The Russian-Ukrainian war has been ongoing for over 4 years, resulting in countless casualties and it may continue for some time. Throughout human history, prolonged wars like this are not uncommon, but the shortest war lasted only 38 minutes, yet still resulted in hundreds of casualties.
According to a report from “We Are The Mighty” website, the shortest war in the world was the Anglo-Zanzibar War that broke out on August 27, 1896, a brief conflict between the United Kingdom and the East African island country of Zanzibar.
Before Zanzibar merged with Tanganyika in 1964 to become present-day Tanzania, it was a protectorate of the British Empire.
The British were willing to preserve the Sultanate system in Zanzibar while also attempting to force the country’s Sultan to comply with their wishes. The primary demand of the British was to abolish the slave trade on this Indian Ocean island.
Despite some resistance from certain Sudanese in the country, overall they succumbed to the pressure exerted by the British. In the 1880s and 1890s, Zanzibar witnessed several changes in leadership, with four Sultans passing away.
On August 25, 1896, Sultan Hamad bin Thuwaini of Zanzibar passed away suddenly. There were suspicions that his cousin, Khalid bin Barghash, may have poisoned him. Despite this, Khalid showed no remorse.
Just a few hours after Hamad’s death, Khalid boldly declared himself Sultan of Zanzibar, with a 21-gun salute as a sign of respect.
However, Khalid did not receive support from the British. His self-appointment as Sultan failed to intimidate the British. They were determined to see him removed from power.
British diplomat Basil Cave tried to persuade Khalid to voluntarily step down. However, Khalid resisted fiercely to maintain his authority, repeatedly refusing. Meanwhile, he gathered around 2,800 soldiers, palace guards, and civilians in preparation for potential conflict.
On the day following Hamad’s death, the British government authorized Cave and Navy Rear Admiral Harry Rawson aboard the HMS St. George to take military action.
Despite the ultimatum set by Rawson for Khalid to leave by 9 a.m. on August 27, Khalid remained defiant and unyielding. As the deadline approached, he even sent a message saying, “We will not haul down our flag and we do not believe you would open fire on us.”
However, the British were not bluffing. At 9:02 a.m., Rawson ordered his three ships to open fire on the Zanzibar palace, quickly engulfing it in flames. Khalid’s forces were no match for the British.
By 9:40 a.m., the British ceased fire. Around 500 of Khalid’s men perished, while the British had only one soldier injured. Khalid himself was forced to flee to German-controlled East Africa seeking political asylum, but was captured by the British during World War I.
Following the little-known Anglo-Zanzibar War, the British quickly installed a Sultan of their choice and imposed harsh rule over the people of Zanzibar.
It wasn’t until 1964 that Zanzibar broke free from British rule and merged with Tanganyika to form Tanzania. Today, this island group, located just a few dozen kilometers off the coast of Africa, is a semi-autonomous region of Tanzania.
Zanzibar has a long history of trade with the Arab world. Its capital city, Stone Town, was inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2000 for its unique architecture and culture.