Step 1 : Introduction to the question "How long was the shortest war in history?"
The Anglo-Zanzibar War only lasted a whopping 45 minutes, and holds the record of being the shortest war in recorded history. The immediate cause of the war was the death of the Sultan of Zanzibar in 1896. His nephew, Khalid bin Bargash, seized power, but he was regarded by the British as far too independent. The British sent an ultimatum to Khalid demanding that he order his forces to stand down and leave the palace. While Bargash’s troops set to fortifying the palace, the Royal Navy assembled five warships in the harbor in front of the palace. Zanzibar sustained roughly 500 casualties, while only one British sailor was injured.