The Anglo-Zanzibar War
Another candidate for the most pointless war is The Anglo-Zanzibar War. Afghanistan's war lasted nearly two decades. It was not the longest war ever fought, but it was America's longest war. Of course, there is no set time frame for any given war, but they typically last a long time. At least a few days, right? The Anglo-Zanzibar War was only 38 minutes long.
The Sultan of Zanzibar died two days before the war. The replacement sultan had not been approved by Britain, as required by the official rules governing Zanzibar as a British protectorate. So Britain informed the new sultan that he had to leave. In response, he shut himself inside the palace.
The British had a number of naval ships, including warships. The Sultan was ordered to abdicate by 9:00 a.m, but he refused. His artillery had been destroyed by 9:02, and the palace was collapsing. The sultan is said to have fled at the same time, and his forces surrendered by 9:40, effectively ending the war.
- Date: 09:00-09:40 EAT, 27 August 1896
- Location: Zanzibar Town, Zanzibar Sultanate
