The shortest war in history

130 years ago – on August 25, 1896 – Sultan Hamad bin Thuwaini of Zanzibar died

suddenly (some suspect he was poisoned). His cousin, Sayyid Khalid bin Barghash, seized the opportunity, occupied the Sultan's Palace in Stone Town, and proclaimed himself Sultan. Sayyid Hamad bin Thuwaini al-Busaid was the fifth Sultan of Zanzibar. His reign lasted from March 5, 1893, until his sudden death on August 25, 1896. He was a son of Thuwaini bin Said, the former ruler of Oman, and thus a nephew of his immediate predecessors. His accession as Sultan followed immediately after the death of his uncle, Ali bin Said, and was heavily influenced by the British Empire, as Zanzibar had been a British protectorate since 1890. In 1894, Great Britain awarded him the title of Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India (GCSI). The British, who had controlled Zanzibar as a protectorate since 1890 and wanted to install a different, pro-British candidate (Hamoud bin Mohammed), did not accept this. They issued an ultimatum: Khalid was to vacate the palace by 9:00 a.m. on August 27. He refused. On the morning of August 27, 1896, British warships opened fire on the palace in Stone Town. The bombardment quickly destroyed the Zanzibari defenses; the war was decided within minutes. On the British side, there was only one casualty, while on the Zanzibari side, several hundred were killed and wounded. The conflict strengthened British control over Zanzibar and significantly weakened the political autonomy of the Sultanate. The war is historically known primarily for its extremely short duration, not for its scale. In historiography, it is often treated as an example of colonial power politics in the late 19th century. Khalid fled to the German consulate and later went into exile in German East Africa (and died in Mombasa in 1927). Today, August 27, 2026, marks the anniversary of the day his three-day reign finally ended.