The Crisis in Zanzibar: British warships involved in the bombardment of the sultan’s palace, 1896
Some wars are longer than expected. Others fit in with a coffee break. The Anglo-Zanzibarian War, fought in 1896 between the British Empire and the Sultanate of Zanzibar, lasted just 38 minutes, and became known as the shortest in history.
There are wars that last much longer than they promised. The “special military operation” launched by Vladimir Putin against Ukraine, in February 2022, was presented by the Kremlin as a quick action; In 2026, the full-scale invasion entered its fifth year.
Also the Iran War is lasting longer than Donald Trump perhaps expected when, at the end of February, he launched his “Operation Epic Fury“, which threatens to become an epic fiasco.
But there are also wars that are really short — so short that they fit into a coffee break. It was the case of Guerra Anglo-Zanzibarianafought on August 27, 1896, between the British Empire and the Sultanate of Zanzibar.
It lasted about 38 minutes and is generally noted as the shortest war in history. According to , the conflict lasted no more than 40 minutes, enough to be recorded as the shortest in memory.
The conflict began with the death of the sultan Hamad bin Thuwainiruler of Zanzibar who maintained good relations with the British. London intended that his successor would be Hamoud bin Mohammedwhich was aligned with their interests.
But Khalid bin Barghash He was not in favor of adjustments, and he anticipated it: he occupied the palace, proclaimed himself sultan and refused to abdicate.
Zanzibar, despite formally ruled by a sultanwas under strong British influence. THE British Empire was not willing to accept a ruler who did not have his blessing. An ultimatum was given to Khalid: leave the palace and renounce the throne. Khalid refused.
On the morning of August 27, British ships positioned themselves in the port of Zanzibar. At 9:00 am, after the ultimatum deadline, opened fire on the palace. Resistance was brief and uneven. British artillery quickly destroyed the building, set fire to nearby structures, and neutralized the small Zanzibari naval force.
On the Zanzibar side, several hundred people died; on the British side, there is a record of just one injured. Khalid fled to the German consulate, where he sought protection. The British then installed Hamoud bin Mohammed on the throne, further consolidating their political control over the archipelago.
The war was short, but its meaning was long: it showed, in a few minutes, the brutal disproportion of power between a European imperial power and a territory subject to its influence.
At the opposite extreme, the longest conflict is familiar to us: the War of Reconquistain the Iberian Peninsula, which extended from 711 to 1492is often cited as the longest in history — although it was, in fact, a succession of campaigns, truces and conflicts.
Speaking of unusual wars, a strong candidate for the strangest ever is the one that the Australian army fought in the 1930s against the large population of these birds — and lost embarrassingly.
