The Anglo Zanzibar War - The Shortest War in History
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 ก.ค. 2024
- A War that lasted just 38 minutes - the Anglo Zanzibar War of 1896.
Join The History Chap as he goes explores the background to this fascinating event - a combination of the Arab slave trade, Imperial tussles and royal ambitions.
The Anglo Zanzibar War cost the lives of 500 Zanzibaris and cemented British control over the East African island.
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When the previous Sultan died - some say poisoned by his nephew - the same nephew, Khalid Bin Barghash, seized the throne.
Chapters
0:00 Introduction
0:41 Zanzibar Slave Trade
4:00 Scramble for Africa
5:00 British Protectorate
7:58 Gunboat Diplomacy
11:00 38 Minute War
14:04 Aftermath
18:25 The History Chap
#anglozanzibarwar #38minutewar #shortestwarinhistory
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My name is Chris Green ("The History Chap") and I am on a mission to share the amazing history of Britain so that we can appreciate where we have come from and why we are here.
History should not be stuffy or a long list of dates or kings & queens.
So rather than lectures or TH-cam animations, I tell stories that bring the past to life.
My aim is to be chat as if I were having a coffee or meal with you. Jean in Maryland, USA recently wrote: "Chris, is the history teacher I wish I had at school!"
Just for the record, I do have a history degree and continue to have a passion for the subject I studied.
Disclaimer: All opinions and comments expressed in the 'Comments' section do not reflect the opinions of Chris Green Communication Ltd t/a The History Chap. All opinions and comments should contribute to the dialogue. Chris Green Communication Ltd does not condone written attacks, insults, racism, sexism, extremism, violence or otherwise questionable comments or material in the 'Comments' section, and reserves the right to delete any comment violating this rule or to block any poster from the channel.
Correction: The east African Arab slave trade lasted far longer than the Atlantic Slave Trade, it traded nearly TWICE as many slaves and was much more cruel: all male slaves were cruelly castrated causing almost half to die, but the value of eunuchs was so high it still made the losses acceptable. This castration was a reason there are virtually no descendants of black slaves now in the muslim lands compared to the Americas.
Thank you for taking the time to share.
The Guinness Book of Records used to have this incident listed as the shortest ever war but also included the fact that the UK considered billing the Sultanate for the cost of the ammunition it had expended.
I remember reading that in Guinness book of world records. Take about a slap in the face....take that!! Now pay me!!
They didn't just consider, they actually demanded payment for the ammunition expended.
They did bill him - that is a heck of a business model. get the enemy to reimburse you for the shells you've used firing at him!
Quite right. They were warned to close the slave markets.
@@TheHistoryChap If the Admiralty had really been on the ball they'd have billed them for touching up the paint stained by firing the guns as well....
To the best of my knowledge, schoolchildren in Britain are taught about the Atlantic slave trade, but nothing about the Arab or Ottoman history of Sub-Saharan slavery. Thus, they are given a very partial and biased understanding of the situation. Such “education” can only lead to blinkered understanding of our country’s imperial history. So, thank you for broadcasting a useful corrective to the impression the U.K. was unique in the enforced transportation of human beings; when, in fact, it has been a constant in human history.
Unfortunately slavery is as old as the hills (and continues). That doesn't get the British off the hook but theirs is part of a long, long story.
And in Britain we aren't really taught that Britons themselves were taken as slaves by the Romans, Vikings and Moors.
@@lyndoncmp5751 Thanks for the reminder.
Or most importantly, the British ended Slavery across both sides of Africa and over 2000 British sailors died trying to save slaves from being taken from Africa….
@@petem7118 A valid point to remember.
Great video, showing the complex, morally grey, interplay of slavery and colonialism. I wonder how many of our noisy critics of British history would be able picking apart the relationship between a colonising power and a slave trading native power with as much objectivity as you have.
William, thanks for those words. I do get annoyed with people who see history as two dimensional, it is (rather like our own lives) always more complex and contradictory than that.
This guy is just fantastic, like a more reliable and productive Lindybeige! Keep it up chap, I for one is here to stay
Thanks for your support.
Likewise
Another great video. Reminded me of my visit In 1968. I recall the slave market and being shown the manacles still in the walls . An eerie feeling still lingers there. Am baffled why the majority of Africans on the island follow the Islamic religion after all the suffering they endured. Askari by the way is Swahili for soldier
Thanks for sharing
I am amused by the fact your video was half as long as the war.
I knew a little about the battle, but you gave me a lot more information about it!
I am beginning to think I am hooked on your channel.
Keep up the great videos!
Thanks for your kind words of support
Thank you so much for this fascinating video, Chris. I knew about Freddie Mercury, but not much about the history of Zanzibar itself. I have mobility issues due to chronic Arthritis and so I watch quite a bit of TH-cam. I always look forward to seeing your notifications! Thank you once again!
Thanks for watching and for your kind words.
Same. That was all I really knew about Zanzibar.
The enthusiasm in story telling and depth of knowledge really make a great recipe. Another great video, thanks as always!
My pleasure. Glad that you enjoyed it.
Superb presentation. Lots of information I never knew, such as slave trade in East coast. Problem with people criticising past colonial history is they never except it was of a different time. Human mind forgets so quickly and media distorts history so historians are vital to provide that link between fact and fiction.
Stuart, glad you enjoyed. Thanks for taking the time to comment too.
The slave trade is often reported in modern indignant victimised outraged versions.
Some facets are obscured, and the ancestors of some slaves and those who participated are likely to have many a concealed skeleton in the cupboard, and often not occupy the high moral ground popular reporting portrays.
I simply CAN NOT get enough of your videos!I especially like the way you explain things in great detail.Thank you VERY MUCH for making these ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL VIDEOS!
Thank you so much for those kind words. Very much appreciated.
@@TheHistoryChap I meant every word.🙂😊
Nothing like a bit of gunboat diplomacy to settle an argument
So it would seem in 1896.
This is hands down one of the best channels on TH-cam. If I could sub twice, I would. Fantastic work 👍😁
Thank you so much for those kind words of support
I second that, such insightful and enjoyable history lessons, I'm constantly looking forward to the next lesson.
I remember learning about this in my secondary school journal/diary. Along the bottom each week had a fun fact. Then, some time after, we did a quizz in Sea Scouts. But they tried to get cheeky with the question after I said the time the war took by further asking for the war's name.
Thanks for taking the time to share.
Thank you for another great video, had no idea about this War so am really pleased you made this one.
Thank you so much.
Excellent!!
Many thanks.
Thank you my friend, very informative as usual 👍
Gary, thanks for watching and for your continued support. Wishing you a great weekend.
Excellent Chris! I'm absolutely hooked on these!
Thank you for your support. Much appreciated.
Fascinating. Thank you for shinning a light on an element of history I'd never heard of.
Ian, I'm glad that you enjoyed it. Thanks for commenting.
Yay. Ive always love a short war.
Brilliant video..:)
Thank you for watching. Video was nearly as long as the war :)
another fantastic video
Thank you. Plenty more coming your way.
Another fascinating story Chris .
Thank you for watching.
Thank you for an excellent video! I had heard of this being the shortest war in history, but I knew nothing of the actual events or its background. This was very informative.
Thanks for watching. Glad you enjoyed it.
Brilliant as usual. Many thanks.
My pleasure. Thanks for watching.
Brilliant as usual, keep up the good work chap
Thanks for watching. I'm glad that you enjoyed it.
I agree with your sentiment Sir. And as usual thank you for sharing another brilliant mini documentary. Once again kudos!
Thank you. Have a great weekend.
Brilliant account of a “war” that I’d never heard of. Many thanks and keep up the good work.
Many thanks, David.
Thanks for yet another very interesting video history lesson. I have spent considerable time on contract in Tanzania and many weekends on Zanzibar Island. I really knew all the history, but this never surfaced. Most intriguing. Thanks again.
Charles, I'm glad that you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching.
Excellent documentary, well researched and as insightful as ever. Good job.
Many thanks. Glad you enjoyed.
Chris, you are good, I was literally about to switch you off and head to bed as I was just idlily listening and next I was glued to the screen and enthralled, Cheers Mate, love your work.
Andrew, thanks for your support.
Like Rob G I knew about Mercury (Bulsara) but not the 38 minute (or was it 40?) war. Of all the channels covering history I find your videos the most enjoyable. Keep those high standards Chris and your audience will grow, that is a given.
So kind of you. Thank you very much.
Very interesting video, thank you so much!
My pleasure.
Or sandy waters and crystal beaches! Chris another excellent video. Thank you!!
Glad you enjoyed. Thanks for watching.
Great stuff, Chris!
I enjoyed that very much.
Glad you enjoyed. Thanks for watching.
Great story Chris, very interesting material.
John, thanks for watching. I'm glad that you enjoyed it.
Thank you for your great work, fantastic video, I follow you avidly and cannot recommend your videos enough
Heath, thanks for those kind words of support.
Always love your videos. British Imperial history was one of the first subjects that I ever got interested in when I was a kid and I would spend hours reading and browsing an old website back then called something like "regiments org" or something similar to that. I haven't been able to find that website since then.
Glad you a re enjoying my videos. Thanks for watching.
Not a specific comment on this video but it I just wanted to acknowledge how excellent your work is, bringing to light British history that the younger generation seem to be ignorant of or encouraged to despise. Your knowledgable and engaging videos are much appreciated so thanks!
Well Chris, I have lived and worked in 5 East African counties for 5 of the last 7 years and never knew most of this! Great research and very well told -again 👍
Neil, glad you enjoyed it. Thanks.
Very enjoyable and educational
I knew nothing about this
Thanks
My pleasure. Glad you liked it.
thanks as always
No, thank you for watching.
Great video!
Glad you enjoyed it
Jolly good Chris, thank you.
My pleasure. Thanks for watching.
Yes great video and well presented. Thanks
Thank you for your kind words of support. Appreciated.
Excellent history, thank you. I knew about this war but not about the background to it.
Glad you found it helpful.
History is endlessly fascinating and you make it come to life. Thank you for giving us another glimpse behind the curtain that hides the past.
Glad you enjoyed it
thank you again
You're welcome. Thanks for your support.
Fascinating story, thank you. I also like your shirt - purple is my favourite colour.
Ha ha, the rest of my wardrobe is blue!
@@TheHistoryChap Also a pretty colour!
Another excellent video!
Thank you. Glad you enjoyed it.
Great video. I visited Zanzibar a few years ago. Beautiful place. Very poor in places outside of tourism. I was here to see Freddy mercury’s childhood house. You have explained very well what our tour guide told us. Cheers.
Interesting. Thanks for sharing.
Fantastic!
Glad you enjoyed it. Please subscribe to my channel (if you haven’t already)
Thank you sir, a very interesting (as usual) video...cheers.
My pleasure. Thanks for watching.
Wow, what an incredible story. First time visiting this channel, and very impressed.
Thank you. Plenty more on the way. This week's is the story of Michael Caine in the Korean War.
Very interesting and well presented as always - thank you. My understanding though is that one can only call an event a 'war' if war is actually declared which was not the case in this instance.
You might be right in your wording of "war" but all the military sources that I consulted (including the National Army Museum) called it a war so I am happy to go with that viewpoint.
I don't think the 3000 supporters of the Sultan Khalid would disagree that it was a war.
A cracking story very well told 👍
Thank you, glad you enjoyed it.
Moral to the story. Don't bring rifles to a gunboat fight.
A great of moral!
Thanks mate, another great vid. I'm typing from New Zealand, where our largest naval base is titled: HMNZS Philomel.
Glad you enjoyed.
Excellent
Thank you so much 😀
I lived in Tanzania when it was Tanganyika, but never got to Zanzibar. Recall the Royal marines going into the barracks in DSM in 1964, but I dont know what they did in Zanzibar. We all thought that "The United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar" which is what the initial name was, but it was too long to fit on a stamp, so we had a contest that came up with the name Tanzania, after the old name for the coast, Azania. Nyerere (who I met) was the pesident of T, and Karume was the president of Z in 64.
Roderic, thanks so much for taking the time to share.
@@TheHistoryChap I was the head of physics at Mkwawa High School (The old St Michael's & St Georges) in Iringa until 1972. We has a really good time from 64-72, but it was getting rather silly at the end. When they stops doing the Cambridge Overseas exams, it was time to leave.
Brilliant video
Thank you.
Brilliant as every, really informative and presented in a way easy to follow.
A text book display in the implementation of successful foreign policy. A lesson our wishy washy leaders would do well to learn....
Glad you enjoyed.
That was great 😊
Thank you for watching.
Wonderful story and so very well told. On reflection maybe wonderful is the wrong word for so much killing.
I get your point.
As usual - great presentation of (to me at least) a totally unknown conflict. Find your offerings well researched & well presented. As someone who grew up in the 1950s as an antipodean (Australia), but was immensely proud of ‘Our Empire’, for me represented in school atlases by all the nations coloured in red - how that had all unfolded was likewise almost totally unknown. I still have a book from perhaps the 1920s or 30s: ‘Our Empire Story’. This concerns itself mainly with British victories, although the ‘Black Hole’ of Calcutta does get a guernsey. Your wonderful productions fill out so much more of fascinating history. More power to you!
Ian, I'm very grateful to you for posting that kind comment.
A good story, well detailed and recounted.
Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment.
cracking video 👍
Glad you enjoyed. Thanks.
All good stuff.
Thanks for watching
excellent!
Thanks!
This video is exactly half as long as the war itself! 👏🏽🙂
Not sure if that is good or bad!
Is like a game of holdfast but less deadly
Thanks for taking the time to comment.
good video
Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching.
Could you do a video about the cannon used to make the Victoria Crosses? Cheers Chap.
I will add to my list. Thanks for the suggestion.
Very well presented, I'm really enjoying these Colonial wars videos, they are not something that we were much taught at school.
I love the comparison of Anti Slave Britain and Reformed Smokers. 🤣
I'm glad you are enjoying the videos (not always glorious but certainly both interesting and the reasons why the world is as it is).
I couldn't resist the reformed smoker comment. No doubt someone will call me flippant.
Says it all about modern schooling.I went to school in Glasgow and Dundee in the sixties and learnt about every place and war Britain had ever been involved in and why,if you bothered to listen.
Excellent piece, It took nearly as long as the war lasted, to watch it. 😁
Ha ha, it was fast!
What a great and informative video. Thank you very much. It sets the narrative of the modern left back.
Many thanks.
Takes longer to watch the video than fight the war .
Half the time but I get your point.
as allways ... thank you for this. I knew of the role Zanzibar played in the slavetrade, and that the Royal Navy put an end to it , but not the details.
Thanks for watching. I have to admit I do enjoy learning about the twists and turns that result in a conflict arising and the consequences afterwards.
Thank you so much Mr Green. My apologies for belatedly catching this excellent video. It is a wonderful feeling to bathe in rigorous historical fact and rationality, rather than the hysterical mob hue and cry that so hinders the path of balance and truth. My sincere thanks for your excellent body of work. I wish that I had the capacity and talent to aid your work. However, please accept my sincere thanks. Wonderful. Derek.
Derek, thank you for your kind words. If you enjoy my work then please do sign up to my newsletter at www.thehistoruchap.com
Absolutely fascinating, love your Anglo-African histories, just one comment - in the picture you showed, it did not look like HHS Glasgow could mount 9(.2) inch guns. Looking it up I believe it had 9 pounders (3") and the 9(.2) inch guns were on the HMS St George, it never stood a chance.
Thanks for sharing
What a great upsight, two things, l did not know of Freddie Mercury or of the Zanzibar War, people always think of coloured slaves, but what about when they took them from Devon and Cornwall, not many will think of that, maybe a little story here.
I have done some research on the Barbary Pirates raiding the south west of England. A very interesting story which I do intend to tell at some stage.
@@TheHistoryChap Baltimore Raid too ?
Interesting Fact on Oman's connection with Zanzibar. Oman only banned Slavery by Law in 1970.
My dad remembered seeing a line of shackled slaves when he served in Aden in the 1950's.
THe Dutch-Isles of Scilly war the longest running war with out one casualty . ( Date 30 March 1651 - 17 April 1986 (335 years, 2 weeks and 4 days)
Thanks for sharing.
@@TheHistoryChap To be fair every one forgot about it , ,There was actualy a real ceremony of signing the peace back in 1986. It was realy a silly war to begin with .
The British Empire gets more impressive, the more I learn of it.
Thanks for taking the time to comment.
@garyphisher7375 Friend, the British Empire conquered and exploited people for profit. I love and respect the Brits, too, but that's the sad truth.
If you ever wonder why people are behaving as they do, especially towards you, then take a look at history. It is a remarkable insight into human nature.
I always say that we are where we are in the world because of history. Doesn’t mean it was always morally right.
This account is strangely familiar, as I would venture that a sequence of events here, were 'borrowed' for a scene in 'The Wind and the Lion' movie with Sean Connery.
Interesting, seeing as that film is based on events in Morocco, not Zanzibar and from slightly later in History. I’d be interested in exactly which sequence of events you think are similar.
With all respects, you need to adjust your camera position using a grid. Your verticals are at least 10% off to the left. Makes watching a bit dizzying.
Thanks for the feedback.
Thank You for this video! I first looked up Zanzibar back in the 1970s after reading a book called "Stand On Zanzibar" by John Brunner and was fascinated with it's original history under Arab rule then later under the British. While British colonialism has much to be critical of, there are a few good things that came from this period. Namely the abolition of slavery, work in eradicating disease and education, though it ignored native history and concentrated on European subjects. What always bothered me though was the lack of any cohesive standards set by the Victorian government and their governors; basically thinking that being " proper English gentlemen" would guarantee competence and a humane form of governing.
Thanks for sharing both your previous research and your thoughts on lack of cohesion between London and local colonial adminstrators.
The British Empire overall did more good than bad. The world would be far worse off without it.
Superb !!
Many thanks.
I've been there on winter holiday 2016/17. I know the story of "the shortest war in history", but I was conviced that war was 45 minutes long. Thanks. And by the way beaches are...
Thank you for taking the time to comment.
@@TheHistoryChap Thanke you. And you should visit Zanzibar. In Stone Town still exist part of the Sultan's palace.
The notorious Italian documentary "Africa addio" captured much of the barbarity of the January '64 revolution.
Indeed it did.
Nice Picture of the Royal Marines who took part in this war apart from one small detail - those men where "bluejackets" - Royal Naval Sailors! ah well Jack has been accused of many things and dealt with them the only way Jack does - with a smile and a shrug and a bit of heroism here and there (but don't tell him that) thrown in! As an ex matelot (Jack Tar) we'd rather drink with you than fight you but if you really want a fight - take care we will prevale, if we don't those who follow will, eventually!
Mike, thank you for commenting. I used this picture when I talked about the Royal Marines because the old postcard that I have in my collection is inscribed " Marines after seizing the palace, with broken Zanzibari gun."
It's nice to know that even Victorians could get it wrong!
@@TheHistoryChap At a guess they could of course have been working WITH the Royal Marines, shipboard Marines tended to be infantry only and any backup would have been ships crew - guns etc. Not unknown even today, I believe your Marines (USofA) tend to do much the same - Cooks, Medics etc. Anyone not versed in the characteristics of various marine units world wide tend to forget that usually Marines tend to belong to the Navy! Even the US marines are theoretically Navy men (and women these days) and there's 'fousands of them!
Is that the world atlas of wine behind you on the shelf?
No. Maybe you are looking at my photo albums?
How's 'bout some material on the British Army in the French and Indian Wars, including some of their adventures in the Caribbean, if you will.
On my list. The problem is that the list keeps growing.
Please subscribe so that you don't miss them when I finally get there.
We Americans in the USA tend to get the biggest blame for Slavery. Well the British ended it and we fought a long bloody war to end it here. Meanwhile it never ended in some places , but we still get blamed for the past
Tom, thanks for sharing your perspective.
That's because many African Americans have an extremely parochial and myopic view of history. They think the only slaves to ever have existed were West African slaves transported to America. They are not even informed enough to realise it was black West Africans who rounded up slaves and sold them to Europeans in the first place. Europeans didn't go into interior Africa to round up slaves.
I have heard scores of ignorant African Americans bleating on about slavery in the wake of the Queens death, including in the media. All of it historically inaccurate. Its nauseating.
I would not mess with the Royal Navy and Royal Marines. Better to invite the Officers into the Palace for a party in honour of Queen Victoria.
Thanks for taking the time to comment.
@@AA-69 A Aa -- It's called survival. And, why not have a party rather than a battle? I'd take the party any day.
We all have to know how we got from 'there to here'...
And sometimes that journey is not very pretty (trans Atlantic slave trade being a case in point) but it happened.
It was calculated some years ago, that entire humanity could be accommodated on the island of Zanzibar, if each individual would be allotted about 2 square meters to stand on.
Thanks for sharing.
To add insult to injury, the British government made zanzibar pay for the costs of the ammunition used against them. 👍😁
Outrageous (and true).
The East African slave trade continues to this day. I remember as a schoolboy living in Mombasa in about 1973, I read in the Daily Nation newspaper that the Kenya police had raided an Arab dhow in the Old Harbour and freed many African children, still in their school uniforms from the hold. They had been bound for Yemen.
My dad certainly saw people chained when he served in Aiden in the 1950s
Damn dude, you're going to piss off a lot of folk with these facts. Hope you don't get cancalled.
Thanks for your concern.
I think Don Lemon from C N N Should watch this😂
Thanks for the suggestion.