On 27 August 1896, an ultimatum, a handful of cruisers and a trio of gunboats turned Zanzibar’s palace grounds into a battlefield—and concluded the world’s shortest war in just 38 minutes. What began as a dynastic dispute exploded into a naval bombardment so lopsided that the Sultanate’s defenders barely had time to raise their flag before it was struck down Wikipedia.

Background

By 1890, Zanzibar had become a British protectorate with strict rules on succession: any new sultan required the consul’s approval. When pro-British Sultan Hamad bin Thuwaini died suddenly on 25 August 1896, his nephew Khalid bin Barghash seized the palace without consent. The British preferred Hamoud bin Mohammed—friendly to their interests—and issued Khalid an ultimatum to vacate by 09:00 local time or face war Wikipedia.

The Conflict

At 09:00 on the morning of 27 August, Rear-Admiral Harry Rawson’s squadron—two cruisers, three gunboats, 150 marines and 900 Zanzibaris—opened fire on the palace. Khalid’s hastily assembled force of some 2,800 men, armed with antiquated field guns, Maxim machine guns and a Gatling gun, was no match. By 09:02, shells had set the complex ablaze; by 09:37, the palace flag lay on the ground and firing ceased. British casualties: one wounded. Zanzibari losses: around 500 Wikipedia.

Analysis and Theories

Historians label the engagement “gunboat diplomacy” at its starkest: overwhelming naval firepower enforcing political will. The imbalance of technology—modern cruisers vs. 19th-century artillery—and the tight deadline of the ultimatum meant Khalid’s forces stood little chance. Some scholars argue Britain used the episode to underscore imperial authority and deter rival powers in East Africa Encyclopedia Britannica.

Conclusion

The Anglo-Zanzibar War extinguished a sultanate’s autonomy in under an hour and cemented British dominance over the archipelago. Today, its ruins and public domain photographs stand as a testament to how swiftly—and decisively—power can shift when the big guns roll into harbor.