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During the First World War it took four hours for the armistice to come into effect, and then
over 12 hours for troops on the Western Front to actually stop fighting. The sad result of this
tardiness? Some 11,000 casualties on the Allied side alone. In history, as today, things often took a long time to happen. And war is no exception. Well while some ponderous wars were still being fought hours after they’d finished, the foot-light Anglo-Zanzibar War of 1869 managed to be started, prosecuted, and wrapped up, all within the hour! From beginning to end it lasted only 38 minutes. Yes, you heard me. Not 38 years, not 38 weeks, not even 38 hours. In fact, this 38-minute war happens to be the shortest in all recorded human history.

The brief Anglo-Zanzibar War represents a fascinating outlier in warfare, not just because it was unbelievably short, but also because of the unusual events that occurred within it. For those 38 minutes, family intrigue and betrayal met the no-nonsense might of Victorian Britain. The result: an unexpected, point-blank costal artillery barrage of pretty insane proportions. This is the story of the Anglo-Zanzibar War.

🎶🎶 All music from CO.AG
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcav...

Narrated by: Will Earl
Written & Researched by: Harry Palmer

History Should Never Be Forgotten...

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