According to the Guinness Book of Records, the most short war lasted only 38 minutes. It took place on August 27, 1896 between Great Britain and the Sultanate of Zanzibar. It is known in history as the Anglo-Zanzibar War.
The prerequisites for war appeared after the pro-British Sultan Hamad ibn Tuwayni died and his relative Khalid ibn Bargash 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 leave 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 - to the whole 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 half-mast the flag. The ultimatum expired on August 27 at 9 am. Bargash did not believe until the last minute that the British would dare to shoot in his direction, but at 9-00 this is exactly what happened - the shortest war in history began.
British ships bombarded the Sultan's palace. The 3,000-strong Zanzibar army, seeing the devastating effects 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 Bargash 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, she managed to fire only a few shots at enemy ships.
The sinking yacht "Glasgow" (Glasgow), which was the only warship of Zanzibar. In the background are British ships.
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 half-mast flag, but there was simply no one to lower it. Therefore, the shelling of the palace continued until the British shells knocked down the flagpole. After that, the shelling was stopped - the war was considered over. The troops landed on the beach met no resistance. The Zanzibar side lost 570 people killed in this war, among the British only one officer was slightly wounded.
Sultan's Palace after shelling
The fugitive Khalid ibn Bargash took refuge in the German embassy. The British set up a watch at the embassy with the aim of kidnapping the failed sultan as soon as he left the gate. For his evacuation, the Germans came up with an interesting move. The sailors brought a boat from the German ship and in it Khalid was taken to the ship. Legally, according to the legal norms then in force, the boat was considered part of the ship to which it was assigned, and regardless of its location it was extraterritorial: thus, being in the boat former sultan formally permanently German territory. True, these tricks still did not help Bargash avoid British captivity. In 1916, he was captured in Tanzania and taken to Kenya, which was under British rule. He died in 1927.
People have always fought - for food, territory or ideas. With the development of civilization, both weapons and the ability to negotiate were improved, so some wars took a very short time. Unfortunately, humanity has not yet learned to do without victims of military operations. We offer you a selection of the shortest wars in human history.
Doomsday War (18 days)
The war between the coalition of Arab countries and Israel became the fourth in a series of military conflicts in the Middle East involving the young Jewish state. The goal of the invaders was to return the territories occupied by Israel in 1967.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, the Day of Judgment. On this day in Israel, believing Jews pray and abstain from food for almost a day.
The military invasion was a complete surprise for 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 its support for the coalition and warned Israel about the most dire consequences that would await the country if the war continued. At this time, the IDF troops were already standing near Damascus and 100 km from Cairo. Israel was forced to withdraw its troops.
All hostilities took 18 days. Losses on the part of the Israeli army of the IDF amounted to about 3,000 dead, on the part of the coalition of Arab countries - about 20,000.
Serbo-Bulgarian War (14 days)
In November 1885, the King of Serbia declared war on Bulgaria. The disputed territories became the cause of the conflict - Bulgaria annexed the small Turkish province of Eastern Rumelia. The strengthening of Bulgaria threatened the influence of Austria-Hungary in the Balkans, and the empire made the Serbs a puppet to neutralize Bulgaria. 
In two weeks of hostilities on both sides of the conflict, two and a half thousand people were killed, about nine thousand were injured. 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, however, de facto the unification of Bulgaria with Eastern Rumelia was recognized.
Third Indo-Pakistani War (13 days)
In 1971, India intervened in civil war which was in Pakistan. Then Pakistan was divided into two parts, western and eastern. The inhabitants of East Pakistan claimed independence, the situation there was difficult. Many refugees flooded India. 
India was interested in weakening a long-time adversary, Pakistan, and Prime Minister Indira Gandhi ordered the entry of troops. In less than two weeks of hostilities, Indian troops achieved their planned goals, East Pakistan received the status of an independent state (now it is called Bangladesh).
six day war
On June 6, 1967, one of the many Arab-Israeli conflicts in the Middle East unfolded. It was called the Six Day War and became the most dramatic in recent history Middle East. Formally, Israel started the fighting, as it was the first to launch an air strike on Egypt.However, a month before that, the Egyptian leader Gamal Abdel Nasser publicly called for the destruction of the Jews as a nation, and in total 7 states united against a small country.
Israel launched a powerful preemptive 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 Wailing 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 a huge amount of military equipment.
Football war (6 days)
El Salvador and Honduras started a war after a qualifying match for the right to enter the World Cup. Neighbors and longtime rivals, the inhabitants of both countries were heated by complex territorial relations. In the city of Tegucigalpa in Honduras, where the matches were held, there were riots and violent fights between fans of the two countries. 
As a result, on July 14, 1969, the first military conflict took place on the border of the two countries. In addition, countries shot down each other's planes, there were several bombings of El Salvador and Honduras, and there were fierce ground battles. On July 18, the parties agreed to negotiations. By July 20, hostilities had ceased.
Both sides suffered greatly in the war, with the economies of El Salvador and Honduras suffering enormous damage. People died, most of them civilians. The losses in this war were not calculated, the figures are from 2000 to 6000 dead in total on both sides.
Agasher war (6 days)
This conflict is also known as the "Christmas War". The war broke out over a piece of border territory between two states, Mali and Burkina Faso. rich natural gas and minerals, the Agasher strip was needed by both states. 
The dispute came to a head when, in late 1974, the new leader of Burkina Faso decided to put an end to the sharing of important resources. On December 25, the Mali army launched an offensive against Agasher. The troops of Burkina Faso began to counterattack, but suffered heavy losses.
It was possible to come to negotiations and stop the fire only by December 30. The parties exchanged prisoners, counted the dead (in total there were about 300 people), but they could not divide Agasher. A year later, the UN court decided to divide disputed territory exactly in half.
Egyptian-Libyan War (4 days)
The conflict between Egypt and Libya in 1977 lasted only a few days and did not bring any changes - after the end of hostilities, both states remained “on their own”.A friend of the Soviet Union, Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, initiated protest marches against partnerships Egypt with the States and an attempt to establish a dialogue with Israel. The action ended with the arrest of several Libyans in neighboring territories. The conflict quickly escalated into hostilities.
For four days, Libya and Egypt held several tank and air battles, two divisions of the Egyptians occupied the Libyan city of Musaid. In the end, the hostilities were over and peace was established through the mediation of third parties. The borders of the states have not changed and no agreements in principle have been reached.
US invasion of Grenada (3 days)
Codenamed Operation Outburst, the United States launched on October 25, 1983. The official motive for starting the war was "the restoration of stability in the region and the protection of American citizens."Grenada is a small Caribbean island with a predominantly black Christian population. The island was colonized first by France, then by Great Britain, and in 1974 gained independence.
By 1983, communist sentiment had triumphed in Grenada, the state had made friends with the Soviet Union, and the United States was afraid of repeating the Cuban scenario. When there was a coup in the government of Grenada and the Marxists seized power, the US launched an invasion.
The operation cost little blood: losses on both sides did not exceed a hundred people. However, the infrastructure in Grenada was severely 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)
In historiography, this conflict is called the Indian annexation of Goa. The war was an action initiated by the Indian side. In mid-December, India launched a massive military invasion of the Portuguese colony in the south of the Indian subcontinent. 
fighting lasted 2 days and were fought from three sides - the territory was bombed from the air, three Indian frigates defeated a small Portuguese fleet in Mormugan Bay, and several divisions invaded Goa on land.
Portugal still believes that India's actions were an attack; the other side of the conflict calls this operation liberation. Portugal officially capitulated on December 19, 1961, a day and a half after the start of the war.
Anglo-Zanzibar War (38 minutes)
The invasion of imperial troops into the territory of the Zanzibar Sultanate entered the Guinness Book of Records as the shortest war in the history of mankind. Great Britain did not like the new ruler of the country, who seized power after the death of a cousin. 
The empire demanded that powers be transferred to the English protégé Hamud bin Mohammed. There was a refusal, and early in the morning on August 27, 1896, the British squadron approached the coast of the island and waited. At 09:00, the deadline for the ultimatum put forward by Britain expired: either the authorities surrender their powers, or the ships will begin to shell 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 of the Zanzibar fleet was sunk, the Sultan's palace turned into burning ruins. The newly-appeared Sultan of Zanzibar fled, and the flag of the country remained on the dilapidated palace. In the end, a British admiral shot him down with an aimed shot. The fall of the flag, according to international standards, 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 microwar, all of them were citizens of Zanzibar.
Unfortunately, the duration of the war has nothing to do with its bloodshed, nor with how it will affect life at home and around the world. War is always a tragedy that leaves an unhealed scar in the 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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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
The precedent arose in 1896, when in a state with exotic name The ruler of Zanzibar, the Sultan, has died. At that time, the Sultanate was under the influence of the British, who colonized the coast of East Africa.
Germany, also wishing to gain control of this territory, bought part of the possessions inside the mainland. Then Zanzibar was involved in the trade in spices and other valuable goods, which is why the Europeans sought to control these lands.
Departed to better world the Sultan collaborated with the British, but his relative Khalid ibn Bargash (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 nearly three thousand men to defend the palace.
The course of the war
The British demanded that the new sultan give up 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 put up a squadron of warships in the amount of five pieces against a single Zanzibar yacht.
Needless to say, the British warships were well equipped, while the Zanzibar 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 improvised army of the Sultan and brought the guns of the Africans to complete incapacity.
The palace was reduced to rubble, and Khalid fled in disgrace along with the few survivors. The shelling was carried out for 38 minutes and ended after one of the shots shot down the Zanzibar flag. After that, 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, history has a tragic meaning.
The shortest war recorded in the Guinness Book of Records took place on August 27, 1896 between Great Britain and the Sultanate of Zanzibar. The Anglo-Zanzibar war lasted ... 38 minutes!
And 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 Bargash, who enjoyed the support of Germany, seized power in a coup. But this did not suit the British, who supported the candidacy of Hamud bin Mohammed. The British demanded that Khalid ibn Bargash renounce his claim to the Sultan's throne.
Yep, schzzz! The impudent and blunt Khalid ibn Bargash refused to bow to British demands and quickly assembled an army of some 2,800 men, which set about preparing the defenses 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 were 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:
Armored cruiser 1st class "St. George" (HMS "St George") 
Armored cruiser 2nd class "Philomel" (HMS "Philomel") 
Gunboat "Drozd" 
Gunboat "Sparrow" (HMS "Sparrow") 
Armored cruiser 3rd class Raccoon (HMS Racoon)
All this stuff lined up in the roadstead, surrounding the only "war" ship of the Zanzibar fleet:
"Glasgow"
The Glasgow is a British-built Sultan's yacht, armed with a Gatling gun and small-caliber 9-pounder guns.
The Sultan clearly did not realize what destruction the cannons of the British fleet could cause. Therefore, he reacted inappropriately. The Zanzibaris aimed all their coastal guns at the British ships (a bronze cannon of the 17th century, several Maxim machine guns and two 12-pounder guns donated by the German Kaiser).
On 27 August at 08:00, the Sultan's envoy asked to arrange a meeting with Basil Cave, the British representative in Zanzibar. Cave replied that the meeting could only be arranged if the Zanzibaris agreed to the terms. In response, at 08:30 Khalid ibn Barghash sent a notice 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 terms, we will."
Exactly at the time appointed by the ultimatum, at 9:00, light British ships opened fire on the Sultan's palace. The first shot of the Drozd gunboat hit the Zanzibar 12-pounder, knocking it off the gun carriage. Zanzibar troops on the coast (more than 3,000 people, including palace servants and slaves) were concentrated in wooden buildings, and British high-explosive shells had a terrible destructive effect.
5 minutes later, at 09:05, the only Zanzibar ship Glasgow responded by firing at the British cruiser St. George from their small-caliber guns. The British cruiser immediately opened fire almost point-blank with her heavy guns, instantly sinking her opponent. The Zanzibar sailors immediately lowered their flag and were soon rescued by British sailors on boats.
Only in 1912, divers blew up the hull of the flooded Glasgow. The wooden wreckage was taken out to sea, and the boiler, steam engine, and guns were sold for scrap. At the bottom there were fragments from the underwater part of the ship, a steam engine, 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 start of the bombardment, the palace complex was a burning ruin and was abandoned both by the troops and by the Sultan himself, who fled among the first. However, the Zanzibar flag continued to fly from the palace flagpole, simply because there was no one to take it down. Seeing this as an intention to continue resistance, the British fleet resumed firing. Soon one of the shells hit the flagpole of the palace 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 an amphibious landing, which occupied the ruins of the palace with virtually no resistance.
Sultan's Palace after 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 from the Zanzibar side, while one junior officer on the Drozd was slightly wounded on the British side. Thus, this conflict went down in history as the shortest war.
The intractable Sultan Khalid ibn Bargash
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 the Royal Marines was constantly on duty at the embassy fence to arrest the former sultan the moment he left the embassy grounds. Therefore, the Germans went to the 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 ashore, then on the shoulders of German sailors brought to the doors of the embassy, where Khalid ibn Bargash fit in it. After that, the boat was taken to the sea in the same way and delivered to the cruiser. According to the legal norms then in force, the boat was considered part of the ship to which it was assigned and, regardless of its location, was extraterritorial. Thus, the former sultan, who was in the boat, was formally permanently on German territory. So the Germans saved their losing protege. After the war, the former sultan lived in Dar es Salaam until 1916, when the British captured him. 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 is the moral of this story? There is different points vision. 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 good example how the stupidity, stubbornness and lust for power of the unfortunate sultan, who longed to stay on the throne at any cost, even in an initially hopeless situation, ruined five thousand people.
Many reacted to this story as a comic one: they say that the "war" lasted only 38 minutes.
The outcome was clear in advance. The British clearly outnumbered the Zanzibaris. So the losses were predetermined.
British colonists in late XIX centuries began to seize African lands inhabited by black natives, who were distinguished by a very low level of development. But the locals were not going to give up - in 1896, when agents of the British South Africa Company tried to annex the territories of modern Zimbabwe, the natives decided to resist the opponents. Thus began the First Chimurenga - this term refers to all clashes between races in this territory (there were three in total).
The first Chimurenga is the shortest war in human history, at least known. Despite the active resistance and attitude of the African inhabitants, the war quickly ended with a clear and crushing victory for the British. The military power of one of the most powerful powers in the world and a poor backward African tribe cannot even be compared: as a result, the war lasted 38 minutes. The English army escaped casualties, and among the Zanzibar rebels there were 570 dead. This fact was later recorded in the Guinness World Records.
The longest war
The famous Hundred Years War is considered the longest in history. It lasted not a hundred years, but more - from 1337 to 1453, but with interruptions. To be more precise, this is a chain of several conflicts between which a lasting peace was not established, so they stretched into a long war.
The Hundred Years' War was fought between England and France: both sides were assisted by allies. The first conflict arose in 1337 and is known as the Edwardian War: King Edward III, grandson of the French ruler Philip the Handsome, decided to claim the French throne. The confrontation lasted until 1360, and nine years later a new war broke out - the Carolingian. At the beginning of the 15th century, the Hundred Years' War continued with the Lancaster conflict and the fourth, final stage, ending in 1453.
An exhausting confrontation led to the fact that by the middle of the 15th century only one third of the population of France remained. And England lost its possessions on the European continent - she had only Calais. Civil strife began in the royal court, which led to anarchy. There was almost nothing left of the treasury: all the money went to support the war.
But on military affairs, the war had big influence: in one century there were many new types of weapons, standing armies appeared, began to develop firearms.
The change of dominant states is a frequent phenomenon in modern history. Over the past few centuries, the palm of the world championship has repeatedly passed from one leader to another.
History of the last superpowers
In the 19th century, Britain was the undisputed leader of the world. But since the beginning of the 20th century, the role has passed to the United States. After the war, the world became bipolar, when it could become a serious military and political counterweight to the United States. Soviet Union.
With the collapse of the USSR, the role of the dominant state was again occupied by the United States for a while. But the United States did not last long as sole leaders. By the beginning of the 21st century, the European Union was able to become a full-fledged economic and political association, equal to, and in many ways superior to, the potential of the United States.
Potential world leaders
But other shadow leaders did not waste time during this period. Over the past 20-30 years, Japan, which has the third budget in the world, has strengthened its potential. Russia, having begun the fight against corruption and accelerated the process of modernization of the military complex, claims to return to the leading positions in the world in the next 50 years. Brazil and India with their colossal human resource may also in the near future aim at the role of the world. Do not discount the Arab countries, which in last years not only enrich themselves at the expense of oil, but also skillfully invest what they earn in the development of their states.
Another potential leader that is often overlooked is Turkey. This country already has the experience of world domination when Ottoman Empire several centuries almost half of the world. Now the Turks are wisely investing both in new technologies and the economic development of their country, and are actively developing the military-industrial complex.
The next world leader
It is too late to deny the fact that the next world leader is China. For the past few decades, China has been the fastest growing. During the current global financial crisis, it was this rapidly developing and overpopulated area that first showed signs of recovery for the entire economy.
Thirty years ago, one billion people in China lived below the poverty line. And by 2020, experts predict that China's share of global GDP will be 23 percent, while the US will account for only 18 percent.
Over the past thirty years, China has managed to increase its economic potential fifteenfold. And twenty times to increase its turnover.
The pace of China's development is simply amazing. In recent years, the Chinese have built 60,000 kilometers of freeways, second only to the United States in their total length. There is no doubt that soon China will overtake the States in this indicator. The speed of development of the automotive industry is an unattainable value for all world states. If a few years ago, Chinese cars were frankly mocked because of their Low quality, then in 2011, China became the world's largest manufacturer and consumer of cars, overtaking the same United States in this indicator.
Since 2012, the Celestial Empire has become the world leader in the supply of products information technologies leaving behind the US and the EU.
In the next few decades, one should not expect a slowdown in the growth of the economic, military and scientific potential of the Celestial Empire. Therefore, there is very little time left before China becomes the most powerful state in the world.
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