History · 2
The Anglo-Zanzibar War of 1896, the shortest war in recorded history, was fought over a dispute about what?
Answer
The succession to the Zanzibar sultanate
When Sultan Hamad bin Thuwaini died in 1896, his cousin Khalid bin Barghash seized power without British approval, violating an 1886 agreement requiring British consent for a new sultan. Britain issued an ultimatum, Khalid refused to stand down, and the ensuing bombardment lasted between 38 and 45 minutes before Zanzibar surrendered.
💡 Did you know?
The shortest war in history lasted 38 to 45 minutes: Britain versus Zanzibar in 1896 over a disputed sultanate succession.
Other options people guess
- Control of the spice trade routes in the Indian Ocean
- British annexation of Zanzibar as a crown colony
- A Zanzibari attack on a British naval vessel
Topics
- british-empire
- africa
- 19th-century
- warfare
- zanzibar
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