Anglo-Zanzibar War

The Anglo-Zanzibar War was fought between the Sultanate of Zanzibar, a state in and capital of the country of Zanzibar, and the United Kingdom on 27 August 1896. Lasting between 38 and 45 minutes, it is the shortest recorded war in history.

 Background 
The old Sultan (the person who rules the Sultanate of Zanzibar), Sultan Hamad bin Thwaini, who was pro-British, died in 1896. While he was alive, because the English Council approved, he and the Sultanate of Zanzibar were on good terms with England, but when he died, a new Sultan was needed.

Sultan Khalid bin Barghash, his 29-year-old nephew eventually became his successor, but Khalid was no-longer approved by the United Kingdom, making him and his state enemies of the British Army. They told him to come out of hiding, but the new Sultan's response was to barricade himself in his palace even more. As expected, the Sultanate of Zanzibar was absolutely destroyed by the British, which led to what we know today as the Anglo-Zanzibar war, the shortest recorded war in history. It lasted between 38 and 45 minutes.

 Casualties and losses 
There were varying casualties on both sides. For England, only a single sailor was wounded, but for the Sultanate of Zanzibar five hundred were killed or injured (including civilians), 4 artillery pieces were destroyed, a shore battery was destroyed, two other boats were sunk, and the HHS Glasgow (the Sultan's personal royal ship) was sunk. The Sultan's palace was also burned down to the ground.

 Aftermath 
Khalid was captured by English forces in 1916, and a new Sultan, Sultan Hamoud, became his successor. This new leader was extraordinarily loyal to England and their council, which definitely helped Zanzibar recover from this attack, as England decided not to impose new harsh rules on their relationship with the sultanate.
References

Category:Wars involving the United Kingdom
Category:1896
Category:Zanzibar