The shortest war in recorded history lasted well under an hour.

On the morning of August 27, 1896, war broke out between the United Kingdom and the Sultanate of Zanzibar after the reigning sultan died and his nephew took the throne without British approval. The Royal Navy issued an ultimatum demanding he stand down, and when it wasn’t met, warships opened fire on the sultan’s palace.

The bombardment began at 9:02 a.m., and Zanzibari forces had surrendered by around 9:40 a.m. — a conflict that lasted somewhere between 38 and 45 minutes depending on exactly how the start and end are counted, making it the shortest war ever recorded.