From Khartoum to Zanzibar. The shortest war in history

People have always fought - for food, territory or ideas. With the development of civilization, both weapons and the ability to negotiate improved, so some wars took a very short time. Unfortunately, humanity has not yet learned to do without the victims of military actions. We offer you a selection of the shortest wars in human history.

Yom Kippur War (18 days)

The war between the coalition of Arab countries and Israel was 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, Judgment Day. On this day in Israel, Jewish believers pray and abstain from food for almost a day.

The military invasion came as a complete surprise to 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 support for the coalition and warned Israel of the most dire consequences that would await the country if the war continued. At this time, IDF troops were already standing next to 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 IDF army 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 cause of the conflict was disputed territories - 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.

During two weeks of fighting, two and a half thousand people died on both sides of the conflict, and about nine thousand were wounded. 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, but the de facto unification of Bulgaria with Eastern Rumelia was recognized.

Third Indo-Pakistani War (13 days)

In 1971, India intervened in the civil war that was going on in Pakistan. Then Pakistan was divided into two parts, western and eastern. Residents of East Pakistan claimed independence, the situation there was difficult. Many refugees flooded India.

India was interested in weakening its longtime enemy, Pakistan, and Prime Minister Indira Gandhi ordered the deployment of troops. In less than two weeks of fighting, 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 began. It was called the Six-Day War and became the most dramatic in the recent history of the Middle East. Formally, Israel began the fighting, as it was the first to launch an air strike on Egypt.

However, even a month before this, the Egyptian leader Gamal Abdel Nasser publicly called for the destruction of the Jews as a nation, and in total 7 states united against the small country.

Israel launched a powerful pre-emptive 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 Western 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 went to war after a qualifying match for the right to qualify for the FIFA World Cup. Neighbors and longtime rivals, residents of both countries were fueled by complex territorial relations. In the city of Tegucigalpa in Honduras, where the matches took place, there were riots and violent fights between fans of the two countries.

As a result, on July 14, 1969, the first military conflict occurred on the border of the two countries. In addition, countries shot down each other's planes, there were several bombings of both El Salvador and Honduras, and there were fierce ground battles. On July 18, the parties agreed to negotiations. By July 20, hostilities ceased.

Both sides suffered greatly in the war, and the economies of El Salvador and Honduras suffered enormous damage. People died, the majority being civilians. Losses in this war have not been calculated; figures range from 2,000 to 6,000 total deaths 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. The Agasher strip, rich in natural gas and minerals, was needed by both states.

The dispute became acute when, at the end of 1974, the new leader of Burkina Faso decided to put an end to the division of important resources. On December 25, the Mali army launched an attack on Agasher. Burkina Faso troops began to counterattack, but suffered heavy losses.

It was possible to reach negotiations and stop the fire only on December 30th. The parties exchanged prisoners, counted the dead (in total there were about 300 people), but 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 “at 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 dialogue with Israel. The action ended with the arrest of several Libyans in neighboring territories. The conflict quickly escalated into hostilities.

Over the course of four days, Libya and Egypt fought several tank and air battles, and two Egyptian divisions occupied the Libyan city of Musaid. Eventually the fighting ended and peace was established through the mediation of third parties. The borders of the states did not change and no fundamental agreements were reached.

US Invasion of Grenada (3 days)

The United States launched Operation Fury on October 25, 1983. The official reason for the start of the war was “restoring stability in the region and protecting American citizens.”

Grenada is a small island in the Caribbean whose population is predominantly black Christian. The island was colonized first by France, then by Great Britain, and gained independence in 1974.

By 1983, communist sentiments had triumphed in Grenada, the state had made friends with the Soviet Union, and the United States was afraid of a repetition of the Cuban scenario. When there was a coup in the Grenada government and Marxists seized power, the United States launched an invasion.

The operation cost little blood: on both sides the losses did not exceed one hundred people. However, the infrastructure in Grenada was seriously 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 carried out a massive military invasion of the Portuguese colony in the south of the Hindustan Peninsula.

The fighting lasted 2 days and was carried out from three sides - the territory was bombed from the air, in Mormugan Bay three Indian frigates defeated the small Portuguese fleet, and several divisions invaded Goa on the ground.

Portugal still believes that India's actions were an attack; the other side of the conflict calls this operation a liberation operation. Portugal officially surrendered on December 19, 1961, one and a half days after the start of the war.

Anglo-Zanzibar War (38 minutes)

The invasion of imperial troops into the territory of the Zanzibar Sultanate was included in the Guinness Book of Records as the shortest war in the history of mankind. Great Britain did not like the country's new ruler, who seized power after the death of his cousin.

The Empire demanded that powers be transferred to the English protégé Hamud bin Muhammad. There was a refusal, and early in the morning of August 27, 1896, the British squadron approached the shore of the island and began to wait. At 9.00 the ultimatum put forward by Britain expired: either the authorities surrender their powers, or the ships will begin to fire at 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 flaming ruins. The newly-minted Sultan of Zanzibar fled, and the country’s flag remained flying on the dilapidated palace. In the end, he was shot down by a British admiral. According to international standards, the fall of the flag 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 micro-war, all of them were citizens of Zanzibar.

Unfortunately, the duration of the war has nothing to do with its bloodshed or how it will affect life within the country 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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Culture

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

However, this does not mean that the longer the war, the stronger its impact 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 broke out between Great Britain and Argentina and was related to control of 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 there were 257 killed. There were more losses on the Argentine side: 649 Argentine sailors, soldiers and pilots died. There were also civilian casualties; 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 involved in the war are inconsistent regarding the beginning and end of this short war, but it is certain that it did not last long. The conflict also concerned territorial possessions. Both sides wanted to control the Vilnius region. For several years after the war seemed to be over, 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 end, Bulgaria remained dissatisfied with the division of territories. As a result, she unleashed the Second Balkan War, which pitted Bulgaria against Serbia and Greece. The conflict began on June 16, 1913 and ended on July 18 of the same year. Despite the short duration of the war, there were many casualties on 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 no longer wanted to put up with this state of affairs. The inhabitants of Crete wanted to join Greece and rebelled 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 thousand Chinese and 20 thousand Vietnamese. There were also many losses from local residents. The cause of this war was the invasion of Cambodia by Vietnam 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)

Ottoman troops occupied areas along the borders of Georgia and Armenia during the First World War. When they left, these countries came into conflict over ownership of certain territories. This conflict lasted only 24 days. With the help of Britain it was resolved. Both sides administered 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 peacefully divide their territories. This war began after Bulgaria annexed territories controlled by the Ottoman Empire. Serbia was unhappy that Bulgaria provided refuge to the leaders of their main enemy. On November 14, 1885, conflict broke out, but just 2 weeks later Bulgaria declared victory. The war killed approximately 1,500 people on both sides, 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 following 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 West Pakistani authorities did not like the fact that India opened its borders to refugees, and as a result, an armed conflict occurred. As a result, victory was on the side of India, and East Pakistan (Bangladesh) gained independence.

9) Six Day War (1967)

The 1967 Arab-Israeli War, called the Six-Day War, began on June 5 and ended on June 10. The echoes of this war are still heard today. Since the Suez Crisis in 1956, many countries have had conflicts with Israel. There were many political maneuvers and peace treaties. Israel declared war with a surprise air strike on Egypt. Fierce fighting continued for 6 days, and Israel was ultimately victorious, capturing the Gaza Strip, the Sinai Peninsula, the West Bank and the Golan Heights. There are still disputes over these territories.

10) Anglo-Zanzibar War (27 August 1896)

The shortest war in history is the Anglo-Zanzibar War, which occurred 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 replaced him did not want to support the interests of the British, which, of course, did not please Great Britain. 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 the flag at the palace was lowered, which meant the end of hostilities. In 40 minutes, about 570 people died, all from the African side. The British hastened to appoint another sultan, who began to obey them.

Anglo-Zanzibar War - occurred on August 27, 1896 between Great Britain and the Sultanate of Zanzibar. It lasted for 38 minutes and went down in history as the shortest war (according to the Guinness Book of Records).

View of Zanzibar from the roof.

The war began after Sultan Hamad ibn Tuwayni, who actively collaborated with the British colonial administration, died on August 25, 1896. After this, his cousin Khalid ibn Barghash, who enjoyed the support of the Germans, seized power in a coup.

General view from the sea of the damaged tower and the Sultan's Palace.

Since this went against the plans of the British, who supported the candidacy of Hamud bin Muhammad, they demanded that Khalid ibn Barghash renounce his claims to the throne of the Sultan. Khalid ibn Barghash refused to comply and managed to quickly assemble an army of approximately 2,800 men, which began preparing the defense of the Sultan's palace.

View of the roofs.

At the end of the 19th century, Zanzibar was under British control. In 1896, the new Sultan of Zanzibar, Khalid ibn Barghash, tried to get closer to the Germans. He gathered an army of two and a half thousand soldiers and took out from the basements an ancient bronze cannon that had not fired for two hundred years. The British issued an ultimatum, expiring at 9:00 am on August 27, according to which the Zanzibaris had to lay down their arms and lower the flag.

Damaged ships in the harbor.

In response, they mounted a cannon on their only ship, the yacht HHS Glasgow, and fearlessly went out to sea to meet Her Majesty's five ships. Exactly at the time appointed by the ultimatum, the Royal Navy opened fire on the shore. Five minutes later, the Glasgow responded and was immediately sunk by crossfire from the two ships.

Destruction in the area of the palace complex.

The Zanzibar ship continued to shoot all the time until it disappeared under water. After thirty minutes of massive bombardment, only the masts of the proud Glasgow were visible from under the water, and the coastal structures were practically destroyed.

Coastal damage from bombing.

However, the Zanzibar flag continued to fly on the palace flagpole. The fleet resumed firing. Fifteen minutes later the coast was completely scorched, not a single gun responded. The top of the flagpole was destroyed and the flag was nowhere to be seen. The flotilla commander, Admiral Rawlings, regarded this as a sign of surrender and ordered a ceasefire.

Ruins of an old tower.

The Sultan ordered his soldiers to leave the battlefield, and he himself asked for refuge in the German consulate. The shelling lasted 38 minutes, killing about 570 people on the Zanzibar side, and it went down in history as the shortest war.

Consequences of British bombing.

Consequences of the bombing.

After the war, the former Sultan lived in Dar es Salaam until 1916, when he was captured by the British. He died in 1927 in Mombasa.

Ruins of Beit al-Hukm.

In English historiography, this war, due to its brevity, is described in an ironic manner. However, from an African point of view, this colonial war, in which more than 500 people on the Zanzibar side were killed and only one English sailor was wounded, has a tragic significance.

View of a palace damaged by shelling.

A group of British sailors pose next to the corpse of a Zanzibari and a captured gun, in front of the Sultan's Palace.

Destruction in the palace.

Palace complex and a corpse near a cannon.

The corpse of an elderly Arab lying among the rubble.

The shortest war recorded in the Guinness Book of Records occurred on August 27, 1896, between Great Britain and the Sultanate of Zanzibar. The Anglo-Zanzibar War lasted... 38 minutes!

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 Barghash, who had German support, seized power in a coup. But this did not suit the British, who supported the candidacy of Hamud bin Muhammad. The British demanded that Khalid ibn Barghash renounce his claims to the throne of the Sultan.

Yeah, shazzz! The daring and harsh Khalid ibn Barghash refused to submit to British demands and quickly assembled an army of approximately 2,800 people, which began preparing the defense 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 had 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 moved to the shores of Zanzibar, consisting of:

1st class armored cruiser "St. George" (HMS "St George")

2nd class armored cruiser "Philomel" (HMS "Philomel")

Gunboat "Drozd"

Gunboat "Sparrow" (HMS "Sparrow")

3rd class armored cruiser "Raccoon" (HMS "Racoon")
All this stuff lined up in the roadstead, surrounding the only “war” ship of the Zanzibar fleet:

"Glasgow"
The Glasgow was a British-built Sultan's yacht armed with a Gatling gun and small-caliber 9-pounder guns.

The Sultan clearly had no idea what destruction the guns of the British fleet could produce. Therefore, he reacted inappropriately. The Zanzibaris aimed all their coastal guns (a 17th-century bronze cannon, several Maxim machine guns and two 12-pounder guns donated by the German Kaiser) at the British ships.

On 27 August at 8:00 am, the Sultan's envoy asked for a meeting with Basil Cave, the British representative in Zanzibar. Cave replied that a meeting could only be arranged if the Zanzibaris agreed to the conditions put forward. In response, at 8:30, Khalid ibn Barghash sent a message 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 conditions, we will."

Exactly at the time appointed by the ultimatum, at 9:00, light British ships opened fire on the Sultan's palace. The very first shot of the Drozd gunboat hit a Zanzibar 12-pounder gun, knocking it off its carriage. The Zanzibar troops on shore (more than 3,000, including palace servants and slaves) were concentrated in wooden buildings, and British high-explosive shells had a terrible destructive effect.

5 minutes later, at 9:05, the only Zanzibar ship, the Glasgow, responded by firing at the British cruiser St. George with her small-caliber guns. The British cruiser immediately opened fire at almost point-blank range with her heavy guns, instantly sinking her enemy. The Zanzibar sailors immediately lowered the flag and were soon rescued by British sailors in lifeboats.

Only in 1912 did divers blow up the hull of the sunken Glasgow. The wooden debris was taken to sea, and the boiler, steam engine and guns were sold for scrap. At the bottom there were fragments of the underwater part of the ship, a steam engine, and 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 bombardment began, the palace complex was a flaming ruin and was abandoned both by the troops and by the Sultan himself, who was among the first to flee. However, the Zanzibar flag continued to fly on the palace flagpole simply because there was no one to take it down. Considering this as an intention to continue resistance, the British fleet resumed firing. Soon one of the shells hit the palace flagpole 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 the start of a landing, which occupied the ruins of the palace with virtually no resistance.

Sultan's Palace after the 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 on the Zanzibar side, while on the British side one junior officer on the Drozd was slightly wounded. Thus, this conflict went down in history as the shortest war.

The intractable Sultan Khalid ibn Barghash
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 Royal Marines was constantly on duty at the embassy fence to arrest the former Sultan the moment he left the embassy premises. Therefore, the Germans resorted to a 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 to the shore, then carried on the shoulders of German sailors to the doors of the embassy, where Khalid ibn Bargash was placed in it. After which the boat was carried to the sea in the same way and delivered to the cruiser. According to the legal norms in force at that time, the boat was considered part of the ship to which it was assigned and, regardless of its location, it was extraterritorial. Thus, the former Sultan, who was in the boat, was formally constantly on German territory. This is how the Germans saved their losing protege. After the war, the former Sultan lived in Dar es Salaam until 1916, when he was finally captured by the British. 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's the moral of this story? There are different points of view. 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 is a clear example of how the stupidity, stubbornness and lust for power of the would-be Sultan, who wanted to stay on the throne at any cost, even in an initially hopeless situation, killed half a thousand people.

Many treated this story as comical: they say, the “war” lasted only 38 minutes.

The outcome was clear in advance. The British were clearly superior to the Zanzibaris. So the losses were predetermined.

It occurred on the 27th August 1896 between Great Britain and the Sultanate of Zanzibar and ended in approximately 38 minutes. In history it is known as the Anglo-Zanzibar War.

Zanzibar Island: British Colony

According to an agreement signed between Britain and Germany in 1890, the strategically important island of Zanzibar in eastern Africa was under the influence of the British Empire.

Bargash wanted independence

After the death of Sultan Hamad ibn Tuwaini of Zanzibar on August 25, 1896, Khalid ibn Barghash became the new Sultan. Bargash wanted to get rid of the British protectorate and, by declaring independence, create his own empire. On the other hand, for the British this was out of the question. The willful actions of Bargash, who sat on the throne, began to worry the colonial power.

Britain supported Hamud ibn Muhammad

The fuse was lit by Britain, which nominated Hamud ibn Muhammad as a candidate for the vacated throne. Britain began to put pressure on Bargash to remove him from the throne. Bargash did not want to leave the throne.

Reasons for the start of the war

The preconditions for war appeared after the pro-British Sultan Hamad ibn Tuwayni died and his relative Khalid ibn Barghash 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 resign from 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, the entire 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 lower the flag. The ultimatum expired on August 27 at 9 am.

In response, at 8:30, Khalid ibn Barghash sent a message 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 conditions, we will."

The only ship of Zanzibar "Glasgow"

There was a war

The British, who wanted to force Bargash to submit to their demand to renounce claims to the throne, declared war on Zanzibar. On August 27, five British ships approached the harbor of Zanzibar and were ready to open fire at any moment.

The 3,000-strong army of Zanzibaris, seeing the devastating consequences of the shots, simply fled, leaving about 500 people killed on the “battlefield”. Sultan Khalid ibn Barghash was ahead of all his subjects, disappearing from the palace first.

Sinking yacht "Glasgow". British ships in the background

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 flag to be lowered at half-mast, but there was simply no one to lower it. Therefore, the shelling of the palace continued until British shells knocked down the flagpole. After this, the shelling stopped - the war was considered over. The landing party did not meet resistance. The Zanzibar side lost 570 people killed in this war; among the British, only one officer was slightly wounded.

Sultan's Palace after the shelling

The fugitive Khalid ibn Bargash took refuge in the German embassy. The British set up a vigil at the embassy with the aim of kidnapping the would-be sultan as soon as he left the gates. To evacuate him, the Germans came up with an interesting move. The sailors brought a boat from the German ship and took Khalid to the ship in it. Legally, according to the legal norms in force at that time, the boat was considered part of the ship to which it was assigned, and, regardless of its location, it was extraterritorial: thus, the former Sultan who was in the boat was formally constantly located on German territory. True, these tricks still did not help Bargash avoid British captivity. In 1916, he was captured in Tanzania and transported to Kenya, which was under British rule. He died in 1927.

Palace complex after shelling

Despite the fact that the Anglo-Zanzibar War is presented in an ironic manner in the European press, for the Zanzibaris it is a tragic page in history.