Body of the essayThe effect of the 1982 Falklands War on Margaret Thatcher's political career, particularly the election of 1983. During the 1970s and 1980s, Britain was going through difficult times and the government was facing many problems; a lack of free markets, lack of public support and a failing economy. People were unhappy and dissatisfied and for many people living in Britain, Margaret Thatcher was the reason. Margaret Thatcher became the first female Prime Minister in 1979 when the Conservatives won the general election. However; Thatcher was not the most popular politician of her time. Before 1982, according to sources, "no British leader in recent times had been so unpopular" (Garfinkel, 1985). Before 1982 she had very little support, even from her own party, the idea of ​​Thatcher ever leading her party to an electoral victory seemed almost impossible. (Garfinkel, 1985) According to the literature, in 1979 she was criticized for the failure of her program and her harshest critics said that she essentially did not have the capacity to take on the job of Prime Minister. This criticism continued into 1981 and most Britons were reluctant to give Thatcher even her first five years. She had managed to win the 1979 general election, but the general view was that unless the economy improved dramatically, Thatcher would surely lose the 1983 election. However, no one had predicted the war of the Falklands nor Thatcher's fighting spirit as her famous statement suggested. , “I only have one thing to say: you turn around if you want; the Lady is not about to turn around. (Gold, 2008). The Falklands War arose from the situation where Argentina insisted that the Falklands Islands belonged to it, and that Br...... middle of paper ......ence, according to (Marshall, 2007 ). ) The Falklands War in itself cannot be considered the sole reason for Margaret Thatcher's election victory in 1983. (Marshall, 2007) Despite other factors cited, it is clear, looking at the evidence, that The Falklands War certainly had an impact on the 1983 general election and the popularity of Margaret Thatcher. To influence and change people's mindsets and perceptions about how Britain should be run and by what type of person. However, this may not have been the only reason for the victory, as other factors mentioned certainly contributed to the 1983 general election victory. The Conservatives achieved a clear majority in 1983 and this was the one of the greatest landslide victories in British history, but it cannot be said that the Falkland factor was the sole or main reason why these results occurred, other factors contributed.