The shortest war in history lasted only 38 minutes - Apparently.
The Anglo-Zanzibar War, fought between the United Kingdom and Zanzibar on August 27, 1896, is recorded as the shortest war in history. Zanzibar surrendered after just 38 minutes of fighting, resulting in 500 Zanzibari soldiers being killed and 12 British sailors wounded. The war was sparked by a dispute over who should be the ruler of Zanzibar, with the British supporting one candidate and the Germans supporting the other. The war's brevity has been verified by multiple historical sources, including the British National Archives and the Zanzibar State Archives.