Argentine troops invaded the Falklands on April 2, quickly overwhelming the small garrison of British marines at Port Stanley the capital city. The Argentine troops obeyed orders not to cause any British casualties, in spite of losing members of their units. During the first two days Argentine marines seized the allied island of South Georgia. By late April Argentina had positioned over 10,000 troops on the Falklands. The vast majority of the troops were under trained and lacked food, appropriate clothing, supplies, and accommodations for the imminent winter.
As anticipated, the Argentine populace responded positively, showing support for the military accomplishments with huge crowds gathering in front of the presidential