The Anglo-Zanzibar War is the shortest in history.

It occurred on the 27th August 1896 between Great Britain and the Sultanate of Zanzibar and ended in approximately 38 minutes. In history she is known as Anglo-Zanzibar War.

Zanzibar Island: British Colony

According to an agreement signed between Britain and Germany in 1890, the strategically important island of Zanzibar in eastern Africa was under the influence of the British Empire.

Bargash wanted independence

After the death of Sultan Hamad ibn Tuwaini of Zanzibar on August 25, 1896, Khalid ibn Barghash became the new Sultan. Bargash wanted to get rid of the British protectorate and, by declaring independence, create his own empire. On the other hand, for the British this was out of the question. The willful actions of Bargash, who sat on the throne, began to worry the colonial power.

Britain supported Hamud ibn Muhammad

The fuse was lit by Britain, which nominated Hamud ibn Muhammad as a candidate for the vacated throne. Britain began to put pressure on Bargash to remove him from the throne. Bargash did not want to leave the throne.

Reasons for the start of the war

The British demanded that Bargash resign from the throne, but he did exactly the opposite - he gathered a small army and prepared to defend the rights to the throne, and with it, the entire country.

In response, at 8:30, Khalid ibn Barghash sent a message with the next envoy saying that he did not intend to yield and did not believe that the British would allow themselves to open fire. Cave replied: "We don't want to open fire, but if you don't meet our conditions, we will."

The only ship of Zanzibar "Glasgow"

There was a war

The British, who wanted to force Bargash to submit to their demand to renounce claims to the throne, declared war on Zanzibar. On August 27, five British ships approached the harbor of Zanzibar and were ready to open fire at any moment.

Exactly at the time appointed by the ultimatum, at 9:00, light British ships opened fire on the Sultan's palace. The very first shot from the Drozd gunboat hit a Zanzibar 12-pounder gun, knocking it off its carriage. The Zanzibar troops on shore (more than 3,000, including palace servants and slaves) were concentrated in wooden buildings, and British high-explosive shells had a terrible destructive effect.

5 minutes later, at 9:05, the only Zanzibar ship, the Glasgow, responded by firing at the British cruiser St. George with her small-caliber guns. The British cruiser immediately opened fire at almost point-blank range with her heavy guns, instantly sinking her enemy. The Zanzibar sailors immediately lowered the flag and were soon rescued by British sailors in lifeboats.

The 3,000-strong army of Zanzibaris, seeing the devastating consequences of the shots, simply fled, leaving about 500 people killed on the “battlefield”. Sultan Khalid ibn Barghash was ahead of all his subjects, disappearing from the palace first.

Sinking yacht "Glasgow". British ships in the background

The shortest war would have been even shorter if not for the irony of fate. The British were waiting for the signal of surrender - the flag to be lowered at half-mast, but there was simply no one to lower it. Therefore, the shelling of the palace continued until British shells knocked down the flagpole. After this, the shelling stopped - the war was considered over. The landing party did not meet resistance. The Zanzibar side lost 570 people killed in this war, among the British only one officer was slightly wounded. The fugitive Khalid ibn Bargash took refuge in the German embassy. The British set up a vigil at the embassy with the aim of kidnapping the would-be sultan as soon as he left the gates. To evacuate him, the Germans came up with an interesting move. The sailors brought a boat from the German ship and took Khalid to the ship in it. Legally, according to the legal norms in force at that time, the boat was considered part of the ship to which it was assigned, and, regardless of its location, it was extraterritorial: thus, those in the boat former sultan Formally, he was permanently located on German territory. True, these tricks still did not help Bargash avoid British captivity. In 1916, he was captured in Tanzania and transported to Kenya, which was under British rule. He died in 1927. Despite the fact that the Anglo-Zanzibar War is presented in an ironic manner in the European press, for the Zanzibaris it is a tragic page in history.

Culture

Most of the wars we are taught about in history lessons last for many years. We learn that these wars had a great influence on the course of world history. They helped shape the lives we live today.

However, this does not mean that the longer the war, the stronger its impact on the world. At first glance, this seems to be the case. However, short and fast warriors also left an indelible mark on history and influenced the fate of millions of people. Let's try to look into the past and find out about the shortest wars in history.

1) Falklands War (1982)

This conflict broke out between Great Britain and Argentina and was associated with control of the Falkland Islands, located in the south Atlantic Ocean. The war began on April 2, 1982, and on July 14 of the same year, Argentina had to surrender. The war lasted a total of 74 days. Among the British there were 257 killed. There were more losses on the Argentine side: 649 Argentine sailors, soldiers and pilots died. There were also civilian casualties; as a result of the conflict, 3 Falkland Islands civilians died.

2) Polish-Lithuanian War (1920)

After the First World War, an armed conflict broke out between Poland and Lithuania. Historical records from the countries involved in the war are inconsistent regarding the beginning and end of this short war, but it is certain that it did not last long. The conflict also concerned territorial possessions. Both sides wanted to control the Vilnius region. For several years after the war seemed to be over, disputes over this area did not cease to subside.

3) Second Balkan War (1913)

During the First Balkan War, Bulgaria, Serbia and Greece were allies. However, after its end, Bulgaria remained dissatisfied with the division of territories. As a result, she unleashed the Second Balkan War, which pitted Bulgaria against Serbia and Greece. The conflict began on June 16, 1913 and ended on July 18 of the same year. Despite the short duration of the war, there were many casualties on all sides involved in the war. The war ended with the signing of peace treaties, as a result of which Bulgaria lost many of the territories that it managed to capture during the First Balkan War.

4) Greco-Turkish War (1897)

The bone of contention in this conflict was the island of Crete, where the Greeks lived under the rule of the Ottoman Empire and no longer wanted to put up with this state of affairs. The inhabitants of Crete wanted to join Greece and rebelled against the Turks. It was decided to give Crete the status of an autonomous province, but this did not suit the Greeks. The Greeks also wanted to revolt in Macedonia, but were ultimately defeated. The war took thousands of lives.

5) Sino-Vietnamese War (1979)

Also known as the Third Indochina War, the Sino-Vietnamese War lasted only 27 days. Although the armed conflict lasted less than a month, many soldiers died on both sides: 26 thousand Chinese and 20 thousand Vietnamese. There were also many losses from local residents. The cause of this war was the invasion of Cambodia by Vietnam in order to weaken the influence of the communist movement in the country. "Khmer Rouge". This movement received support from China, so the Chinese turned their weapons against the Vietnamese. Both countries are confident that they won it.

6) Armenian-Georgian war (1918)

Ottoman troops occupied areas along the borders of Georgia and Armenia during the First World War. When they left, these countries came into conflict over ownership of certain territories. This conflict lasted only 24 days. With the help of Britain it was resolved. Both sides administered the borders together until 1920. It was in that year that Armenia became part of the USSR. The war broke out on December 3, 1918, and ended right before the New Year - on December 31.

7) Serbian-Bulgarian war (1885-1886)

This is another classic example when two neighboring countries cannot peacefully divide their territories. This war began after Bulgaria annexed the territories that were controlled by Ottoman Empire. Serbia was unhappy that Bulgaria provided refuge to the leaders of their main enemy. On November 14, 1885, conflict broke out, but just 2 weeks later Bulgaria declared victory. The war killed approximately 1,500 people on both sides, and several thousand were wounded.

8) Third Indo-Pakistani War (1971)

This war took place between December 3 and 16, 1971 between India and Pakistan, which at that time was divided into 2 parts - Western and Eastern. The conflict occurred following the resettlement of millions of refugees from East Pakistan to India. They were forced to flee to the nearest country - India, because they were persecuted by the authorities of West Pakistan. The West Pakistani authorities did not like the fact that India opened its borders to refugees, which resulted in an armed conflict. As a result, victory was on the side of India, and East Pakistan (Bangladesh) gained independence.

9) Six Day War (1967)

The 1967 Arab-Israeli War, called the Six-Day War, began on June 5 and ended on June 10. The echoes of this war are still heard today. Since the Suez Crisis in 1956, many countries have had conflicts with Israel. There were many political maneuvers and peace treaties. Israel declared war with a surprise air strike on Egypt. Fierce fighting continued for 6 days, and Israel was ultimately victorious, capturing the Gaza Strip, the Sinai Peninsula, West Bank Jordan River and Golan Heights. There are still disputes over these territories.

10) Anglo-Zanzibar War (27 August 1896)

The shortest war in history is the Anglo-Zanzibar War, which occurred in the late summer of 1896. In total, this war lasted only 40 minutes. The death of Sultan Hamad ibn Tuwayni was one of the prerequisites for an unexpected armed conflict. The Sultan who replaced him did not want to support the interests of the British, which, of course, did not please Great Britain. He was given an ultimatum, but he refused to leave the palace. At 9:02 am on August 27, 1896, the palace was set on fire. The royal yacht was attacked and sunk. At 9:40 the flag at the palace was lowered, which meant the end of hostilities. In 40 minutes, about 570 people died, all from the African side. The British hastened to appoint another sultan, who began to obey them.

The shortest war in world history lasted only 38 minutes. It was fought between England and Zanzibar. This fact is registered in the Guinness Book of Records. The hostilities were the result of a confrontation between British troops and the Sultanate of Zanzibar (East Africa).

Causes of the conflict

A precedent arose in 1896, when the ruler, the Sultan, died in a state with the exotic name of Zanzibar. At that time, the sultanate was under the influence of the British, who colonized the coast of East Africa.

Germany, which also wanted to gain control over this territory, bought part of its possessions inside the mainland. At that time, Zanzibar was involved in the trade in spices and other valuable goods, so the Europeans sought to control these lands.

Departed to better world The Sultan collaborated with the British, but his relative Khalid ibn Barghash ( cousin) supported the German administration. Therefore, after the death of the Sultan, Khalid tried to take power into his own hands. He seized the throne and gathered an army of almost three thousand people to defend the palace.

Progress of the war

The British demanded that the new sultan relinquish power. Khalid, meanwhile, began to prepare for defense. The British authorities concentrated their armed forces in the harbor in front of the Sultan's palace. They sent a squadron of five warships to the raid against the only Zanzibar yacht.

Needless to say, the British warships were well equipped, while the Zanzibari yacht could only be called a warship with a stretch.

At nine o'clock in the morning, in accordance with the terms of the ultimatum, the British opened fire on the palace. They were opposed by: one bronze cannon, two small guns and several machine guns. The British easily defeated the Sultan's improvised army and rendered the Africans' guns completely incapacitated.

The palace turned into ruins, and Khalid fled ignominiously along with the few survivors. The shelling continued for 38 minutes and ended after one of the shots shot down the Zanzibar flag. After this, the British admiral landed troops and occupied the palace.

Consequences of the short war

Khalid ibn Barghash asked for asylum at the German embassy. He was evacuated by the Germans to Tanzania, where he remained for the next 20 years. Then he was captured by the British and died a few years later.

In British history, this incident is considered almost comical due to its short duration. However, for the Zanzibaris, who lost about five hundred people in this war, the story has a tragic significance.

According to the Guinness Book of Records, the shortest war lasted only 38 minutes. It took place on August 27, 1896 between Great Britain and the Sultanate of Zanzibar. In history it is known as the Anglo-Zanzibar War.

The preconditions for war appeared after the pro-British Sultan Hamad ibn Tuwayni died and his relative Khalid ibn Barghash seized power. Khalid enjoyed the support of the Germans, which caused discontent among the British, who considered Zanzibar their territory. The British demanded that Bargash resign from the throne, but he did exactly the opposite - he gathered a small army and prepared to defend the rights to the throne, and with it, the entire country.

Britain in those days was less democratic than it is today, especially when it came to the colonies. On August 26, the British demanded that the Zanzibar side lay down their arms and lower the flag. The ultimatum expired on August 27 at 9 am. Until the last minute, Bargash did not believe that the British would dare to shoot in his direction, but at 9:00 that’s exactly what happened - the shortest war in history began.

British ships fired on the Sultan's palace. The 3,000-strong army of Zanzibaris, seeing the devastating consequences of the shots, decided that the Third World War had begun and simply fled, leaving about 500 people killed on the “battlefield”. Sultan Khalid ibn Barghash was ahead of all his subjects, disappearing from the palace first. The only Zanzibar warship was sunk by the British immediately after the start of the operation; it managed to fire only a few shots at enemy ships.

The sinking yacht "Glasgow", which was the only warship of Zanzibar. British ships in the background

Sultan's Palace after the shelling

The fugitive Khalid ibn Bargash took refuge in the German embassy. The British set up a vigil at the embassy with the aim of kidnapping the would-be sultan as soon as he left the gates. To evacuate him, the Germans came up with an interesting move. The sailors brought a boat from the German ship and took Khalid to the ship in it. Legally, according to the legal norms in force at that time, the boat was considered part of the ship to which it was assigned, and, regardless of its location, it was extraterritorial: thus, the former Sultan who was in the boat was formally constantly located on German territory. True, these tricks still did not help Bargash avoid British captivity. In 1916, he was captured in Tanzania and transported to Kenya, which was under British rule. He died in 1927.

The shortest war recorded in the Guinness Book of Records occurred on August 27, 1896, between Great Britain and the Sultanate of Zanzibar. The Anglo-Zanzibar War lasted... 38 minutes!

This story began after Sultan Hamad ibn Tuwayni, who actively collaborated with the British colonial administration, died on August 25, 1896. There is a version that he was poisoned by his cousin Khalid ibn Bargash. As you know, a holy place is never empty. The Sultan was not a saint, but his place was not empty for a long time.

After the death of the Sultan, his cousin Khalid ibn Barghash, who had German support, seized power in a coup. But this did not suit the British, who supported the candidacy of Hamud bin Muhammad. The British demanded that Khalid ibn Barghash renounce his claims to the throne of the Sultan.

Yeah, shazzz! The daring and harsh Khalid ibn Barghash refused to submit to British demands and quickly assembled an army of approximately 2,800 people, which began preparing the defense of the Sultan's palace.

On August 26, 1896, the British side issued an ultimatum, expiring on August 27 at 9:00 am, according to which the Zanzibaris had to lay down their arms and lower the flag.

Khalid ibn Bargash scored on the British ultimatum, after which a squadron of the British fleet advanced to the shores of Zanzibar, consisting of:

1st class armored cruiser "St. George" (HMS "St George")

2nd class armored cruiser "Philomel" (HMS "Philomel")

Gunboat "Drozd"

Gunboat "Sparrow" (HMS "Sparrow")

3rd class armored cruiser "Raccoon" (HMS "Racoon")
All this stuff lined up in the roadstead, surrounding the only “war” ship of the Zanzibar fleet:

"Glasgow"
The Glasgow was a British-built Sultan's yacht armed with a Gatling gun and small-caliber 9-pounder guns.

The Sultan clearly had no idea what destruction the guns of the British fleet could produce. Therefore, he reacted inappropriately. The Zanzibaris aimed all their coastal guns (a 17th-century bronze cannon, several Maxim machine guns and two 12-pounder guns donated by the German Kaiser) at the British ships.

On 27 August at 8:00 am, the Sultan's envoy asked for a meeting with Basil Cave, the British representative in Zanzibar. Cave replied that a meeting could only be arranged if the Zanzibaris agreed to the conditions put forward. In response, at 8:30, Khalid ibn Barghash sent a message with the next envoy saying that he did not intend to yield and did not believe that the British would allow themselves to open fire. Cave replied: "We don't want to open fire, but if you don't meet our conditions, we will."

Only in 1912 did divers blow up the hull of the sunken Glasgow. The wooden debris was taken to sea, and the boiler, steam engine and guns were sold for scrap. At the bottom there were fragments of the underwater part of the ship, a steam engine, and a propeller shaft, and they still serve as an object of attention for divers.

Zanzibar harbor. Masts of the sunken Glasgow
Some time after the bombardment began, the palace complex was a flaming ruin and was abandoned both by the troops and by the Sultan himself, who was among the first to flee. However, the Zanzibar flag continued to fly on the palace flagpole simply because there was no one to take it down. Considering this as an intention to continue resistance, the British fleet resumed firing. Soon one of the shells hit the palace flagpole and knocked down the flag. The commander of the British flotilla, Admiral Rawlings, regarded this as a sign of surrender and ordered a ceasefire and the start of a landing, which occupied the ruins of the palace with virtually no resistance.

Sultan's Palace after the shelling
In total, the British fired about 500 shells, 4,100 machine gun and 1,000 rifle rounds during this short campaign.

British marines pose in front of a captured cannon after occupying the Sultan's palace in Zanzibar
The shelling lasted 38 minutes, in total about 570 people were killed on the Zanzibar side, while on the British side one junior officer on the Drozd was slightly wounded. Thus, this conflict went down in history as the shortest war.

The intractable Sultan Khalid ibn Barghash
Sultan Khalid ibn Bargash, who fled from the palace, took refuge in the German embassy. Of course, the new government of Zanzibar, immediately formed by the British, immediately approved his arrest. A detachment of Royal Marines was constantly on duty at the embassy fence to arrest the former Sultan the moment he left the embassy premises. Therefore, the Germans resorted to a trick to evacuate their former protege. On October 2, 1896, the German cruiser Orlan arrived at the port.

Cruiser "Orlan"
The boat from the cruiser was taken to the shore, then carried on the shoulders of German sailors to the doors of the embassy, where Khalid ibn Bargash was placed in it. After which the boat was carried to the sea in the same way and delivered to the cruiser. According to the legal norms in force at that time, the boat was considered part of the ship to which it was assigned and, regardless of its location, it was extraterritorial. Thus, the former Sultan, who was in the boat, was formally constantly on German territory. This is how the Germans saved their losing protege. After the war, the former Sultan lived in Dar es Salaam until 1916, when he was finally captured by the British. He died in 1927 in Mombasa.

* * *

At the insistence of the British side, in 1897, Sultan Hamud ibn Muhammad ibn Said banned slavery in Zanzibar and freed all slaves, for which he was knighted by Queen Victoria in 1898.

Palace and lighthouse after shelling
What's the moral of this story? There are different points of view. On the one hand, it can be seen as a hopeless attempt by Zanzibar to defend its independence from the aggression of a ruthless colonial empire. On the other hand, this clear example how the stupidity, stubbornness and love of power of the would-be Sultan, who wanted to stay on the throne at any cost, even in an initially hopeless situation, killed half a thousand people.

Many treated this story as comical: they say, the “war” lasted only 38 minutes.

The outcome was clear in advance. The British were clearly superior to the Zanzibaris. So the losses were predetermined.