas Territory, the referendum was not approved by the UN, and therefore these results are considered unofficial and in no way affect the dispute. One can only hope that the division of the territory does not turn into a war. They tried to conquer the Malvinas (Falkland) Islands in this way in 1982, but then the victory remained with Britain.

Government of the Falkland Islands

On the archipelago, a constitutional monarchy was chosen as a form of government. The British Overseas Territory has partially retained autonomy, but the head of state is the governor of Britain, and the head of government is the prime minister.

Population of the Malvinas (Falkland) Islands

In 1992, the population was 2,000 people. By 2002, the number had increased to 2,900. According to the 2012 census, the figure remained virtually unchanged. Mostly British and Scots live here, while Argentines are forbidden to buy housing in the archipelago.

Over the past 20 years, immigrants from the islands of St. Helena and Ascension, Chile, have arrived here, there are even people who have come from Russia.

Approximately 34% are rural residents, the rest live in the only city in the archipelago - Port Stanley. Most of the islands and rocks are uninhabited.

Apart from official language(English), the locals also speak Spanish, German and French. Approximately 66% of the population is Christian.

Falkland cuisine

In the Malvinas (Falkland) Islands, cuisine is based on Latin American and British traditions. Local dishes contain a lot of meat: poultry, lamb, pork, beef, as well as vegetables, fish and seafood.

• fried sausages;
• steaks;
• meat pies;
• steaks;
• dishes from lamb meat;
• roast beef;
• fried goose.

Many of the locals' favorite dishes are made from seafood. The surrounding waters allow you to eat snow crab meat, oysters, mussels, squid and cod. They are baked, fried, make salads, thick soups.

Local residents grow vegetables on their own in vegetable gardens, most of which are located next to the cafe. From drinks, the islanders prefer coffee, teas and herbal infusions. Lots of homemade baked goods. In general, everything is in the best British traditions.

Climate, flora and fauna

On the Malvinas Islands, photos of which can be seen in the article, the climate is oceanic, it is cool here, but the humidity is uniform. The area is characterized by frequent fogs and strong winds. The wettest months are December and January. On average, the minimum temperature does not fall below +10˚C, and the maximum is +18˚C.

The terrain is very rugged, hilly. There are no forests on the islands. Ocean grass meadows, peat bogs and red crowberry heaths predominate.

There are very few animals on the islands, but there are a lot of them in the coastal strip. Here live:

• sea ​​lions;
• hawks;
• penguins;
• swans;
• albatrosses;
• sea ​​elephants.

You can also see a large number of mammals and birds in the Malvinas Islands. Killer whales and dolphins live in coastal waters, and most of the fish are mullet, sea trout and tuna.

Economy, science and culture

The main activity of the population is agriculture and maintenance of British military bases. Local residents are engaged in fishing, raising cattle and horses. There are a lot of farms and sheep breeding companies, several food industry enterprises, and a wool sorting factory. Accordingly, the economy of the islands rests on the export of wool, hides, meat and fish. Tourism is gradually developing.

There are several public educational institutions on the archipelago. The administration of Port Stanley publishes 2 newspapers every month. In the western part of the archipelago, each settlement organizes in turn new year holidays. Port Stanley has entertainment events between Christmas and New Years.

In the summer, sports competitions are organized in the Malvinas (Falkland) Islands. The program has a lot of different competitions, for example, rodeo and horse racing.

Visiting the islands for tourism purposes

The tourism industry is gradually developing on the archipelago. Most international flights arrive at the airport, also considered a British military base - Mount Pleasant.

The only way to get to the Malvinas Islands is by air. The journey will not be easy because there are no direct flights from Russia. First, you will have to fly to Paris or Madrid, and then transfer to Chile. From Santiago, a plane leaves for Port Stanley. Flights are once a week.

According to the rules of the British Overseas Territory, every visitor to the archipelago must have an entry permit and a visa. The document is issued at the British Embassy for a period of 4 months. A visa is not required for citizens of the following countries:

• Argentina;
• Andorra;
• Chile;
• Cyprus;
• Iceland;
• Brazil;
• Uruguay;
• Switzerland;
• New Zealand;
• Australia;
• Canada;
• San Marino;
• Paraguay;
• Malta;
• Liechtenstein;
• Israel;
• Norway.

Guests from all countries must also obtain permission to visit the islands. When tourist trip this can be done upon arrival at the Falkland Islands Immigration Office. To do this, you must have round-trip tickets with you, proof that the tourist has enough money and proof of the availability of a place to stay.

There are several hotels in the Malvinas Islands where guests of the archipelago can stay. All of them are in Stanley. The most popular accommodation options:

• The Waterfront Boutique Hotel (36, Ross Road) - 1.2 km from centre;
• The Paddock Bed & Breakfast (38 Davis Street) - 569 m to the centre;
• 33B Davis Street Self Catering (33B Davis Street) - 824 m to the centre.

It is recommended to visit the Falkland Islands between November and March. At this time, you can see the nature of the archipelago in all its glory, as well as admire the numerous animals, birds, watch the king penguins and albatrosses. However, you should not approach them - animals may pounce out of fear or to protect their offspring. Better to watch from afar.

How can you relax in the Malvinas Islands? The main entertainment here is hiking or cycling, during which there is a unique opportunity to understand the life and rules of existence in the archipelago, to see its flora and fauna. Locals allow you to visit their farms - you can see how wool products are made. It is proposed to go rock climbing and windsurfing, fishing, golf and horseback riding. One of the preferred activities is bird watching.

Attractions in the archipelago

The archipelago, no matter how difficult its history, has its sights. Among them are memorials dedicated to the conflicts and wars for the Malvinas (Falkland) Islands of Great Britain and Argentina. There is the Falkland Museum, which will tell the history of the area, and the Anglican Cathedral.

The oldest settlement is Port Louis, respectively, here you can see the oldest buildings of the archipelago. The 19th-century farmhouse, which is now completely covered in ivy, and the collapsed remains of the residence of the French governor have been preserved. In Port Louis, even the estate of Louis Vernet still stands.

Of course, the main attraction of the Falkland Islands is nature. It is worth coming here only for the purpose of soothing walks and to observe the unique sunrises and sunsets. The hotels have tourist centers where you can get advice on getting to know the islands and rocks of the archipelago. Guides will tell you about the available routes and help you turn your wish into reality.

General information

Official name - Falkland (Malvinas) Islands. An archipelago in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean. This British Overseas Territory is an important staging post on the route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific and allows you to control the South Atlantic. The area is 12,173 km2. Population - 3,140 people. (for 2008). Official language- English. The capital is Stanley. Currency unit- Falkland Islands pound.

The Falkland Islands consist of two large ones (West and East Falkland) and about 776 small islands and rocks. The archipelago is located at a distance of 343 km from the Argentine island of Estados, 463 km from the coast of South America and 1078 km from the Shag rocks (). The total area is 12,173 km2. The total length of the coastline is about 1300 km, the coast is heavily indented. The islands of West and East Falkland are separated by the Falkland Channel. The highest point of the archipelago is Mount Usborne (705 m, located on East Falkland Island), Mount Adam on West Falkland Island has a height of 700 m.

The climate of the islands is characterized as temperate cool, oceanic. Western winds prevail. Temperature changes during the year are relatively small. Average monthly temperatures vary from +9°С in January and February to +2°С in June and July. The average annual temperature is about +6°C.

Story

The Falkland Islands were discovered by the British in the 17th century, and then almost immediately by the French. However, she believed that this was their territory. In 1833 she conquered the Falkland Islands. Since then, in the eyes of the Argentines, Britain has been an invader. In 1982, the Argentine military junta, in order to distract the population of their country from human rights problems and the difficult state of the economy, developed an operation to invade the Falkland Islands. Perhaps this was also done to increase the level of national pride.

In April 1982, Argentine troops landed in the Falklands, occupying them in two days. The resistance of the small Marine garrison was short-lived. In response, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher ordered the Navy to return the captured territories. A group of troops and warships, which included two aircraft carriers, advanced to the islands. Already on April 25, one of them was recaptured. After that, the British Navy blocked the occupied territories with submarines and ships. Aviation made successful raids, as a result of which three Argentine aircraft were shot down. The Argentines had a light cruiser sunk and the British lost a destroyer.

On the night of May 23, British troops numbering 4,000 landed on the west coast, near the city of San Carlos. The group included the marines, paratroopers and SAS special forces. Commanded by Julian Thompson. SAS commandos attacked the airfield on Pebble Island. The paratroopers liberated the villages of Goose Green and Darwin. SAS commandos destroyed an Argentine commando unit on Kent Hill. In June, the British landed another 5,000 men in the Falklands. After that, the assault on the city of Port Stanley began from the adjacent heights, which was liberated on June 12. The commander of the Argentine forces - General Mendez - capitulated on June 14, realizing the hopelessness of his situation.

During the Battle of the Falklands, England lost two frigates, two destroyers, a couple of auxiliaries and 258 men. Argentine losses: one submarine, 75 aircraft, light cruiser, 649 dead and 11,313 prisoners. As a result of the defeat, power changed in Argentina - the junta fell. Britain has established its international image. However, despite this, Argentina has not abandoned its claims to the Falklands so far. In 2013, the inhabitants of the islands almost in an absolute majority (99.8%) confirmed their belonging to Britain in a referendum.

The Falkland Islands are a self-governing territory of Great Britain. They are also claimed by Argentina.

Attractions Falkland Islands

Port Stanley (Stanley or Puerto Argentino) really looks like a village. Historically, it has acquired its political status only due to its larger size than other settlements of the archipelago. Since many of its houses were built of stone and timber "rescued" from the wreckage of numerous shipwrecks, the city has a certain charm, accentuated by its brightly painted buildings, traditional English lawns and the constant smell of burning peat carried by the sea breeze. The most attractive object of the city - Government House, which has been the residence of the governor of the islands since the middle of the 19th century. An obligatory ceremony when visiting is an entry in the "register of visitors", a tribute to tradition and the government of the islands.

Located near the residence Christ Church Cathedral- a massive building of brick and stone with a colorfully painted metal roof and impressive stained glass windows. The building was built in 1892 and now houses a museum and several plaques commemorating Falkland soldiers who died fighting in the World Wars.

In a small square next to the cathedral rises a recently restored wailbone arch, established in 1933 to commemorate the centenary of British rule in the Falkland Islands.

Port Louis- the oldest settlement of the Falkland Islands and, accordingly, the oldest buildings on the islands. This is an ivy-covered farm of the 19th century, the ruins of the residence of the French governor and estate of Louis Vernet nearby. Port Louis lies in the very depths of Berkeley Sound, the largest bay in the East Falklands, 35 km. northwest of Port Stanley. The surroundings of the city are very picturesque and with their green low mountain slopes they resemble the landscape of northern Scotland.

Beach Volunteer, lying east of Port Louis on Johnson Harbor, provides excellent conditions for more than 150 breeding pairs of king penguins, the largest colony of these birds on the islands. A few hours' walk east of the beach, at Volunteer Noynt, there is a large colony of Antarctic fur seals, and at Volunteer Lacun, elephant seals.

Sea Lion Island located east of the south coast of Falkland, less than a mile in diameter but teeming with wildlife. Among its usual inhabitants - five varieties of penguins, a huge colony of cormorants, giant pigeons and almost tame "Johnny Rook" - as the locals call the striped caracara. Hundreds of elephant seals literally fill the sandy and pebbly shores of the southern pool of the island. Thanks to the progressive agricultural practices of local landowners, the island's flora and fauna thrive in close proximity to sheep farms, and the island itself is considered the only Falkland island with preserved natural grass cover.

Sanders Island, lying north of the western coast of Falkland, is the location of the first British garrison in the Falkland Islands, built in 1765. It was the expulsion of this tiny garrison by the Spaniards in 1767 that caused the war between these two countries. After 1774, the Spaniards demolished the settlement and all that remains today are a few wharfs, blocks of house foundations, and the terraces of the British Marines' garden.

Falkland Islands Cuisine

Falkland Islands cuisine is based on Latin American and British traditions. Typical foods include lamb, pork, fish, beef, poultry, seafood and vegetables.

Meat is widely used in local cuisine. Traditional dishes include: fried sausages; meat pies; steaks, steaks; roast beef in all its forms; various lamb meat dishes; fried goose with spices and other very simple, but hearty dishes.

Not devoid of menu and seafood. The surrounding waters supply the islanders with oysters, mussels, snow crab meat, trout, Atlantic cod and squid. Seafood is baked, fried, they make amazing salads and very thick rich soups. One of the main traditional dishes is fish and chips in British style.

Local chefs use fresh vegetables for garnishing dishes, which are very often grown right in the gardens adjacent to the cafe or restaurant. The vegetables are combined with the unique local red teeberry.

In everyday life, the islanders drink a huge amount of tea and coffee. Various herbal infusions are also popular among residents.

For dessert, you can order delicious homemade cakes according to "grandmother's recipe".

Falkland Islands on the map

- (Falkland Islands, Spanish Islas Malvinas), an archipelago consisting of two main. and almost 100 smaller islands in South. Atlantic. European travelers first visited the islands in con. 18th century, and then F.o. alternately were a colony of France, ... ... The World History

FALKLAND (MALVINSKY) ISLANDS- Territory 12 thousand square kilometers, population 2 thousand people (1987). The main branch of agriculture is meat and wool sheep breeding. In total, there are more than 600 thousand sheep ... World sheep breeding

Falkland (Malvinas) Islands- (English Falkland Islands, Spanish Islas Malvinas), a territory disputed between Great Britain and Argentina, on the archipelago of the same name in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean. Consists of two large islands West Falkland (Gran Malvina) and ... ... Encyclopedic reference book "Latin America"

- (Falkland Islands, Islas Malvinas), in the southwest of the Atlantic Ocean. British possession. 12.2 thousand km2. Population 2 thousand people (1992). Height up to 706 m. Meadows, cushion plants, swamps. Sheep breeding. Administrative center and ... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

- (Falkland Islands) island in the southwest. parts of the Atlantic Ocean. Controversial Ter. UK and Argentina. First post, stamps ed. in 1878. Before that, from 1861, use. name stamps. (eng.) about wow and the inscription "paid". In 1928, due to a lack of ... ... Big philatelic dictionary

See Falkland (Malvinas) Islands... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

Coordinates: 51°45′00″ S sh. 59 ° 0 ... Wikipedia

See Falkland (Malvinas) Islands. * * * MALVINA ISLANDS MALVINA ISLANDS, see Falkland Islands (see FALKLAND ISLANDS) ... encyclopedic Dictionary

Exist., Number of synonyms: 1 Falkland Islands (3) ASIS Synonym Dictionary. V.N. Trishin. 2013 ... Synonym dictionary

The Malvinas Islands are a small archipelago located in the South Atlantic Ocean. It consists of 2 large and many small pieces of land, the number of which is approximately 776. The area of ​​\u200b\u200ball the sites taken together is 12 thousand km 2. The Falklands is the second and more common name given to the Malvinas Islands. The archipelago's location coordinates are 51.75 ° S. sh. 59°W e. The history of this paradise is overshadowed by the struggle of two states that are trying to secure the territory for themselves.

History of the origin of the conflict

The 16th century was marked by the discovery of many previously unexplored territories. The Malvinas Islands are no exception. The controversy over their discoverer continues to this day. Argentina insists that the first European to set foot on this piece of land was the Spanish sailor Esteban Gomez, and it happened in 1520. But Great Britain assures that it was discovered only in 1592 by the Briton John Deyvich. History tells us that for more than 200 years a Spanish garrison was located on the territory of the archipelago. That is, the Malvinas Islands were part of Spain. But in 1810, independence was proclaimed by Argentina, and the military sailed away from these lands to their homeland. Such active events in Argentina led to the fact that the Falkland archipelago was simply forgotten. And only ten years later, Captain Dzhuetom with a detachment of paratroopers arrived here and announced the rights of his state to this territory.

This distribution of power lasted 12 years. But the British sea expedition arrived on the islands and made a coup, subjugating the Malvinas Islands to Great Britain. Argentina at that time was still a very young state and could not give the due rebuff to the invaders. But she also did not intend to humbly transfer part of her lands to another country. Thus, the conflict over the Malvinas Islands originated due to the seizure of foreign territory by England.

Period of seeking a peaceful solution

As you know, Great Britain was one of the largest colonial countries in the world. But in the 1960s, this system collapsed. Argentina, taking advantage of the situation, tried to regain power over the Falklands through diplomacy. So, during this period, an airfield and telephone communications appeared on the island. Most UN members supported such an initiative. But England did not want to give up the territory on any terms. After all, it was not only about a piece of land, which is located quite far from the main part of the state. The British were interested in deposits of natural resources such as gas and oil. Another factor was that England was practically a monopolist in catching sea crustaceans - krill, and she was not going to share it with anyone.

Then the well-known iron lady Margaret Thatcher was in power in the UK. Having started military operations against Argentina, she strengthened her position in power. The Malvinas (Falkland) Islands were given a separate place in her policy of returning England to the status of a great state.

Military benefit of Argentina

The dispute between England and Argentina over the Falkland (Malvinas) Islands was beneficial not only to the first of them. In 1981, Argentina experienced a military coup and dictator Leopoldo Galtieri seized power. He just needed to enlist the support of ordinary citizens, and victory in a quick little war should have served its purpose. After all, if the Malvinas Islands returned, Argentina would show the whole world that it is a strong and independent state.

The beginning of the war

General Galtieri began to carefully prepare the operation to return the archipelago. It was decided to name her in honor of the ship of Captain Juet - "Rosario". The beginning was to be May 25, 1982. This date was not chosen by chance, since on this day Argentina celebrated its national holiday, which later had to be proclaimed as the Day of the Malvinas Islands. But a traitor crept into the ranks of the Argentines, and British intelligence received all the data about this plan. The answer to such actions from England was the Spartan submarine, which was sent to patrol the waters of the South Atlantic. Upon learning of this, Galtieri moved the start to April 2, 1982, and on that day the Argentine troops landed on the Malvinas and easily coped with a small group of British.

England took a tough stance, as she believed that her national interests were hurt. And she expected support from all countries European continent. Latin America, on the contrary, was on the side of Argentina, because the Malvinas (Falkland) Islands, in their opinion, had long been time to recognize the authority of their real homeland. But France did not take an unequivocal position in this conflict, because it was unprofitable for her to turn away from Argentina. This country bought from France combat aircraft. In addition, the Republic of Peru, as an ally of Argentina, bought anti-ship missiles from the French.

A look at the war between the USA and the USSR

In this war, the USSR was ready to support Argentina with its military equipment for lowering food prices. But at that time the Soviet Union itself was in a state of unresolved military conflict (the war in Afghanistan). Therefore, all the support that Argentina received was expressed in long speeches at UN meetings. We didn't even talk about activity. Even the opposite happened: the USSR simply washed its hands of it and completely pulled back from the Anglo-Argentine conflict.

The United States, on the other hand, did not step aside. At that time, the President of the United States was R. Reagan, who, after the persuasion of the Minister of Defense K. Weinberg, fully supported Great Britain. The United States immediately imposed sanctions against Argentina. And at the UN Security Council, the United States, together with Britain, vetoed a resolution regarding the Falklands conflict. The two states even agreed to put pressure on the USSR if it decided to intervene.

Active military operations

After seizing control of the archipelago, Great Britain immediately sent a large naval force to ensure that this territory was returned to the rule of the English crown. On April 12, 1982, the British government placed a blockade on the Malvinas Islands. The war was already in full swing. stated that if Argentine ships were seen within a radius of 200 miles from this territory, they would be immediately sunk. Argentina's response was a ban on the use of English banks for its citizens.

The aviation of Argentina also could not take an active part in hostilities, especially in maintaining the garrison and supplying it with everything necessary. This happened due to the fact that the jets could not land on the strip that was available on the island, as it was too short.

Thanks to the support of the United States, Britain was able to use their military base on this site. This facilitated access to a remote territory. On April 25, the British captured the island of South Georgia, which had previously been under the rule of Argentina. The military surrendered without a fight and gave up their post without resistance. Then a new phase of the war began.

Sea and air action phase

On May 1, 1982, the Falklands area was finally engulfed in war. British planes raided Port Stanley, and Argentina responded by sending aircraft to attack the British ships. The next day, an event occurred that became the most difficult for Argentina in the entire war. An English submarine sank an enemy cruiser, killing 323 people. This was the reason that the Argentine fleet was withdrawn back to the shores of their native country. He did not take any further part in hostilities.

Argentina found itself in a difficult position, and it remained only to rely on aviation. At the same time, obsolete free-falling bombs were dropped on the British fleet, which in most cases did not even explode.

But the British side also had losses that shocked the whole country. On May 4, an anti-ship missile delivered from France hit one of the British destroyers badly. This caused it to flood. But at that time, Argentina had only five such missiles, which led to the rapid depletion of this stock.

Calm before the storm

Such a military breakthrough by Argentina led to two weeks of relative calm. Of course, skirmishes continued, but they were few. These include the British military operation to destroy 11 Argentine aircraft on Pebble Island. At the same time, the UN tried to persuade the parties to end the war and negotiate peacefully. But no one wanted to give up. Argentina, in turn, decided to respond to the sanctions of other countries against it. She banned her citizens from flying to countries that have adopted anti-Argentine sanctions.

Land War

England prepared its marines in advance for landing on the islands. This happened on the night of May 21-22. The landing took place in the bay of San Carlos, where this was not expected at all. The resistance of the Argentines was weak, but the next morning the situation changed. Argentina raided ships that were moored in the bay.

On May 25, one of the planes shot down a British ship carrying helicopters. It sank a few days later. And the British ground detachment has already taken strong positions on the island itself. On May 28, an Argentine garrison was attacked in the area of ​​the settlements of Guz-Nrin and Darwin, as a result of which, after a very difficult battle, he was forced to retreat.

On June 12, with heavy losses, British troops occupied the heights of the Two Sisters, Mount Harriet and Moonit Longdon, previously controlled by the Argentines. June 14 and all other heights were subordinated to the troops of England.

Britain did not release 600 Argentines from captivity for some time, thus trying to manipulate their homeland into signing a more favorable peace treaty.

Side losses

During the 74-day military conflict, Argentina lost 649 people, one cruiser, one submarine, one patrol boat, four transport ships, one fishing trawler, 22 attack aircraft, 11 fighters, about 100 aircraft and helicopters. 11 thousand people were taken prisoner. In addition, it was resonant that after the end of the war, another 3 soldiers were killed, taken prisoner by England.

The United Kingdom lost 258 men, two frigates, two destroyers, one container ship, one landing craft, one landing craft, 34 helicopters and aircraft in this war.

Modern stage of the conflict

At the end of the war, the warring countries never signed a formal treaty. Only in 1990 diplomatic relations were established again. IN last years the conflict flared up again. The reason for this was the receipt by one of the British companies of permission to near the Malvinas Islands. Argentina opposed this state of affairs, because oil will actually be produced near the coast of this state.

Argentina's response was also a law of February 16, 2010, which states that only those ships that have received permission to swim at a distance of 500 km from the country's coast are entitled to swim. But this did not stop the British, and the oil platform was installed on 21 February.

In 2013, the public once again drew attention to the Malvinas Islands. The referendum, which would determine the country's ownership, was to be held on March 10 and 11. Residents had the opportunity to choose which state they would like to belong to. When the results were calculated, it turned out that 91% of the inhabitants of the islands came to the elections. With an undeniable result of 99.8%, the UK won, leaving no chance for Argentina to object.

Thus, in the last century there was a short war for the Falklands, or Malvinas Islands. The Shantar Islands, located in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, are somewhat reminiscent of this archipelago. After all, this is also a small piece of territory beyond the outskirts of the mainland. But if two states decide to fight for it, many people will die. The history of the Falkland (Malvinas) Islands proves that the more informed, purposeful and well-planned opponent wins the fight.

The history of previous wars has not yet known such as this. She happens to be unique phenomenon. Although it was very short, the rivals fought a fierce battle, using all the latest achievements of the technical process for this. And for Great Britain, it was also a war at a great distance. The main goal was not the territory itself, but the resources that it could give to the victorious country.

: 51°45′00″ S sh. 59°00′00″ W d. /  51.75000°S sh. 59.00000° W d. / -51.75000; -59.00000(G) (I)

Falkland Islands(English) Falkland Islands- Falkland Islands, Spain. Islas Malvinas- Malvinas Islands) - an archipelago in the southwestern part of the Atlantic Ocean. In fact, the Falkland Islands are a British overseas territory and an important staging post on the route from the Atlantic to the Pacific, allowing control of the South Atlantic. Britain's rights to the islands are disputed by Argentina, which considers them part of the province of Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica and the South Atlantic Islands.

origin of name

The Falkland Islands got their name from the Falkland Passage, the strait between the two main islands of the archipelago. The name for the strait was chosen by the Englishman John Strong in 1690 as a mark of respect for his patron Anthony Carey, 5th Viscount of Falkland. This name was later extended to the entire group of islands. The Spanish name, Islas Malvinas, comes from the French name, Îles Malouines, given by Louis Antoine de Bougainville in 1764 to honor the first known islander settlers, sailors and fishermen from the Breton port of Saint-Malo in France. Since the dispute over the ownership of the islands has not been finally resolved, the use of many Spanish names in the Falkland Islands is considered offensive. In particular, this applies to names associated with the 1982 invasion of the Falkland Islands by Argentine troops. British Forces Commander Falklands conflict General Sir Jeremy Moore did not allow the use of the name "Malvinas" in the Argentine surrender document, dismissing it as a propaganda term.

Geography

The Falkland Islands consist of two large ones (West and East Falkland) and about 776 small islands and rocks. The archipelago is located at a distance of 343 km from the Argentine island of Estados, 463 km from the coast of South America and 1078 km from the Shag rocks (South Georgia). The total area is 12,173 km². The total length of the coastline is about 1300 km, the coast is heavily indented. The islands of West and East Falkland are separated by the Falkland Channel. The highest point of the archipelago is Mount Asborne (705 m, located on East Falkland Island), Mount Adam on West Falkland Island has a height of 700 m. There are no long rivers on the islands, but there are a large number of streams that usually flow into the nearest fjord or bay.

Climate

The climate of the islands is characterized as temperate cool, oceanic. Western winds prevail. Temperature changes during the year are relatively small. Average monthly temperatures vary from +9 °С in January and February to +2 °С in June and July. The average annual temperature is about +5.6 °C. It is under the influence of powerful cold currents. One of them - Falkland (Malvinas) - follows from the Falkland Islands to La Plata Bay. The speed of the current is 1-2 km / h. average temperature water in winter from +4 to +10 °С, in summer from +8 to +15 °С. It carries a large number of icebergs, although icebergs are rare near the islands.

The average annual rainfall is about 574 mm, the level of precipitation is approximately constant throughout the year. The western part of the archipelago is more arid than the eastern part. Thus, the level of precipitation in Port Stanley, on the east coast, is about 630 mm, while in the extreme west of the Falkland Islands it is only about 430 mm. Snowfall can occur in winter, but is only temporary and does not create long-term snow cover. Frequent fogs.

Flora and fauna

Biogeographically, the islands belong to the Antarctic ecozone and the Holontarctic floristic kingdom. There is a strong connection with the Patagonian flora and fauna. The only native land mammal of the archipelago was the Falkland fox (it was exterminated in the middle of the 19th century with the beginning of mass colonization). 14 species of marine mammals live in coastal waters. A large number of seabirds nest on the islands (more than 60 species), among them it is worth noting the black-browed albatross, 60% of whose nesting sites are located on the Falkland Islands. In addition, 5 species of penguins nest in the archipelago. Not a single species of reptiles and amphibians lives on the islands. About 200 species of insects have been recorded, as well as 43 species of spiders and 12 species of worms. Only 13 species of terrestrial invertebrates are recognized as endemic (beetles Malvinius, Morronia, Falklandius and others), but due to the lack of information on many species, the proportion of endemics is probably much more significant. 6 species of fish live in the fresh waters of the archipelago.

The vegetation of the archipelago is represented by cereal meadows and moorlands. There are 363 species of vascular plants, 21 species of ferns and 278 species of flowering plants.

The flora and fauna of the archipelago were greatly changed during colonization. Today, almost the entire territory of the islands is used as pasture for sheep. Introduced species of plants and animals cause damage to local flora and fauna.

Story

It is alleged that the islands were discovered in -1592 by the English navigator John Davies, who commanded the ship on the expedition of the English corsair Thomas Cavendish, however, the Spaniards also claim the right to be the discoverers of the archipelago. Subsequently, the islands repeatedly changed hands. There were no indigenous people.

In 1832, Argentina decided to restore the settlement and set up a penal colony there. However, when a new governor arrived on the island, a rebellion broke out and the governor was killed. Vernet never returned to the settlement he founded, but it is alleged that he sold his possessions to an English merchant who began to persuade the British government to regain control of the archipelago. As a result, on January 2, 1833, the British landed in the Falklands and notified the Argentine authorities of their intention to restore their power on the islands. The island settlers were allowed to stay. One of them, William Dickson, an Irish shopkeeper, was commissioned to raise the British flag over the island on Sundays and at the sight of an approaching ship.

However, despite this, until 1834, the Falkland Islands, in fact, were self-governing. And only on January 10, 1834, the British naval lieutenant Henry Smith raised the Union Jack over Port Louis. At the same time, governors, as such, began to be appointed only from 1842, and before that the head of the islands was the so-called resident naval officer(English) resident naval officer) . Subsequently, the British Royal Navy built a military base in the Falklands at Stanley, and the islands became a strategically important navigation point in the Cape Horn area.

Since 1843, under the administrative control of the official authorities of the Falklands, the newly formed from several groups of subantarctic islands of the South Atlantic and adjacent lands of Antarctica, the neighboring British colony with its center in Grytviken on the island of South Georgia - Dependent territories of the Falkland Islands, was also under the administrative control.

World War I

During the First World War, in the area of ​​​​the archipelago on December 8, 1914, a battle took place between the German cruiser squadron under the command of Vice Admiral Maximilian von Spee and the English squadron of Vice Admiral Frederick D. Sturdi.

The German command tried to intensify the actions of its fleet on the British sea lanes in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans. Vice Admiral von Spee led the campaign of the squadron (2 armored and 3 light cruisers, 2 transports and a hospital ship) to the shores of South America, where on November 1, 1914, in a battle near Cape Coronel, he defeated an English squadron of cruisers.

Having completed the task of diverting significant forces of the English fleet, the German squadron received an order to break through back to Germany. Not knowing the location of the English ships, Spee decided to strike at the English naval base of Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands, where the English squadron was located (1 battleship, 2 battleships, 3 armored and 2 light cruisers). Encountering unexpectedly strong resistance, Spee tried to leave, but the English ships overtook him. Spee ordered the light cruisers and transports to withdraw in various directions. They were pursued by British armored and light cruisers, while the battlecruisers engaged and sank the German armored cruisers. 2 German light cruisers and transports were also destroyed. Only the Dresden cruiser (died in battle off the island of Mas a Tierra) and the Seidlitz hospital ship managed to escape (interned in neutral Argentina). As a result of the victory, the British command was freed from the need to allocate significant forces to secondary theaters of operations, and the German command lost a strong cruiser squadron. Spee himself died on the flagship cruiser Scharnhorst.

Mid 20th century

Question about territorial affiliation islands rose again in the second half of the twentieth century. Argentina saw the creation of the UN as an opportunity to declare to the rest of the countries its rights to the archipelago: when signing the UN Charter in Argentina, Argentina declared that it retained the rights to own the Falkland Islands and the right to get them back. Britain responded in the spirit that the islanders must vote to secede from the UK in a referendum and that this was an important condition for the implementation of the UN Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples. Later, in the 60s, negotiations took place between the British and Argentine representatives, but they did not lead to any clear solution to the Falkland issue. The stumbling block in the negotiations was the fact that the two thousand inhabitants of the islands, mostly of British origin, preferred that they remain British territory.

Anglo-Argentine conflict

British military bases are located on the islands - air force base "Mount Pleasant" and naval base "Mayor Harbor".

Relations between the UK and Argentina deteriorated again after British companies began developing offshore oil fields near the islands in 2010. In the spring of 2012, the Argentine authorities announced that they intended to sue companies involved in oil and gas exploration in areas near the islands, such as Rockhopper Exploration, Falkland Oil & Gas, and others. After that, the UK increased its military presence in the region, strengthening the fleet with the latest destroyer Dauntless and the Trafalgar-class submarine, as well as defiantly sending Prince William on a six-week mission there.

Shortly thereafter, Argentina protested the militarization of the islands, but on February 8, 2012, the UK denied these allegations.

“We are not militarizing the South Atlantic. Our defensive strategy in the Falkland Islands remains unchanged. The people of the Falklands choose British citizenship. Its right to self-determination is enshrined in the UN charter,” British Prime Minister David Cameron said in a statement.

Population

The population of the Falkland Islands is 2,840 according to the 2012 census. (in 2008 - 3140 people. According to the 2012 census, most of the population (94.7% or 2691 people) live on East Falkland Island, 4.5% or 127 people live on West Falkland Island and 0.8% or 22 people - on other islands of the archipelago.Port Stanley is home to 2120 people (71.57% of the population of the archipelago).

The language of the majority of the population is English, but Spanish (12%), German (0.6%) and French (0.5%) are also common. About 2% of the population speaks English uncertainly or does not speak this language at all. 66% of the population of the archipelago professes Christianity, 32% declared no religion, about 2% profess other religions. Most of the population are descendants of Scottish, English, Chilean and Norwegian settlers, some are also recent settlers from Great Britain (25%), Saint Helena (10%), Chile (6%), France, Germany and other countries (including Russia - 12 people).

Population dynamics

Economy

Initially, the economy of the islands was based on whale hunting and ship maintenance, and then (from the 1870s to the 1980s) was entirely based on sheep farming. Today, the economy of the archipelago depends mainly on sheep breeding, industrial fishing, fish processing, tourism and agriculture. More than 80% of the territory of the islands is occupied by pastures, according to the statistics of the island government, there are about 500,000 sheep in the Falkland archipelago. Approximately 60% of the herds are located in East Falkland and approximately 40% in West Falkland. The Falkland Islands is an exporter of high quality wool that goes mainly to the UK. On East Island there are also slaughterhouses.

Wells are being drilled to explore the alleged large oil reserves on the shelf of the islands.

Transport

As of 2007, the road network of the archipelago is 786 km, in addition, 50 km are in the planning or construction stage. It is also worth noting that back in 1982 there were no roads outside of Port Stanley at all. There are 2 airports with paved runways, one of them - Mount Pleasant Airport (RAF Mount Pleasant), located 48 km southwest of Port Stanley, is used for international flights, and also functions as a military base; the second airport (Port Stanley Airport) is located in the suburbs of Port Stanley and serves domestic flights, in addition, it communicates with British bases in Antarctica.

There are 2 seaports: Port Stanley (East Falkland) and Fox Bay (West Falkland). The 2 main islands of the archipelago are connected by regular ferry crossings. In 1915-16, a branch line (Camber Railway) with a length of about 5.6 km and a gauge of 610 mm was built on East Falkland, which was used until the 1920s. There is no public transport system in the archipelago, there are taxis.

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An excerpt characterizing the Falkland Islands

In Bald Mountains, the estate of Prince Nikolai Andreevich Bolkonsky, every day they expected the arrival of young Prince Andrei with the princess; but the expectation did not disturb the orderly order in which life went on in the old prince's house. General anshef Prince Nikolai Andreevich, nicknamed in society le roi de Prusse, [King of Prussia,] since the time when Paul was exiled to the village, he lived without a break in his Bald Mountains with his daughter, Princess Marya, and with her companion, m lle Bourienne. [Mademoiselle Bourienne.] And in the new reign, although he was allowed to enter the capitals, he also continued to live in the countryside without a break, saying that if anyone needs him, then he will reach a hundred and fifty miles from Moscow to the Bald Mountains, and that he nobody and nothing is needed. He said that there are only two sources of human vices: idleness and superstition, and that there are only two virtues: activity and intelligence. He himself was engaged in the education of his daughter and, in order to develop in her both main virtues, until the age of twenty he gave her lessons in algebra and geometry and distributed her whole life in uninterrupted studies. He himself was constantly busy either writing his memoirs, or calculations from higher mathematics, or turning snuff boxes on a machine tool, or working in the garden and observing the buildings that did not stop on his estate. Since the main condition for activity is order, order in his way of life was brought to the highest degree of accuracy. His exits to the table were made under the same constant conditions, and not only at the same hour, but also at the minute. With the people around him, from his daughter to his servants, the prince was harsh and invariably demanding, and therefore, without being cruel, he aroused fear and respect for himself, which the most cruel person could not easily achieve. Despite the fact that he was retired and now had no importance in state affairs, each head of the province where the prince's estate was, considered it his duty to appear to him and, just like an architect, gardener or Princess Mary, waited for the appointed hours of the prince's exit in the high waiter's room. And everyone in this waiter's room experienced the same feeling of respect and even fear, while the enormously high door of the study was opened and the low figure of an old man, with small dry hands and gray drooping eyebrows, sometimes, as he and like young shining eyes.
On the day of the arrival of the young, in the morning, as usual, Princess Mary at the appointed hour entered the waiter's room for a morning greeting and crossed herself with fear and recited a prayer inwardly. Every day she came in and every day she prayed that this daily meeting would go well.
The powdered old servant who was sitting in the waiter's room stood up with a quiet movement and announced in a whisper: "You're welcome."
From behind the door came the steady sounds of the machine. The princess timidly pulled at the lightly and smoothly opening door and stopped at the entrance. The prince worked at the machine and, looking around, continued his work.
The huge office was filled with things, obviously, incessantly used. A large table on which books and plans lay, high glass bookcases of the library with keys in the doors, a high table for writing in a standing position, on which lay an open notebook, a lathe, with tools laid out and shavings scattered around - everything showed a constant, varied and orderly activities. From the movements of a small foot, shod in a Tatar, embroidered with silver, boot, from the firm overlay of a sinewy, lean hand, the stubborn and enduring strength of fresh old age was visible in the prince. Having made several circles, he took his foot off the pedal of the machine, wiped the chisel, threw it into a leather pocket attached to the machine, and, going up to the table, called his daughter. He never blessed his children, and only, offering her a bristly, still unshaven cheek today, said, sternly and at the same time attentively tenderly examining her:
- Healthy? ... well, sit down!
He took a geometry notebook, written in his own hand, and moved his chair with his foot.
- For tomorrow! he said, quickly finding a page and marking from paragraph to next with a hard fingernail.
The princess bent down to the table over the notebook.
“Wait, the letter is for you,” the old man suddenly said, taking out an envelope, inscribed with a woman’s hand, from a pocket attached above the table, and throwing it on the table.
The princess's face was covered with red spots at the sight of the letter. She took it hastily and leaned close to him.
From Eloise? asked the prince, showing his still strong and yellowish teeth with a cold smile.
“Yes, from Julie,” said the princess, looking timidly and smiling timidly.
“I’ll skip two more letters, and read the third one,” the prince said sternly, “I’m afraid you write a lot of nonsense. Read the third.
- Read at least this, mon pere, [father,] - answered the princess, blushing even more and handing him a letter.
“Third, I said, third,” the prince shouted shortly, pushing away the letter, and, leaning on the table, pushed the notebook with geometry drawings.
“Well, madam,” the old man began, bending close to his daughter over the notebook and placing one hand on the back of the chair on which the princess was sitting, so that the princess felt herself surrounded on all sides by that tobacco and senilely pungent smell of her father, which she had known for so long . “Well, madame, these triangles are similar; if you please, the angle abc...
The princess looked in fright at her father's shining eyes close to her; red spots shimmered over her face, and it was evident that she did not understand anything and was so afraid that fear would prevent her from understanding all further interpretations of her father, no matter how clear they were. Whether the teacher was to blame or the student was to blame, but every day the same thing was repeated: the princess's eyes were clouded, she did not see, did not hear anything, she only felt close to her the dry face of a strict father, felt his breath and smell, and only thought about how she could leave the office as soon as possible and understand the task in her own space.
The old man lost his temper: with a roar he pushed back and forward the chair on which he himself was sitting, made efforts to control himself so as not to get excited, and almost every time he got excited, scolded, and sometimes threw the notebook.
The princess made a mistake.
- Well, what a fool! the prince shouted, pushing the notebook away and quickly turning away, but he immediately got up, walked around, touched the princess's hair with his hands and sat down again.
He moved closer and continued to interpret.
“It’s impossible, princess, it’s impossible,” he said, when the princess, having taken and closed the notebook with the assigned lessons, was already preparing to leave, “mathematics is a great thing, my madam.” And I don't want you to look like our stupid ladies. Endure to fall in love. He patted her cheek with his hand. - The fool will pop out of my head.
She wanted to leave, he stopped her with a gesture and took a new uncut book from the high table.
- Here is some other Key of the sacrament your Eloise sends you. Religious. And I don’t interfere with anyone’s faith ... I looked it over. Take it. Well, go, go!
He patted her on the shoulder and locked the door behind her.
Princess Mary returned to her room with a sad, frightened expression, which rarely left her and made her ugly, sickly face even more ugly, sat down at her desk, lined with miniature portraits and littered with notebooks and books. The princess was as disorderly as her father was decent. She put down her geometry notebook and eagerly opened the letter. The letter was from the closest childhood friend of the princess; this friend was the same Julie Karagina, who was at the name day of the Rostovs:
Julie wrote:
"Chere et excellente amie, quelle chose terrible et effrayante que l "absence! J" ai beau me dire que la moitie de mon existence et de mon bonheur est en vous, que malgre la distance qui nous separe, nos coeurs sont unis par des liens indissolubles; le mien se revolte contre la destinee, et je ne puis, malgre les plaisirs et les distractions qui m "entourent, vaincre une certaine tristesse cachee que je ressens au fond du coeur depuis notre separation. Pourquoi ne sommes nous pas reunies, comme cet ete dans votre grand cabinet sur le canape bleu, le canape a confidences? je crois voir devant moi, quand je vous ecris.”
[Dear and priceless friend, what a terrible and terrible thing separation is! No matter how much I keep telling myself that half of my existence and my happiness is in you, that despite the distance that separates us, our hearts are united by inseparable ties, my heart revolts against fate, and despite the pleasures and distractions that surround me, I I cannot suppress some hidden sadness that I have felt in the depths of my heart since our separation. Why are we not together, like last summer, in your big office, on the blue couch, on the "confessions" couch? Why can’t I, as I did three months ago, draw new moral strength from your meek, calm and penetrating look, which I loved so much and which I see before me at the moment I am writing to you?]
Having read up to this point, Princess Marya sighed and looked around at the dressing table, which stood to her right. The mirror reflected an ugly, weak body and a thin face. His eyes, always sad, now looked at themselves in the mirror with particular hopelessness. “She flatters me,” thought the princess, turned away and continued to read. Julie, however, did not flatter her friend: indeed, the princess's eyes, large, deep and radiant (as if rays of warm light sometimes came out of them in sheaves), were so good that very often, despite the ugliness of her whole face, these eyes became more attractive than beauty. But the princess never saw the good expression in her eyes, the expression they assumed in those moments when she was not thinking about herself. Like all people, her face assumed a strained, unnatural, evil expression as soon as she looked in the mirror. She continued to read: 211
“Tout Moscou ne parle que guerre. L "un de mes deux freres est deja a l" etranger, l "autre est avec la garde, qui se met en Marieche vers la frontiere. Notre cher empereur a quitte Petersbourg et, a ce qu" on pretend, compte lui meme exposer sa precieuse existence aux chances de la guerre. Du veuille que le monstre corsicain, qui detruit le repos de l "Europe, soit terrasse par l"ange que le Tout Ruissant, dans Sa misericorde, nous a donnee pour souverain. Sans parler de mes freres, cette guerre m "a privee d" une relation des plus cheres a mon coeur. Je parle du jeune Nicolas Rostoff, qui avec son enthousiasme n "a pu supporter l" inaction et a quitte l "universite pour aller s" enroler dans l "armee. Eh bien, chere Marieie, je vous avouerai, que, malgre son extreme jeunesse, son depart pour l "armee a ete un grand chagrin pour moi. Le jeune homme, dont je vous parlais cet ete, a tant de noblesse, de veritable jeunesse qu "on rencontre si rarement dans le siecle ou nous vivons parmi nos villards de vingt ans. Il a surtout tant de franchise et de coeur. Il est tellement pur et poetique, que mes relations avec lui, quelque passageres qu "elles fussent, ont ete l" une des plus douees jouissances de mon pauvre coeur, qui a deja tant souffert. Je vous raconterai un jour nos adieux et tout ce qui s "est dit en partant. Tout cela est encore trop frais. Ah! chere amie, vous etes heureuse de ne pas connaitre ces jouissances et ces peines si poignantes. Vous etes heureuse, puisque les derienieres sont ordinairement les plus fortes! Je sais fort bien, que le comte Nicolas est trop jeune pour pouvoir jamais devenir pour moi quelque chose de plus qu "un ami, mais cette douee amitie, ces relations si poetiques et si pures ont ete un besoin pour mon coeur. Mais n" en parlon plus. La grande nouvelle du jour qui occupe tout Moscou est la mort du vieux comte Bezukhoy et son heritage. Figurez vous que les trois princesses n "ont recu que tres peu de chose, le prince Basile rien, est que c" est M. Pierre qui a tout herite, et qui par dessus le Marieche a ete reconnu pour fils legitime, par consequent comte Earless est possesseur de la plus belle fortune de la Russie. On pretend que le prince Basile a joue un tres vilain role dans toute cette histoire et qu "il est reparti tout penaud pour Petersbourg.
“Je vous avoue, que je comprends tres peu toutes ces affaires de legs et de testament; ce que je sais, c "est que depuis que le jeune homme que nous connaissions tous sous le nom de M. Pierre les tout court est devenu comte Bezukhoy et possesseur de l" une des plus grandes fortunes de la Russie, je m "amuse fort a observer les changements de ton et des manieres des mamans accablees de filles a Marieier et des demoiselles elles memes a l "egard de cet individu, qui, par parenthese, m" a paru toujours etre un pauvre, sire. Comme on s "amuse depuis deux ans a me donner des promis que je ne connais pas le plus souvent, la chronique matrimoniale de Moscou me fait comtesse Mais vous sentez bien que je ne me souc nullement de le devenir. A propos de Marieiage, savez vous que tout derienierement la tante en general Anna Mikhailovna, m "a confie sous le sceau du plus grand secret un projet de Marieiage pour vous. Ce n" est ni plus, ni moins, que le fils du prince Basile, Anatole, qu "on voudrait ranger en le Marieiant a une personne riche et distinguee, et c" est sur vous qu "est tombe le choix des parents. Je ne sais comment vous envisagerez la chose, mais j" ai cru de mon devoir de vous en avertir. On le dit tres beau et tres mauvais sujet; c "est tout ce que j" ai pu savoir sur son compte.
Mais assez de bavardage comme cela. Je finis mon second feuillet, et maman me fait chercher pour aller diner chez les Apraksines. Lisez le livre mystique que je vous envoie et qui fait fureur chez nous. Quoiqu "il y ait des choses dans ce livre difficiles a atteindre avec la faible conception humaine, c" est un livre admirable dont la lecture calme et eleve l "ame. Adieu. Mes respects a monsieur votre pere et mes compliments a m elle Bourienne. Je vous embrasse comme je vous aime Julie."
P.S. Donnez moi des nouvelles de votre frere et de sa charmante petite femme.
[The whole of Moscow only talks about the war. One of my two brothers is already abroad, the other is with the guards, who are marching to the border. Our dear sovereign is leaving Petersburg and, as is supposed, he intends to expose his precious existence to the accidents of war. May God grant that the Corsican monster that disturbs the tranquility of Europe will be cast down by an angel whom the Almighty in His goodness has placed as ruler over us. Not to mention my brothers, this war has robbed me of one of the relationships closest to my heart. I'm talking about the young Nikolai Rostov; who, with his enthusiasm, could not bear inactivity and left the university to join the army. I confess to you, dear Marie, that in spite of his extraordinary youth, his departure for the army was for me with great grief. In the young man of whom I spoke to you last summer, there is so much nobility, true youth, which is so rare in our age between twenty-year-olds! He especially has so much frankness and heart. He is so pure and full of poetry that my relationship with him, for all its fleetingness, was one of the sweetest joys of my poor heart, which had already suffered so much. Someday I will tell you our parting and everything that was said at parting. All this is still too fresh ... Ah! dear friend, you are happy that you do not know these burning pleasures, these burning sorrows. You are happy because the latter are usually stronger than the former. I know very well that Count Nicholas is too young to be anything but a friend to me. But this sweet friendship, this relationship so poetic and so pure was the need of my heart. But enough about that.
“The main news that occupies all of Moscow is the death of the old Count Bezukhy and his inheritance. Imagine, the three princesses received some little, Prince Vasily nothing, and Pierre is the heir to everything and, moreover, is recognized as a legitimate son and therefore Count Bezukhy and the owner of the largest fortune in Russia. They say that Prince Vasily played a very nasty role in this whole story, and that he left for Petersburg very embarrassed. I confess to you that I understand very little all these matters of spiritual wills; I only know that since the young man, whom we all knew simply as Pierre, became Count Bezukhy and the owner of one of the best fortunes in Russia, I am amused by observing the change in tone of mothers who have daughters of the bride, and the young ladies themselves in relation to this gentleman, who (in parentheses) always seemed to me very insignificant. Since for two years now everyone has been amused by looking for suitors for me, whom I mostly do not know, the marriage chronicle of Moscow makes me Countess Bezukhova. But you understand that I do not want this at all. Speaking of marriages. Do you know that recently the universal aunt Anna Mikhailovna entrusted me, under the greatest secrecy, with the plan to arrange your marriage. This is nothing more or less than the son of Prince Vasily, Anatole, whom they want to attach by marrying him to a rich and noble girl, and the choice of your parents fell on you. I don't know how you look at this case, but I felt it my duty to warn you. He is said to be very good and a big rake. That's all I could find out about him.
But will talk. I am finishing my second sheet, and my mother sent for me to go to dinner with the Apraksins.
Read the mystical book which I am sending you; it has been a huge success for us. Although there are things in it that are difficult for the weak mind of man to understand, it is an excellent book; reading it calms and uplifts the soul. Farewell. My respects to your father and my greetings m lle Bourienne. I embrace you with all my heart. Julia.
PS. Let me know about your brother and his lovely wife.]
The princess thought, smiling thoughtfully (at which her face, illuminated by her radiant eyes, was completely transformed), and, suddenly rising, stepping heavily, went over to the table. She took out a piece of paper, and her hand quickly began to walk over it. This is what she wrote in response:
“Chere et excellente ami. Votre lettre du 13 m "a cause une grande joie. Vous m" aimez donc toujours, ma poetique Julie.
L "absence, dont vous dites tant de mal, n" a donc pas eu son influence habituelle sur vous. Vous vous plaignez de l "absence - que devrai je dire moi, si j" osais me plaindre, privee de tous ceux qui me sont chers? Ah l si nous n "avions pas la religion pour nous consoler, la vie serait bien triste. Pourquoi me supposez vous un regard severe, quand vous me parlez de votre affection pour le jeune homme? Sous ce rapport je ne suis rigide que pour moi Je comprends ces sentiments chez les autres et si je ne puis approuver ne les ayant jamais ressentis, je ne les condamiene pas. Me parait seulement que l "amour chretien, l" amour du prochain, l "amour pour ses ennemis est plus meritoire , plus doux et plus beau, que ne le sont les sentiments que peuvent inspire les beaux yeux d "un jeune homme a une jeune fille poetique et aimante comme vous.
"La nouvelle de la mort du comte the Earless nous est parvenue avant votre lettre, et mon pere en a ete tres affecte. Il dit que c "etait avant derienier representant du grand siecle, et qu" a present c "est son tour; mais qu" il fera son possible pour que son tour vienne le plus tard possible. Que Dieu nous garde de ce terrible malheur! Je ne puis partager votre opinion sur Pierre que j "ai connu enfant. Il me paraissait toujours avoir un coeur excellent, et c" est la qualite que j "estime le plus dans les gens. Quant a son heritage et au role qu" y a joue le prince Basile, c "est bien triste pour tous les deux. Ah! chere amie, la parole de notre divin Sauveur qu" il est plus aise a un hameau de passer par le trou d "une aiguille, qu" il ne l "est a un riche d" entrer dans le royaume de Dieu, cette parole est terriblement vraie; je plains le prince Basile et je regrette encore davantage Pierre. Si jeune et accable de cette richesse, que de tentations n "aura t il pas a subir! Si on me demandait ce que je desirerais le plus au monde, ce serait d" etre plus pauvre que le plus pauvre des mendiants. Mille graces, chere amie, pour l "ouvrage que vous m" envoyez, et qui fait si grande fureur chez vous. Cependant, puisque vous me dites qu "au milieu de plusurs bonnes choses il y en a d" autres que la faible conception humaine ne peut atteindre, il me parait assez inutile de s "occuper d" une lecture in intelligible, qui par la meme ne pourrait etre d "aucun fruit. Je n" ai jamais pu comprendre la passion qu "ont certaines personnes de s" embrouiller l "entendement, en s" attachchant a des livres mystiques, qui n "elevent que des doutes dans leurs esprits, exaltant leur imagination et leur donnent un caractere d "exageration tout a fait contraire a la simplicite chretnne. Lisons les Apotres et l "Evangile. Ne cherchons pas a penetrer ce que ceux la renferment de mysterux, car, comment oserions nous, miserables pecheurs que nous sommes, pretendre a nous initier dans les secrets terribles et sacres de la Providence, tant que nous portons cette depouille charienelle, qui eleve entre nous et l "Eterienel un voile impenetrable? Borienons nous donc a etudr les principes sublimes que notre divin Sauveur nous a laisse pour notre conduite ici bas; cherchons a nous y conformer et a les suivre, persuadons nous que moins nous donnons d "essor a notre faible esprit humain et plus il est agreable a Dieu, Qui rejette toute science ne venant pas de Lui; que moins nous cherchons a approfondir ce qu "il Lui a plu de rober a notre connaissance,et plutot II nous en accordera la decouverte par Son divin esprit.
"Mon pere ne m" a pas parle du pretendant, mais il m "a dit seulement qu" il a recu une lettre et attendait une visite du prince Basile. Pour ce qui est du projet de Marieiage qui me regarde, je vous dirai, chere et excellente amie, que le Marieiage, selon moi,est une institution divine a laquelle il faut se conformer. Quelque penible que cela soit pour moi, si le Tout Puissant m "impose jamais les devoirs d" epouse et de mere, je tacherai de les remplir aussi fidelement que je le pourrai, sans m"inquieter de l"examen de mes sentiments a l"egard de celui qu"il me donnera pour epoux. J"ai recu une lettre de mon frere, qui m"annonce son arrivee a Bald Mountains avec sa femme. Ce sera une joie de courte duree, puisqu "il nous quitte pour prendre part a cette malheureuse guerre, a laquelle nous sommes entraines Dieu sait, comment et pourquoi. Non seulement chez vous au center des affaires et du monde on ne parle que de guerre, mais ici, au milieu de ces travaux champetres et de ce calme de la nature, que les citadins se representent ordinairement a la campagne, les bruits de la guerre se font entendre et sentir peniblement. Mon pere ne parle que Marieche et contreMarieche, choses auxquelles je ne comprends rien; et avant hier en faisant ma promenade habituelle dans la rue du village, je fus temoin d "une scene dechirante… C" etait un convoi des recrues enroles chez nous et expedies pour l "armee… Il fallait voir l" etat dans lequel se trouvant les meres, les femmes, les enfants des hommes qui partaient et entendre les sanglots des uns et des autres!
On dirait que l "humanite a oublie les lois de son divin Sauveur, Qui prechait l" amour et le pardon des offenses, et qu "elle fait consister son plus grand merite dans l" art de s "entretuer.
"Adieu, chere et bonne amie, que notre divin Sauveur et Sa tres Sainte Mere vous aient en Leur sainte et puissante garde. Marie."
[Dear and priceless friend. Your letter of the 13th brought me great joy. You still love me, my poetic Julia. The separation, of which you speak so many evil things, apparently did not have its usual influence on you. You complain about separation, what should I say if I dared - I, deprived of all those who are dear to me? Ah, if we did not have a religion to console us, life would be very sad. Why do you attribute a stern look to me when you speak of your inclination towards a young man? In this regard, I am only strict with myself. I understand these feelings in others, and if I cannot approve of them, having never experienced them, then I do not condemn them. It only seems to me that Christian love, love for one's neighbor, love for one's enemies, is more worthy, sweeter and better than those feelings that the beautiful eyes of a young man can inspire in a young girl, poetic and loving, like you.
The news of the death of Count Bezukhov reached us before your letter, and my father was very touched by it. He says that this was the penultimate representative of the great age, and that now it is his turn, but that he will do everything in his power to make this turn come as late as possible. Deliver us God from this misfortune.
I cannot share your opinion about Pierre, whom I knew as a child. It seemed to me that he always had a wonderful heart, and this is the quality that I most appreciate in people. As for his inheritance and the role that Prince Vasily played in this, this is very sad for both. Ah, dear friend, the words of our Divine Savior, that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God—these words are terribly true. I feel sorry for Prince Vasily and even more for Pierre. So young to be burdened with such a huge fortune - how many temptations he will have to go through! If someone asked me what I want more than anything in the world, I want to be poorer than the poorest of the poor. Thank you a thousand times, dear friend, for the book you are sending me and which makes so much noise with you. However, since you tell me that among many good things in it there are those that the weak human mind cannot comprehend, it seems to me superfluous to engage in incomprehensible reading, which, for this very reason, could not bring any benefit. I have never been able to understand the passion that some people have, to confuse their thoughts, addicted to mystical books, which only arouse doubts in their minds, irritate their imagination and give them a character of exaggeration, completely contrary to Christian simplicity.