How long did the shortest war in the world last? From Khartoum to Zanzibar. The shortest war in history

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 most short war in the world.

Zanzibar - African colony

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

The main island, Unguja (or was under the nominal control of the Sultans of Oman since 1698, after the Portuguese settlers who settled there in 1499 were expelled. Sultan Majid bin Said declared the island independent from Oman in 1858, independence was recognized by Britain, as was secession of the sultanate from Oman Barhash bin Said, the second sultan and father of Sultan Khalid, was forced under British pressure and the threat of a blockade to abolish the slave trade in June 1873. But the slave trade still took place, as it brought a large income to the treasury.Subsequent sultans settled in the city Zanzibar, where a palace complex was built on the seashore.By 1896, it consisted of the Beit al-Hukm palace itself, a huge harem, as well as 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 timber.All three main buildings were adjacent to each other. about one line and 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 Bargash. The British authorities wanted to see Hamud bin Mohammed as the leader of this African country, who was a more profitable person for the British authorities and the royal court. In accordance with the treaty signed in 1886, the condition for 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 casus belli, that is, a reason for declaring war, and sent an ultimatum to Khalid, demanding that he order his troops to leave the palace. In response, Khalid summoned his palace guards and barricaded himself in the palace.

Side forces

The ultimatum expired at 09:00 ET on 27 August. By this point, the British had amassed three war cruisers, two 150 marines and sailors, and 900 soldiers of Zanzibar origin in the port area. The Royal Navy contingent was commanded by Rear Admiral Harry Rawson and their Zanzibar forces were commanded by Brigadier General Lloyd Mathews of the Zanzibar Army (who was also Zanzibar's First Minister). On the opposite side, about 2,800 soldiers defended the Sultan's palace. Mostly it was the civilian population, but among the defenders were the palace guards of the Sultan, and several hundred of his servants and slaves. The Sultan's defenders had several artillery pieces and machine guns, which were placed in front of the palace.

Negotiations between the Sultan and the Consul

At 08:00 on the morning of August 27, after Khalid 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, without receiving any further news from the palace, Admiral Rawson gave the signal aboard the cruiser St. George to prepare for action. Thus began the shortest war in history, which resulted in many casualties.

The course of the military operation

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

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

Sultan's Escape

The palace caught fire and all the Zanzibar artillery was put out of action. Three thousand defenders, servants and slaves were in the main palace, built of wood. Among them were many victims who died and suffered from 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 "ran away 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 at the British cruiser St. George using seven 9-pounder guns and a Gatling gun, which was a gift from Queen Victoria to the Sultan. In reply naval forces Great Britain attacked the Glasgow yacht, 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 in sign of their surrender and the entire crew was rescued by British sailors.

The result of the shortest war

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

By then, the palace and the adjoining harem had burned down, the Sultan's artillery was completely out of action, and the Zanzibar flag had been shot down. The British took control of both the city and the palace, and by noon Hamud bin Mohammed, an Arab by birth, was declared as sultan, with considerably limited powers. It 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 about 500 shells and 4,100 machine gun rounds.

Although most of Zanzibar's residents joined the British, the Indian quarter of the city 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 left their ships to form a fire brigade to put out the fire that had spread from the palace to the neighboring customs sheds.

Victims and consequences

About 500 Zanzibar men and women were killed or wounded during the shortest war, 38 minutes. Most of the people died from the fire that engulfed the palace. It is not known how many of these casualties were military. For Zanzibar, this was a colossal loss. The shortest war in history lasted only thirty-eight minutes, but claimed many lives. On the British side, there was only one badly wounded officer aboard the Drozd, who later recovered.

Duration of the conflict

Expert historians 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 view that the war lasted a little more than fifty minutes. However, most historians adhere to the classical version of the duration of the conflict, stating 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, another short war is considered the Portuguese-Indian war, the bone of contention for which was the island of Goa. It only lasted 2 days. On the night of October 17-18, Indian troops attacked the island. The Portuguese military failed to provide adequate resistance and surrendered on October 19, and Goa passed into the possession of India. Also, the military operation "Danube" lasted 2 days. On August 21, 1968, the troops of the allied countries of the 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 posted 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 hand over Khalid to the British, as the German 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 the soil of Zanzibar". At 10:00 on October 2, a ship of the German fleet arrived at the port. 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 released from arrest. Then he was transported to Dar es Salaam in German East Africa. Khalid was captured by British forces in 1916 during the East African Campaign in World War I and exiled to Seychelles and Saint Helena before being allowed to return to East Africa. The British punished Khalid's supporters by making them pay reparations to cover the cost of the shells fired against them and for the damage caused by the looting, which amounted to 300,000 rupees.

New leadership of Zanzibar

Sultan Hamud was loyal to the British, for this reason he was appointed as a figurehead. Zanzibar finally lost any independence, completely subject to the British Crown. The British completely controlled all spheres of public life of this African state, the country lost its independence. A few months after the war, Hamud abolished slavery in all its forms. But the emancipation of the slaves was rather slow. 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, the lighthouse and the palace were destroyed by shelling. The palace plot became a garden, and a new palace was erected on the site of the harem. One of the rooms of the palace complex remained almost intact and later became the main secretariat of the British authorities.

culture

Most of the wars we are taught about in history class last for many years. We learn that these wars had a great influence on the course of world history. They helped shape the life we ​​live today.

However, this does not mean at all that the longer the war, the stronger its influence 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 flared up between Great Britain and Argentina and was associated with control over 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. The war lasted a total of 74 days. Among the British, 257 were killed. There were more losses from Argentina: 649 Argentine sailors, soldiers and pilots died. There were casualties among civilian population, 3 Falkland Islands civilians died as a result of the conflict.

2) Polish-Lithuanian war (1920)

After the First World War, an armed conflict broke out between Poland and Lithuania. Historical records from the countries participating in the war do not correspond with each other regarding the beginning and end of this short war, but it is known for certain that it did not last long. The conflict also concerned territorial possessions. Both sides wanted to control the Vilnius region. A few years after the war seemed to have ended, 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 period of the war, there were many casualties from all sides involved in the war. The war ended with the signing of 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 were no longer willing to put up with this state of affairs. The inhabitants of Crete wanted to join Greece and revolted 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: 26,000 Chinese and 20,000 Vietnamese. There were also many casualties on the part of local residents. The reason for this war was the Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia 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)

The troops of the Ottoman Empire occupied the areas along the borders of Georgia and Armenia during the First World War. When they left, these countries came into conflict over the right to own some territories. This conflict lasted only 24 days. With the help of Britain, it was settled. Both sides managed 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 another classic example when two neighboring countries cannot divide territories peacefully. This war began after Bulgaria annexed the territories controlled by Ottoman Empire. Serbia was unhappy with the fact that Bulgaria provided asylum to the leaders of their main enemy. On November 14, 1885, the conflict broke out, but after only 2 weeks, Bulgaria declared its victory. Approximately 1,500 people on both sides died in the war, 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 after the resettlement of millions of refugees from East Pakistan to India. They were forced to flee to the nearest country - India, because they were persecuted by the authorities of West Pakistan. The authorities of West Pakistan did not like that India opened its borders to refugees, as a result, an armed conflict broke out. As a result, victory was on the side of India, and East Pakistan (Bangladesh) gained independence.

9) Six Day War (1967)

The Arab-Israeli war of 1967, which was called the Six-Day War, began on June 5 and ended on June 10. Echoes of this war are still heard today. After the 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 battles were fought for 6 days, and in the end, Israel won the victory, capturing the Gaza Strip, the Sinai Peninsula, the West Bank of the Jordan River and the Golan Heights. There are still disputes over these territories.

10) Anglo-Zanzibar War (August 27, 1896)

The shortest war in history is the Anglo-Zanzibar War, which took place 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 succeeded him did not want to support the interests of the British, which, of course, did not please the UK. 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 a.m., the flag at the palace was lowered, which meant the end of hostilities. About 570 people died in 40 minutes, all on the African side. The British hastened to appoint another sultan, who began to obey them.

In the XIX century, on the coast of the Indian Ocean, which washes the southeast of the African continent, the Sultanate of Oman ruled. It owes its prosperity to the trade in various spices, ivory and slaves. They used the European continent as a market for their goods. However, the sultan himself, who ruled the state, was not independent in his actions, since Great Britain, which colonized Africa, had a great influence on him. It was because of this that the shortest war in the world took place here. After all, once the British ambassador, by his decree, separated the Zanzibar Sultanate from Oman.

Situation before the war

In the 18th century, many European countries became interested in African lands. Among them was Germany, which bought part of the land in the east of the continent. However, to access them, they needed access to the sea. To this end, the ruler of Germany concluded an agreement with Sultan Hamad ibn Tuvaini that the Germans lease from him a small area of ​​the Zanzibar Sultanate, which is directly adjacent to the sea.

However, this could mean a deterioration in relations with Great Britain, and this was unprofitable for the Sultan. But still, in these places, the interests of the two European states intersected, and the Sultan himself, for some unknown reason, suddenly died. Since he had no children, his cousin Khalid ibn Bargash presented his rights to the throne.

In order to achieve his goal, Khalid organizes a coup d'état, assuming the duties of a ruler. Since all this happened in the shortest possible time, and also because the cause of the death of the Sultan was never disclosed, there was an assumption about a successful attempt on his life.

Germany immediately expressed its support for ibn Bargash. But Great Britain is not accustomed to losing its possessions so easily, even though it has never had any legal rights to them. Therefore, the British ambassador ordered ibn Barghash to renounce the throne and transfer the rule of the sultanate to his brother Hamud bin Mohammed. But Ibn Bargash was so confident in the support of the Germans that he flatly refused to obey the British.

Ultimatum

The events of those days developed very rapidly. On August 25, Hamad ibn Tuwani dies under unclear circumstances. And the very next day, the British ambassador demands to change the Sultan. The British refused to recognize the coup as accomplished and, accordingly, did not recognize the new ruler of the Sultanate, Khalid ibn Bargash. So they gave him an ultimatum.

From the new sultan, the British demanded by the morning of August 27 to completely disarm their army, lower the flag over the palace and completely transfer control of the sultanate to a trustee of Great Britain. Otherwise they declare war on Zanzibar.

On the morning of August 27, an hour before the time of the ultimatum expired, a representative of the new sultan appeared at the British ambassador. He asked to be given the opportunity to meet with Basil Cave, who at that time held the post of ambassador. However, he refused negotiations, saying that they are possible only if all the requirements of his country are satisfied.

military forces

At the time of the end of the ultimatum, under the leadership of ibn Bargash there was an army in which there were 2800 soldiers. In addition, he issued weapons to several hundred of his slaves, ordering them to guard his palace. Also in full combat readiness 2 guns he had and a semblance of a machine gun - a Gatling gun were brought. In addition, they were armed with 2 launches, a pair of machine guns and a yacht.

On the side of Great Britain there were about 900 soldiers, several hundred marines, as well as 3 ships and 2 cruisers, on board of which there was an artillery gun.

Ibn Bargash was well aware of the superiority of his opponent, however, he believed that they would not dare to start military operations against his army. In addition, he believed that Germany would provide him with any assistance in this situation.

The beginning of the war

Early in the morning the ships of the English fleet took up their positions. First of all, they surrounded the only yacht of the Sultan, completely blocking her path to the shore. They lined up in such a way that on the one hand, they had this yacht, and on the other, the Sultan's palace. And before the time set by the British, there were only a few minutes left. At 9 o'clock in the morning local time, the war began, which went down in history as the shortest.

The gunners, who were specially trained, were able to neutralize the only cannon of the Sultan with just one shot, after which they began shelling the palace itself. At the same time, return fire was fired at the cruiser from the yacht.

However, it was rather a step of desperation, since the small ship did not have a single chance. Literally one volley was enough for the yacht to sink. The flag on the yacht was lowered and the English sailors began to pick up drowning opponents.

Surrender

But on the palace itself, despite its shelling, the flag continued to develop. And the thing is that there was simply no one to let him down. It turned out that the Sultan, without waiting for any support, was the very first to leave the palace. The fighters of his army also did not seek to "win at any cost", especially after they saw the British weapons in action.

The wooden buildings located around the palace instantly flared up, and panic began all around. At the same time, the shelling of the palace continued. After all, according to all military laws, a raised flag means only one thing - a complete rejection of surrender. Even when there was little left of the palace, the British military did not stop methodically shelling it.

This continued until one of the shells hit the place where the flagpole was located, which could not stand it and collapsed. This was the signal for the end of the firing.

Duration of hostilities

How long did this war last? It began with the first salvo at exactly 9 o'clock in the morning. And the order to cease fire came from Admiral Rawlings at 9:38. Immediately after that, the paratroopers occupied what was left of the Sultan's palace. At the same time, no one was even going to resist them.

Thus, all military actions took them about 38 minutes. But even in such a short time, more than 500 people died here, and all of them were on the Zanzibar side. In addition, the losses of the Sultan - the entire already small fleet.

Salvation of the Sultan

What happened to Ibn Bargash himself? It turns out that immediately after his flight, he went to the German Embassy, ​​where he was granted asylum. The British immediately appointed a new sultan in his place, who first of all issued a decree on the arrest of his predecessor. Therefore, the British established surveillance of the embassy in which the fugitive was staying.

Time passed, and the British did not even think about lifting the siege. Therefore, the Germans were forced to use cunning in order to take their protege out of the country. To do this, a boat was removed from the German cruiser and delivered to the embassy. And on it Ibn Bargash was taken to the ship. Indeed, according to international laws, boats are legally the property and territory of the country that owns the ship from where it was taken.

The results of the war

So, in 1896, the Zanzibar army was not only defeated, but also lost its independence for many years. The sultan appointed by the British, as well as his followers for many decades, were forced to unquestioningly fulfill all the requirements of the British ambassador.

Record short wars in history

Other short wars are also known in history, which lasted from several hours to several weeks:

1. . It lasted only 18 days. This war is known as a confrontation between Israel and a coalition of several Arab countries. The goal of the conflict was the return of the lands that the still young state of Israel occupied in 1967. For Israel itself, such an invasion came as a real surprise, since its beginning coincided with a holy holiday for the Jews.

1. . The reason, as in most cases, was the disputed territories that Bulgaria annexed. The war lasted exactly 2 weeks.

1. The Indo-Pakistani war was only 1 day short. At that time, there was already a civil war in Pakistan between the inhabitants of the two regions of the country, because of the desire of the inhabitants of East Pakistan to be independent. India intervened in the conflict, into whose territory huge crowds of refugees from war-drenched regions poured in. As a result, East Pakistan nevertheless became an independent state.

1. The six-day war has become one of the confrontations between Israel and the Arab coalition. For 6 days, Israel managed to completely occupy the Sinai Peninsula, the Gaza Strip, Samaria, Judea, partly Jerusalem and other territories.

1. . 6-day war between the countries of Honduras and El Salvador. It was kicked off by a qualifying football match, during which both countries contested their right to participate in the World Cup. The intensity of passion was fueled by long-standing disputes between neighbors over certain territories. The match was held in the city of Tegucigalpa, on the streets of which riots began to occur. This led to the fact that on July 14, 1969, the first military conflict broke out on the border between the two countries.

1. . Exactly the same - 6 days - lasted this war, which was also called "Christmas". The countries of Burkina Faso and Mali took part in the conflict. The reason was the claim of both countries to the Agasher strip, on the territory of which there were many gas fields.

1. Egyptian-Libyan war lasted 4 days. They ended in nothing, since both states remained with their territories and principles.

1. . This operation was called "Flash of Fury". US military forces attacked a small island, explaining this by protecting its citizens and restoring order in the Caribbean, which the US was trying to control.

1. . Its duration was 36 hours. In history, the conflict is better known as the annexation of the island of Goa by India.

Video

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 that 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 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 the recent history of the 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 the 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 Egypt's partnership with the United 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 Soviet Union, and the United States was afraid of a repeat of 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 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.

The sultan who retired to a better world 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.