Her first major test came in 1982, when the Argentina military attacked some small islands claimed by both countries. These were the Falkland Island, known as the Malvinas in Argentina. Though Argentina had many motives for the attack, it is possible that it Thought a woman would be less likely to go to war. Its generals felt that the most likely scenario was for Thatcher to go to the United Nations . They were wrong. The prime minister send the British military to retake the island and it defeated the Argentinean forces.