The Anglo-Zanzibar War started and ended on this day in 1896, lasting somewhere between 38 and 45 minutes, making it the shortest war in history. Whether such a short conflict could realistically be called a war is up to debate, but it's what the history books say, so we're going with it.
The Zanzibar archipelago became a protectorate of the United Kingdom in 1890, giving the huge naval power a veto over who could rule the islands. Sultan Hamad bin Thuwaini took power in 1893 and was a great ally to the British despite that causing some unrest. But he died suddenly on Aug. 25, 1896, under mysterious circumstances.
The same day, Hamad's nephew Khalid bin Bargash took over and declared himself sultan without British approval and ignored any attempts by U.K. diplomats to get him to stand down. He started gathering soldiers and pointed artillery at British ships. On Aug. 26 he was given an ultimatum: step down by 9 a.m. the next day or else.
At 9:02 a.m., Britain began firing artillery at the island. They fired on the wooden royal palace, killing many and destroying its defenses. The sultan fled within minutes. There was only one skirmish on the ground. By 9:40 a.m., the war was over—the British installed their own sultan who would do whatever they wanted. Zanzibar would stay a protectorate of the U.K. until 1963.
You can read more about the world's shortest war at Historic UK.
