The fastest war in history. The shortest war in the world

People have always fought - for food, territory or ideas. With the development of civilization, both weapons and the ability to negotiate improved, so some wars took absolutely short time. Unfortunately, humanity has not yet learned to do without the victims of military actions. We offer you a selection of the shortest wars in human history.

Yom Kippur War (18 days)

The invasion was carefully prepared and began with an attack by the combined forces of Syria and Egypt during the Jewish religious holiday of Yom Kippur, that is, Judgment Day. On this day in Israel, Jewish believers pray and abstain from food for almost a day.

The military invasion came as a complete surprise to Israel, and for the first two days the advantage was on the side of the Arab coalition. A few days later, the pendulum swung towards Israel, and the country managed to stop the invaders.

The USSR declared support for the coalition and warned Israel about the most severe consequences, which will await the country if the war continues. At this time, IDF troops were already standing next to Damascus and 100 km from Cairo. Israel was forced to withdraw its troops.

All fighting took 18 days. Losses from the side israeli army The IDF accounted for about 3,000 dead, while the Arab coalition accounted for about 20,000.

Serbo-Bulgarian War (14 days)

During two weeks of fighting, two and a half thousand people died on both sides of the conflict, and about nine thousand were wounded. Peace was signed in Bucharest on December 7, 1885. As a result of this peace, Bulgaria was declared the formal winner. There was no redistribution of borders, but the de facto unification of Bulgaria with Eastern Rumelia was recognized.

Third Indo-Pakistani War (13 days)

India was interested in weakening its longtime enemy, Pakistan, and Prime Minister Indira Gandhi ordered the deployment of troops. In less than two weeks of hostilities Indian troops achieved the planned goals, East Pakistan received the status independent state(now called Bangladesh).

Six Day War

However, even a month before this, the Egyptian leader Gamal Abdel Nasser publicly called for the destruction of the Jews as a nation, and in total 7 states united against the small country.

Israel launched a powerful pre-emptive strike on Egyptian airfields and went on the offensive. In six days of confident attack, Israel occupied the entire Sinai Peninsula, Judea and Samaria, the Golan Heights and the Gaza Strip. In addition, the territory of East Jerusalem with its shrines, including the Western Wall, was captured.

Israel lost 679 people killed, 61 tanks, 48 ​​aircraft. The Arab side of the conflict lost about 70,000 people killed and huge amount military equipment.

Football war (6 days)

As a result, on July 14, 1969, the first military conflict occurred on the border of the two countries. In addition, countries shot down each other's planes, there were several bombings of both El Salvador and Honduras, and there were fierce ground battles. On July 18, the parties agreed to negotiations. By July 20, hostilities ceased.

Both sides suffered greatly in the war, and the economies of El Salvador and Honduras suffered enormous damage. People died, the majority being civilians. Losses in this war have not been calculated; figures range from 2,000 to 6,000 total deaths on both sides.

Agasher War (6 days)

The dispute turned into acute phase when at the end of 1974 new leader Burkina Faso has decided to end the division important resources. On December 25, the Mali army launched an attack on Agasher. Burkina Faso troops began to counterattack, but suffered heavy losses.

It was possible to reach negotiations and stop the fire only on December 30th. The parties exchanged prisoners, counted the dead (in total there were about 300 people), but could not divide Agasher. A year later, the UN court decided to divide the disputed territory exactly in half.

Egyptian-Libyan War (4 days)

A friend of the Soviet Union, Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, initiated protest marches against Egypt's partnership with the United States and an attempt to establish dialogue with Israel. The action ended with the arrest of several Libyans in neighboring territories. The conflict quickly escalated into hostilities.

Over four days, Libya and Egypt conducted several tank and air battles, two Egyptian divisions occupied the Libyan city of Musaid. Eventually the fighting ended and peace was established through the mediation of third parties. The borders of the states did not change and no fundamental agreements were reached.

US Invasion of Grenada (3 days)

Grenada – small island in the Caribbean, its population is primarily made up of dark-skinned Christians. The island was colonized first by France, then by Great Britain, and gained independence in 1974.

By 1983, communist sentiments had triumphed in Grenada, the state had made friends with Soviet Union, and the United States was afraid of a repetition of the Cuban scenario. When there was a coup in the Grenada government and Marxists seized power, the United States launched an invasion.

The operation went well little blood: on both sides, losses did not exceed one hundred people. However, the infrastructure in Grenada was seriously damaged. A month later, the United States paid Grenada $110 million in compensation, and the Conservative Party won the local elections.

Portuguese-Indian War (36 hours)

The fighting lasted 2 days and was carried out from three sides - the territory was bombed from the air, in Mormugan Bay three Indian frigates defeated the small Portuguese fleet, and several divisions invaded Goa on the ground.

Portugal still believes that India's actions were an attack; the other side of the conflict calls this operation a liberation operation. Portugal officially surrendered on December 19, 1961, one and a half days after the start of the war.

Anglo-Zanzibar War (38 minutes)

The Empire demanded that powers be transferred to the English protégé Hamud bin Muhammad. There was a refusal, and early in the morning of August 27, 1896, the British squadron approached the shore of the island and began to wait. At 9.00 the ultimatum put forward by Britain expired: either the authorities surrender their powers, or the ships will begin to fire at the palace. The usurper, who captured the Sultan's residence with a small army, refused.

Two cruisers and three gunboats opened fire minute by minute after the deadline. The only ship The Zanzibar fleet was sunk, the Sultan's palace turned into flaming ruins. The newly-minted Sultan of Zanzibar fled, and the country’s flag remained flying on the dilapidated palace. In the end, he was shot down by a British admiral. According to international standards, the fall of the flag means surrender.

The entire conflict lasted 38 minutes - from the first shot to the overturned flag. For African history This episode is considered not so much comical as deeply tragic - 570 people died in this micro-war, all of them were citizens of Zanzibar.

Unfortunately, the duration of the war has nothing to do with its bloodshed or how it will affect life within the country and around the world. War is always a tragedy that leaves an unhealed scar in national culture. The editors of the site offer you a selection of the most heartbreaking films about the Great Patriotic War.
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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 she is known as 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

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.

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 those in force at that time legal norms, the boat was considered part of the ship to which it was assigned, and, regardless of its location, was extraterritorial: thus, the person in the boat former sultan formally was constantly 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.

Throughout the history of mankind, countless wars and bloody conflicts have occurred. We will probably never know about many of them, since no mentions have been preserved in the chronicles and no archaeological artifacts have been found. However, among those that are forever imprinted on the pages of history, there are long and short wars, local and covering entire continents. This time we will talk about the conflict, which was rightly dubbed the shortest war in history, since it lasted no more than 38 minutes. It may seem that in such a short time only diplomats can, gathered in one office, declare war on behalf of the represented countries, and instantly agree on peace. Nevertheless, the thirty-eight-minute Anglo-Zanzibar War was a real military clash between two states, which allowed it to gain separate place on the tablets of military chronicles.

It's no secret how destructive protracted conflicts are - be it the Punic Wars, which devastated and bled Rome, or Hundred Years' War, more than a century shaking Europe. The history of the Anglo-Zanzibar War, which took place on August 26, 1896, teaches us that even an extremely short-term war involves casualties and destruction. However, this conflict was preceded by a long and difficult series of events related to the expansion of Europeans into the Black Continent.

Colonization of Africa

The history of the colonization of Africa is a very extensive topic and has roots in the ancient world: ancient Hellas and Rome owned numerous colonies on the African coast Mediterranean Sea. Then, over the course of many centuries, African lands in the north of the continent and south of the Sahara were captured by Arab countries. In the 19th century, several centuries after the discovery of America, European powers seriously began to conquer the Dark Continent. “Division of Africa”, “race for Africa”, and even “Scramble for Africa” - this is how historians call this round of new European imperialism.

Berlin conference...

The division of African lands took place so quickly and chaotically that the European powers had to convene the so-called “Berlin Conference on the Congo”. As part of this meeting, which took place on November 15, 1884, the colonial countries were able to agree on the division of spheres of influence in Africa, which may have prevented a wave of serious territorial conflicts. However, we still couldn’t do without wars.

...and its results

According to the results of the conference sovereign states only Liberia and Ethiopia remained south of the Sahara. The wave of colonization itself was stopped only with the outbreak of the First World War.

Anglo-Sudanese War

As we have already said, the shortest war in history occurred in 1896 between England and Zanzibar. But before this, the Europeans were driven out of African Sudan for almost 10 years after the uprising of the so-called Mahdists and the Anglo-Sudanese War of 1885. The uprising began back in 1881, when religious leader Muhammad Ahmad declared himself the “Mahdi” - the messiah - and began a war with the Egyptian authorities. His goal was to unite western and central Sudan and break away from Egyptian rule.

fertile ground for popular uprising has become the most severe colonial policy Europeans and the theory that was finally established by the second half of the 19th century racial superiority white man-The British called “Black Mazymi” to all the non-white, from the Persians and Hindus to the Africans' actually.

Governor General of Sudan Rauf Pasha did not attach any importance to the rebel movement high value. However, first two companies of the governor's guard, sent to suppress the uprising, were destroyed, and then the rebels destroyed 4,000 Sudanese soldiers in the desert. The authority of the Mahdi increased with each victory, his army was constantly expanding due to the rebellious cities and villages. Along with weakening Egyptian authorities, the British military contingent in the country was constantly increasing - in fact, Egypt was occupied by the troops of the English crown and turned into a protectorate. Only the Mahdists in Sudan resisted the colonialists.

Hicks' Army on the March, 1883

In 1881, the rebels captured a number of cities in Kordofan (province of Sudan), and in 1883, near El Obeid, they defeated a ten-thousand-strong detachment of the British General Hicks. To completely seize power, the Mahdists only needed to enter the capital, Khartoum. The British were well aware of the danger posed by the Mahdists: Prime Minister William Gladstone approved the decision to evacuate the Anglo-Egyptian garrisons from Sudan, entrusting this mission to Charles Gordon himself, the former Governor-General of Sudan.

Charles Gordon is one of the most famous British generals of the 19th century. Before the African events, he participated in Crimean War, was wounded during the siege of Sevastopol, served in the Anglo-French forces participating in operations against China. In 1871–1873 Charles Gordon also worked in the diplomatic field, delimiting the border of Bessarabia. In 1882, Gordon was the military secretary to the Governor-General of India, and in 1882 he commanded the colonial troops in Capland. A very impressive track record.

So, on February 18, 1884, Charles Gordon arrived in Khartoum and assumed the powers of the head of the city, along with the command of the garrison. However, instead of beginning the withdrawal of troops from Sudan (or rather, even an immediate evacuation), as demanded by the government of William Gladstone, Gordon began preparing for the defense of Khartoum. He began to demand reinforcements to be sent to Sudan, intending to defend the capital and suppress the Mahdist uprising - what a great victory that would be! However, help from the Metropolis to Sudan was in no hurry, and Gordon began to prepare for defense on his own.

Second Battle of El Tebe, attack of the Dervish cavalry. Artist Jozef Chelmoński, 1884

By 1884, the population of Khartoum barely reached 34 thousand people. Gordon had at his disposal a garrison of seven thousand, made up of Egyptian soldiers - the army was small, poorly trained and very unreliable. The only thing that played into the Englishman’s hands was that the city was protected on two sides by rivers - the White Nile from the north and the Blue Nile from the west - a very serious tactical advantage, ensuring fast delivery of food to the city.

The number of Mahdists outnumbered the Khartoum garrison several times. Large mass The rebels - yesterday's peasants - were weakly armed with spears and swords, but had a very high fighting spirit, and were ready to ignore the losses of personnel. Gordon's soldiers were much better armed, but everything else, from discipline to shooting training, was below all criticism.

On March 16, 1884, Gordon launched a sortie, but his attack was repulsed with serious losses, and the soldiers once again showed their unreliability: the Egyptian commanders were the first to flee the battlefield. By April of the same year, the Mahdists were able to surround Khartoum - the surrounding tribes willingly went over to their side and the Mahdi army already reached 30 thousand fighters. Charles Gordon was ready to negotiate with the rebels, but the Mahdist leader was already rejecting peace proposals.

Khartoum in 1880. Drawing of a British officer from the staff of General Hicks

During the summer, the rebels launched several attacks on the city. Khartoum held on and survived thanks to food supplies sent by ships along the Nile. When it became clear that Gordon would not leave Sudan, but would not be able to protect it, Gladstone’s government agreed to send a military expedition to help. However, British troops reached Sudan only in January 1885, and did not take part in the war. In December 1884, no one had any illusions that the city could be defended. Even Charles Gordon said goodbye to his friends in his letters, not hoping to get out of the siege.

But rumors about the approaching British army played a role! The Mahdists decided not to wait any longer and take the city by storm. The assault began on the night of January 26, 1885 (the 320th day of the siege). The rebels were able to get into the city (according to one theory, the Mahdi's supporters opened the gates for them) and began a merciless massacre of the exhausted and demoralized defenders.

The death of General Gordon during the fall of Khartoum. Artist J. W. Roy

By dawn, Khartoum was completely captured, Gordon's soldiers were killed. The commander himself died - the circumstances of his death are not fully known, but his head was impaled on a spear and sent to the Mahdi. During the assault, 4,000 city residents died, the rest were sold into slavery. However, this was quite in the spirit of local military customs.

Reinforcements sent to Charles Gordon under the command of Lord Beresford reached Khartoum and turned home. For the next ten years, the British made no attempts to invade Sudan, and Muhammad Ahmed was able to build an Islamic state on the captured land, which lasted until the end of the 1890s.

But the history of colonial wars did not end there.

Anglo-Zanzibar War

If the capture of Sudan was temporarily unsuccessful, the British were much more successful in many other African lands. Thus, in Zanzibar until 1896, Sultan Hamad ibn Tuwaini ruled, who successfully collaborated with the colonial administration. After his death on August 25, 1896, the expected strife in the struggle for the throne began. Cousin the late monarch, Khalid ibn Barghash prudently enlisted the support of German Empire, which was also exploring Africa, and staged a military coup. The British supported the candidacy of another heir, Hamud bin Muhammad, and they simply could not ignore such interference from the “insolent” Germans.

Sultan Khalid ibn Barghash

In a very short time, Khalid ibn Bargash was able to gather an army of 2,800 people and began to strengthen the captured Sultan's palace. Of course, the British did not consider the rebels as a serious threat, however, the experience of the Sudanese war required them to strike, not least because of the desire to put the presumptuous Germans in their place.

On August 26, the British government issued an ultimatum with an expiration date of August 27, that is, the next day. According to the ultimatum, the Zanzibaris were to lay down their arms and lower the flag from the Sultan's palace. To confirm serious intentions, they approached the coast armored cruiser 1st class "St. George", 3rd class cruiser "Philomel", gunboats "Drozd", "Sparrow" and torpedo gunboat "Enot". It is worth noting that Bargash’s fleet consisted of one Sultan’s yacht “Glasgow”, armed with small-caliber guns. However, coastal battery The rebels were no less impressive: a bronze cannon from the 17th (!) century, several Maxim machine guns and two 12-pounder guns.

A third of Zanzibar's artillery

Early in the morning of August 27, almost an hour before the end of the ultimatum, the Sultan's envoy was unable to negotiate peace with the British mission in Zanzibar. The newly-minted Sultan did not believe that the British would open fire, and did not agree to their terms.

The cruisers Glasgow and Philomel during the Zanzibar War

At exactly 9:00, British ships began shelling the Sultan's palace. Within the first five minutes, the building was seriously damaged, and the entire Sultan's fleet - including the Glasgow yacht - was flooded. However, the sailors immediately lowered the flag and were rescued by British sailors. Within half an hour of shelling, the palace complex turned into flaming ruins. Of course, it had long been abandoned by both the troops and the Sultan, but the scarlet Zanzibar flag continued to flutter in the wind, since no one dared to take it down during the retreat - there was simply no time for such formalities. The British continued to fire until one of the shells knocked down the flagpole, after which troops began landing and quickly occupied the empty palace. In total, during the shelling, the British fired about 500 artillery shells, 4,100 machine-gun and 1,000 rifle cartridges.

British sailors pose in front of the Sultan's palace

The shelling lasted 38 minutes, during which time about 570 people were killed on the Zanzibar side, while on the British side one junior officer on the Drozd was slightly wounded. Khalib ibn Bargash fled to the German embassy, ​​from where he was later able to cross to Tanzania. According to eyewitnesses, the former Sultan left the embassy sitting in a boat carried on the shoulders of German sailors. This curiosity is caused by the fact that British soldiers they were waiting for him at the entrance to the embassy, ​​and the boat belonging to the ship was extraterritorial, and the Sultan sitting in it, formally, was on the territory of the embassy - German territory.

Sultan's Palace after shelling

Damaged ships in Zanzibar harbor

This conflict went down in history as the shortest war. English historians, with the humor characteristic of the British, speak very ironically about the Anglo-Zanzibar war. However, from the point of view colonial history, this war became a conflict in which more than 500 people on the Zanzibar side died in just half an hour, and there is no time for irony.

Panorama of Zanzibar harbor. The masts of the Glasgow are visible from the water.

The consequences of the shortest war in history were predictable - the Zanzibar Sultanate became a de facto protectorate of Great Britain, having the status of a semi-independent state, the former sultan, taking advantage of German patronage, took refuge in Tanzania, but in 1916 he was nevertheless captured by the British, who occupied the German Empire during the First World War East Africa.

Culture

Most of the wars we are taught about in history lessons last for many years. We learn that these wars had 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. War in total lasted 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 casualties among the civilian population; 3 died as a result of the conflict civilians Falkland Islands.

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 completion, Bulgaria remained dissatisfied with the division of territories. As a result, she unleashed the Second Balkan War, in which Bulgaria opposed 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 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 the next one 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 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. After Suez crisis in 1956, many countries 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 war between the United Kingdom and the Sultanate of Zanzibar took place on August 27, 1896 and entered the annals of history. This conflict between the two countries is the shortest war that has been recorded by historians. The article will tell about this military conflict, which claimed many lives, despite its short duration. The reader will also find out how long the shortest war in the world lasted.

Zanzibar - African colony

Zanzibar is an island country in Indian Ocean, off the coast of Tanganyika. On modern moment the state is part of Tanzania.

The main island, Unguja (or), has been under the nominal control of the Sultans of Oman since 1698, after the expulsion of the Portuguese settlers who had settled there in 1499. Sultan Majid bin Said declared the island independent of Oman in 1858, an independence recognized by Britain, as well as separation of the sultanate from Oman. Barkhash bin Said, the second sultan and father of Sultan Khalid, was forced by British pressure and the threat of a blockade to abolish the slave trade in June 1873. But the slave trade still took place, since it brought great income to the treasury. Subsequent sultans settled in the city. Zanzibar, where a palace complex was built on the sea coast. By 1896, it consisted of the Beit al-Hukm palace itself, a huge harem, and the Beit al-Ajaib, or “House of Wonders,” a ceremonial palace called the first building in East Africa, supplied with electricity. The complex was mainly built from local wood. All three main buildings were adjacent to each other along a single line and were connected by wooden bridges.

Cause of military conflict

The immediate cause of the war was the death of the pro-British Sultan Hamad bin Tuwaini on August 25, 1896 and the subsequent ascension to the throne of Sultan Khalid bin Barghash. The British authorities wanted to see as the leader of this African country Hamud bin Muhammad, who was a more profitable person for the British authorities and royal court. According to the treaty signed in 1886, the condition of the inauguration of the sultanate was to obtain the permission of the British consul, Khalid did not comply with this requirement. The British considered this act a casus belli, that is, a reason to declare war, and sent an ultimatum to Khalid, demanding that he order his troops to leave the palace. In response to this, Khalid called his palace guards and barricaded himself in the palace.

Strengths of the parties

The ultimatum expired at 09:00 Eastern African Time (EAT) on 27 August. By this time, the British had assembled three war cruisers, two 150 Marines and sailors and 900 soldiers of Zanzibari origin in the port area. The Royal Navy contingent was under the command of Rear Admiral Harry Rawson and their Zanzibar forces were commanded by Brigadier Lloyd Matthews of the Zanzibar Army (who was also the First Minister of Zanzibar). WITH opposite side about 2,800 soldiers defended the Sultan's palace. Basically it was civilian population, but among the defenders were the Sultan’s palace guards and several hundred of his servants and slaves. The Sultan's defenders had several artillery pieces and machine guns that were installed in front of the palace.

Negotiations between the Sultan and the Consul

At 08:00 on the morning of 27 August, after Khalid had sent an envoy asking for negotiations, the consul replied that no military action would be taken against the Sultan if he agreed to the terms of the ultimatum. However, the Sultan did not accept the conditions of the British, believing that they would not open fire. At 08:55, having received no further news from the palace, Admiral Rawson aboard the cruiser St. George gave the signal to prepare for action. Thus began the shortest war in history, which resulted in many casualties.

Progress of the military operation

At exactly 09:00, General Lloyd Matthews ordered the British ships to begin firing. The shelling of the Sultan's palace began at 09:02. Three of Her Majesty's ships - "Raccoon", "Sparrow", "Drozd" - simultaneously began to fire at the palace. The first shot of the Drozd immediately destroyed the Arab 12-pounder gun.

The warship also sank two steam boats, from which the Zanzibaris fired back with rifles. Some fighting also took place on land: Khalid's men fired at Lord Raik's soldiers as they approached the palace, however, this was an ineffective action.

Escape of the Sultan

The palace caught fire and all the Zanzibari artillery was put out of action. Three thousand protectors, servants and slaves were housed in the main palace, which was built of wood. Among them were many victims who died and were injured by explosive shells. Despite initial reports that the Sultan had been captured and was to be exiled to India, Khalid was able to escape from the palace. A Reuters correspondent reported that the sultan "fled after the first shot with his entourage, and left his slaves and associates to continue the fighting."

Sea battle

At 09:05, the obsolete yacht Glasgow fired on the English cruiser St George using seven 9-pounder guns and a Gatling gun, which was a gift from Queen Victoria to the Sultan. In response naval forces Great Britain attacked the yacht "Glasgow", which was the only one in service with the Sultan. The Sultan's yacht was sunk along with two small boats. The crew of the Glasgow raised the British flag as a sign of their surrender, and the entire crew was rescued by British sailors.

The result of the shortest war

Most attacks by Zanzibar troops towards pro-British forces were ineffective. The operation ended at 09:40 with the complete victory of the British forces. Thus, it lasted no longer than 38 minutes.

By that time, the palace and the adjacent harem had burned down, the Sultan's artillery had been completely disabled, and the Zanzibar flag had been shot down. The British took control of both the city and the palace, and by midday Hamud bin Mohammed, an Arab by birth, was declared sultan, with significantly limited powers. This was an ideal candidate for the British crown. The main result of the shortest war was a violent change of power. British ships and crews fired approximately 500 shells and 4,100 machine gun rounds.

Although most Zanzibar residents joined the British, the city's Indian quarter was plagued by looting and about twenty residents died in the chaos. To restore order, 150 British Sikh troops were transferred from Mombasa to patrol the streets. Sailors from the cruisers St George and Philomel abandoned their ships to form a fire brigade to put out the fire, which had spread from the palace to the neighboring customs sheds.

Victims and consequences

About 500 Zanzibari men and women were killed or wounded during the shortest war, a 38-minute war. Most people died from the fire that engulfed the palace. It is unknown how many of these victims were military personnel. For Zanzibar these were colossal losses. The shortest war in history lasted only thirty-eight minutes, but claimed many lives. On the British side there was only one seriously wounded officer on board the Drozd, who later recovered.

Duration of the conflict

Historian experts are still debating how long the shortest war in history lasted. Some experts claim that the conflict lasted thirty-eight minutes, others are of the opinion that the war lasted just over fifty minutes. However, most historians adhere to the classical version of the duration of the conflict, claiming that it began at 09:02 am and ended at 09:40 East African time. This military clash was included in the Guinness Book of Records due to its transience. By the way, the Portuguese-Indian War is considered another short war, for which the island of Goa served as a bone of contention. It only lasted 2 days. On the night of October 17-18, Indian troops attacked the island. The Portuguese military was unable to provide adequate resistance and surrendered on October 19, and Goa came into Indian possession. Also lasted 2 days military operation"Danube". August 21, 1968 Allied troops Warsaw Pact entered Czechoslovakia.

The fate of the fugitive Sultan Khalid

Sultan Khalid, Captain Saleh and about forty of his followers, after escaping from the palace, took refuge in the German consulate. They were guarded by ten armed German sailors and marines, while Matthews stationed men outside to arrest the Sultan and his associates if they attempted to leave the consulate. Despite requests for extradition, the German consul refused to surrender Khalid to the British, since Germany's extradition treaty with Britain specifically excluded political prisoners.

Instead, the German consul promised to send Khalid to East Africa so that he "would not set foot on Zanzibar soil." At 10:00 on October 2 the ship arrived at the port German fleet. At high tide, one of the ships sailed to the garden gate of the consulate, and Khalid, from the consular base, boarded directly on board the German warship and was consequently freed from arrest. He was then transported to Dar es Salaam in German East Africa. Khalid was captured by British forces in 1916, during the East African Campaign of World War I, and exiled to the Seychelles and Saint Helena before being allowed to return to East Africa. The British punished Khalid's supporters by forcing them to pay reparations to cover the cost of shells fired against them and for the damage caused by looting, which amounted to 300,000 rupees.

New leadership of Zanzibar

Sultan Hamud was loyal to the British, for this reason he was installed as a figurehead. Zanzibar finally lost any independence, completely subjugated British Crown. The British had complete control over all areas public life of this African state, the country has lost its independence. A few months after the war, Hamud abolished slavery in all its forms. But the emancipation of slaves proceeded rather slowly. Within ten years, only 17,293 slaves were freed, and the actual number of slaves was over 60,000 in 1891.

The war greatly changed the ruined palace complex. The harem, lighthouse and palace were destroyed due to the shelling. The palace site became a garden, and a new palace was erected on the site of the harem. One of the premises of the palace complex remained almost undamaged and subsequently became the main secretariat of the British authorities.