Anglo zanzibar war

" " HMS Thrush, a British 1st-class gunboat, saw action in the brief Anglo-Zanzibar War of 1896. The Print Collector/Print Collector/Getty Images It's generous to call the Anglo-Zanzibar War a "war." The entire conflict lasted less than an hour and the victory was ludicrously one-sided, yet this 1896 standoff between the British Royal Navy and a stubborn sultan is commonly cited as the shortest war on record. Today, Zanzibar is a semi-autonomous island nation off the coast of Tanzania in the Indian Ocean, but in the 19th century the Sultanate of Zanzibar was a powerful trading empire in East Africa. From the ports of Zanzibar, ships departed with ivory and spices from the African mainland and returned with textiles and guns. But the most lucrative trade in Zanzibar was An estimated 25,000 to 30,000 enslaved people were sold and shipped out of Zanzibar as late as the 1880s, according to In 1890, Britain signed a treaty with Germany that carved out separate "zones of influence" for the two imperial nations in Africa and Zanzibar became a British "protectorate" — not quite a colony, but still under the thumb of the British government and military. Walther Dobbertin/CC-BY-SA 3.0/Wikipedia After claiming Zanzibar as a protectorate (not that the locals had any say), the British wanted to install a sultan to put an end to the Zanzibar slave trade and generally do Britain's bidding in the region. Their choice was Hamad bin Thuwaini, a Thuwaini ruled for three years but died unexpe...

Greetings, LinkedIn community! In this edition of our historical newsletter, we dive into a remarkable event that defies expectations – the shortest war in history. Join to explore the fascinating details of the Anglo-Zanzibar War, a conflict that unfolded in a mere 44 minutes. **The Anglo-Zanzibar War: A Brief Overview** On August 27, 1896, a monumental clash took place between the British Empire and the Sultanate of Zanzibar, located in modern-day Tanzania. The conflict arose due to a dispute over the succession of the Sultanate's ruler following the death of Sultan Hamad bin Thuwaini. The British Empire supported a candidate who favored their interests, while another candidate had already declared himself Sultan, defying British authority. **The Countdown Begins: A Swift Response** Tensions escalated rapidly as the British Empire prepared to assert its influence. Their forces were stationed at the ready, poised to take swift action. The Royal Navy positioned warships in the harbor while land forces, armed with artillery and machine guns, stood on alert. **The Fateful Morning: The War Commences** At 9 a.m. on that fateful day, the British issued an ultimatum demanding the rival Sultan to abdicate within a specific timeframe. The ultimatum passed without compliance, prompting the British to initiate a military strike against the Zanzibari forces. **A Merciless Onslaught: The Battle Unfolds** With a thunderous roar, British naval vessels opened fire upon the sultanate's pa...

World Wars Upon becoming Zanzibar’s Khālid ibn Barghash occupied the palace in response; he based his own claim on being the only son of the late Barghash and on being ignored after Barghash’s death, despite the fact that Zanzibari succession laws did not make the title of sultan hereditary. British authorities were able to convince Khālid to stand down, making Ḥamad the uncontested sultan. Although Sayyid Ḥamad was initially acquiescent, by 1896 he had grown resentful of Zanzibar’s protector, going so far as to create a 1,000-man military force loyal only to the sultan. Ḥamad died on August 25 of that year, sparking yet another succession struggle. Senior diplomat Arthur Hardinge intended for Ḥamud ibn Moḥammed to assume the throne, suspecting that he would be a Battle Unlike his first attempt to claim the throne, this time Khālid surrounded the palace with nearly 3,000 of the sultan’s personal soldiers and supporters. They were supported by a small battery of Glasgow, which waited in the harbour nearby. In response, Basil Cave assembled a force of 400 Zanzibari loyalists and a Harry Rawson of HMS St. George sent an ultimatum to Khālid, instructing him and his troops to exit the palace grounds and surrender their arms by 9:00 am on August 27 or True to his word, at 9:00 am Rawson ordered HMS Racoon, Thrush, and Sparrow to open fire on the palace, which was quickly engulfed in flames. Although the Glasgow fired on the St. George in retaliation, Rawson handily dispatched th...

Many wars throughout human history dragged on for so many years, but not the Anglo-Zanzibar war that ended much sooner. The shortest in recorded history, the war did not even last for a day or an hour; it lasted only between 38 and 45 minutes. Zanzibar was then in the sphere of influence of the British Empire and was declared a protectorate, according to the treaty signed by Britain and Germany in 1890. The conflict between the British Empire and the Zanzibar Sultanate, however, began when the pro-British Sultan of Zanzibar, Hamad bin Thuwaini died. Right after his death, his nephew, Khalid bin Barghash seized power, proclaimed himself Sultan and moved into the palace. Khalid had then been resisting European interference, so his action received support from a section of the population. Khalid bin Barghash History says around 3000 Zanzibari people, including 700 soldiers, rallied to support Khalid against European influence in Zanzibar. But the British Empire did not want him as the new Sultan; they preferred Hamoud bin Muhammad. They subsequently gave Khalid an ultimatum to cede the throne by 9 am local time on August 27 or to prepare himself for an attack. Khalid, who refused to step down, barricaded himself in the palace and gathered his forces around him. The British gathered ships, including the HMS Philomel, the HMS Rush, and the HMS St George, as well as, troops to enforce the demand. Khalid still refused to cede the throne on the morning of August 27. Just as the Br...

At 9am on 27 August 1896, following an ultimatum, five ships of the Royal Navy began a bombardment of the Royal Palace and Harem in Zanzibar. Thirty-eight, or 40, or 43 minutes later, depending on which source you believe, the bombardment stopped when the white flag of surrender was raised over what was left of the palace. Over 500 defenders died, compared to one British marine who was injured. Thus ended what is widely regarded as the ‘shortest war in history.' The immediate cause of the war was the death of the Sultan of Zanzibar, Hamad bin Thuwaini on the 25 August. His nephew, Khalid bin Bargash, seized power, but he was regarded by the British as far too independent. They preferred Hamud bin Muhammed. In the best tradition of gunboat diplomacy, an ultimatum was issued at 8am, giving Khalid an hour to surrender and leave the palace. When the ultimatum expired the bombardment began, and a force of marines was landed on the shore. As the shells landed, Khalid bin Bargash fled the palace seeking safety in the German consulate, from which he was quickly and in secret shipped out of the country. Order was restored and Britain's preferred ruler Hamud bin Muhammed was installed as Sultan of Zanzibar where he ruled, with British assistance, until his death in 1902. This is just another successful example of Britain getting its way and making sure the ‘informal empire' worked in Britain's interests rather than, in this case, the interests of the Zanzibar ruler...