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The shortest war in history lasted only 38 minutes

On August 27, 1896, British and Zanzibari forces clashed in the Anglo-Zanzibar War, sparked by a dispute over who should be the ruler of Zanzibar. The war began at 9:02 AM and ended at 9:40 AM, when Zanzibar surrendered. The war was triggered by a British ultimatum, which Zanzibar refused to comply with. This brief conflict marked the first war in African history, and remains the shortest war in recorded history.