The Battle of the Falkland Islands was a naval engagement that took place on December 8, 1914, during World War I. It involved the British Royal Navy and the Imperial German Navy. The British fleet, led by Admiral Sir Doveton Sturdee, aimed to eliminate the German squadron commanded by Vice Admiral Maximilian von Spee, which had been raiding shipping routes in the South Atlantic. The battle resulted in a decisive victory for the British, who sank several German ships, including the armored cruisers SMS Scharnhorst and SMS Gneisenau. This defeat significantly weakened the German naval presence in the region and boosted British morale during the early stages of the war.