The Shortest War Was Caused by a Succession Dispute

The brief but dramatic Anglo-Zanzibar War of 1896 was a stark demonstration of imperial power during the "Scramble for Africa." In the late 19th century, Great Britain had established a protectorate over Zanzibar, a strategically important East African island hub for trade in spices and ivory. Under a treaty, the British consul had the right to approve any new sultan. This arrangement was part of Britain's wider goals to control crucial trade routes and suppress the local slave trade, an institution they had once profited from but now sought to abolish. British influence, however, was not always popular among the Zanzibari ruling class.

The conflict was ignited on August 25, 1896, with the sudden, and possibly suspicious, death of the pro-British Sultan Hamad bin Thuwaini. His cousin, Khalid bin Barghash, immediately seized the palace and proclaimed himself the new ruler without British consent, directly challenging their authority. Khalid gathered approximately 2,800 men to defend his position. In response, the British issued an ultimatum for him to stand down, assembling a formidable force of Royal Navy warships in the harbor.

When the 9 AM deadline on August 27 passed without a surrender, the British warships commenced a heavy bombardment of the sultan's palace. The defenders' artillery was no match for the modern cruisers. In under 45 minutes, the palace was in ruins, and with around 500 of his fighters killed or wounded, Sultan Khalid fled to the German consulate to seek asylum. The British suffered only one wounded sailor and quickly installed their preferred candidate, cementing their control over the island.