The shortest war in history lasted only 38 minutes
In 1896, a war between Britain and Zanzibar started and ended in less time than a lunch break!
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Last updated: February 4, 2026 at 11:10 AMInteresting?
In 1896, a war between Britain and Zanzibar started and ended in less time than a lunch break!
When we think of wars, we often imagine years of fighting. But the Anglo-Zanzibar War of 1896 was so short that if you had gone to watch a short movie, the war would have been over by the time you came out.
The trouble began when the Sultan of Zanzibar died and his nephew, Khalid bin Barghash, took over the palace. The British Empire, which had a lot of power in the area at the time, didn't want him to be the leader. They gave him an ultimatum: leave the palace by 9:00 AM on August 27, 1896, or there would be a war.
Khalid refused to leave and locked himself inside with his guards. Exactly at 9:00 AM, the British warships in the harbor started firing their cannons at the palace. The wooden palace was no match for the heavy British guns. By 9:38 AM, the shelling stopped, the Sultan's flag was pulled down, and the war was officially over.
In those 38 minutes, the Sultan's forces suffered many casualties, while only one British sailor was injured. Khalid fled to a nearby consulate, and a new leader who was friendly to the British was put in charge immediately. It remains the shortest documented war in human history.
The Anglo-Zanzibar War holds the record for being the shortest war ever, lasting between 38 and 45 minutes. It was a one-sided battle where the British Navy quickly destroyed a palace to remove a leader they didn't like.
