The shortest war in history lasted 38 minutes - Apparently.
On August 27, 1896, the British and Zanzibar navies clashed in what is now Tanzania. Zanzibar surrendered after just 38 minutes of fighting, making it the shortest war in recorded history. The war was sparked by a dispute over who should be the ruler of Zanzibar, and it ended with Zanzibar becoming a British protectorate. This brief conflict is still recognized as a war by the Guinness World Records, and it remains a fascinating footnote in the history of international conflict.