Anglo-Zanzibar war: The shortest war in history

Get set and let’s a trip back in time, to the 1890s precisely, when the shortest war in history was fought.

The shortest war ever recorded was the Anglo-Zanzibar War of 1896 which lasted for a total of 38 minutes.

The death of the pro-British, Sultan Hamad bin Thuwaini, in August 1896 and the accession of Sultan Khalid bin Barghash, who was not the candidate preferred by the British, sparked the ‘Anglo-Zanzibar War’ on the 27th of August, 1896.

They wanted Barghash out and since he wasn’t going budging the British who had already prepared for war opened fire on his thousands of defenders around the palace walls.

Barghash fled 38 minutes after his defence was completely destroyed.

Although the war was the shortest ever recorded, there were quite a number of fatalities.