The Anglo-Zanzibar War

The shortest war in recorded history lasted well under an hour, start to finish, and it happened because a sultan's death set off a succession dispute the British Empire wasn't willing to wait around for.

The Anglo-Zanzibar War of August 27, 1896, fought between the United Kingdom and the Sultanate of Zanzibar, is recognized as the shortest war in recorded history, lasting approximately 38 to 45 minutes from the first shots to the surrender. The conflict arose after a British-favored sultan died and was succeeded by a candidate Britain refused to recognize, triggering a brief naval bombardment and quick capitulation.

✓documented

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Quick facts

→The war began at 9:02 AM on August 27, 1896, when British naval vessels began bombarding the Sultan's palace in Zanzibar, and ended with the Sultan's surrender by approximately 9:40 AM the same morning.
→The conflict was triggered by the sudden death of the pro-British Sultan Hamad bin Thuwaini and the subsequent, contested succession of Khalid bin Barghash, whom Britain refused to recognize under existing treaty agreements.
→The Guinness Book of World Records formally recognizes the Anglo-Zanzibar War as the shortest war in recorded history, based on the documented and precisely timed British naval bombardment record.
→Estimates suggest approximately 500 Zanzibari casualties occurred during the brief bombardment, primarily among defenders of the palace, against no reported British casualties.

Entities on file

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Anglo-Zanzibar War (event)

1896 conflict between Britain and Zanzibar recognized as the shortest war in recorded history, lasting approximately 38-45 minutes.

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Khalid bin Barghash (person)

Claimed the Zanzibar throne without British approval in 1896, triggering the Anglo-Zanzibar War.

→ triggered → Anglo-Zanzibar War✓documented

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