Wars and ConflictsΜύ permalink
Shortest War
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Message 1.Μύ
Posted by luna_dragon (U2841126) on Monday, 6th March 2006
How long was the shortest war ever??
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Message 2
Posted by Plancenoit (U1237957) on Monday, 6th March 2006
I can't remeber the exact details, but at some point possibly in the 1890's, Britain and Zanzibar were having a disagreement about the succession of the Sultan, and a British Navy vessel was sent to patrol the coast and put a bit of pressure on. Zanzibar would not bow to pressure from Britain and war was declared. The Navy began a bombardment of the Royal Palace, and Zanzibar surrendered in something like 45 minutes.
I'll try and find out a little more when I've got more time, or try google for Zanzibar, it's sure to be mentioned.
All the best. -
Message 3
Posted by Erik Lindsay (U231970) on Tuesday, 7th March 2006
In 1969 San Salvador and Honduras fought a war that lasted only 100 hours. It wasn't the shortest war - that has already been noted (above) - but it may have been one of the strangest in that the catalytic agent was a football game.
Honduras's governmental control had been deteriorating badly for some time, and people started blaming several hundred thousand San Salvadoran immigrants for all the problems. Relations between the two countries became strained but things seemed to be working themselves out until June of 1969. During that month, the football teams of the two countries entered into preliminary elimination matches for the World Cup. There were to be 3 games and when the 2nd game began in San Salvador, Honduras began to win, and San Salvadorian fans got angry. Honduran fans were roughed up and the Honduran flag was burned etc. That kicked off riots in Honduras and things got really nasty. Salvadoran residents in Honduras were killed or beaten up and the newspapers of both countries started insulting each other and things just fell apart. Before the 3rd game could be played, Honduras broke diplomatic relations with El Salvador and war broke out between the two countries.
It didn't last long, but a lot of people were killed and relations have been strained between the two countries ever since.
Strange to think that something as simple as a football game could instigate a war. -
Message 4
Posted by DL (U1683040) on Tuesday, 7th March 2006
Erik,
One of the triggers of the Yugoslavian wars was a football match between Zagreb and Red Star Belgrade. There was some hooliganism after the match, the former Yugoslavian army was involved in suppressing the violence, and this led indirectly to the cessation of Croatia from Yugoslavia!
Some people take their football way too seriously! -
Message 5
Posted by luna_dragon (U2841126) on Thursday, 9th March 2006
Plancenoit,
Thankyou very much for replying to my question. I greatly appreciate it. I read somewhere ages ago that a war lasted about 45 mins but I just wanted to clarify and be sure about it. Im guessing that World War 2 is the longest war ever. Thanks for offering to find out a little bit more about it, but you dont have to.
Thanks again,
potter_babe -
Message 6
Posted by luna_dragon (U2841126) on Thursday, 9th March 2006
Erik Lindsay,
Thankyou for replying, its greatly appreciated. I agree that something as simple as a football match could lead to a war. Im not a keen footbal fan myself, but I think fighting over a game is so stupid. But I guess that if tensions between San Salvador and Honduras were already strained, then there would be a lot more factors than the game which would have lead to this war.
Thanks again,
potter_babe -
Message 7
Posted by Polwanderer (U1734477) on Thursday, 9th March 2006
Plancenoit,
Thankyou very much for replying to my question. I greatly appreciate it. I read somewhere ages ago that a war lasted about 45 mins but I just wanted to clarify and be sure about it. Im guessing that World War 2 is the longest war ever. Thanks for offering to find out a little bit more about it, but you dont have to.
Thanks again,
potter_babe
Μύ
The Second World War was certainly the most destructive but far from the longest:
Hundred Years War between England and France.
Eighty Years War or Dutch war of independence against Spain.
Thirty years War between protestants and Christians mainly in germany.
Seven Years War.
Thirteen Years War between Poland-Lithuania and the Teutonic Knights.
Vietnam War.
Napoleonic Wars
etc. -
Message 8
Posted by FEC (U2276153) on Thursday, 9th March 2006
Plancenoit,
Thankyou very much for replying to my question. I greatly appreciate it. I read somewhere ages ago that a war lasted about 45 mins but I just wanted to clarify and be sure about it. Im guessing that World War 2 is the longest war ever. Thanks for offering to find out a little bit more about it, but you dont have to.
Thanks again,
potter_babe
Μύ
WW2 longest war ever? surely not? Erm, lets think. Well, there's the hundred years war. And the 30 years war. And the Napoleonic War. And, as a final arbitrary example, the first punic war. that should do for the moment. -
Message 9
Posted by stalteriisok (U3212540) on Thursday, 9th March 2006
Strange to think that something as simple as a football game could instigate a war.Μύ
No - sorry dont agree with that - every time England lose we should launch pre-emptive strikes against the offending countries
remember Bill Shanklys quote "Some people say football is not a matter of life or death, thats correct, its much more important than that " -
Message 10
Posted by luna_dragon (U2841126) on Thursday, 9th March 2006
Polwanderer and FEC,
Sorry, I totally forgot about the War of the Roses, Napoleonic War etc. Feel totally thick!!
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Message 11
Posted by Hasse (U1882612) on Thursday, 9th March 2006
Plan
If my memory isnt totally out of whack is the record some 22 minutes,once again RN and Afrika but in west Afrika.
Ivory Coast or around,where local chief took some hostages,and did learn what guns can do.
Hasse -
Message 12
Posted by Plancenoit (U1237957) on Thursday, 9th March 2006
Hasse,
I'm really not sure, you've got me with that one. The Zanzibar thing always sticks in my mind from a school history lesson many years ago. I was so amazed that a whole war could begin and end in less than an hour, it made an impression that has stuck with me. Me and Baroness Plancenoit have had wars last longer than that!!!
All the best
Dan. Plan
If my memory isnt totally out of whack is the record some 22 minutes,once again RN and Afrika but in west Afrika.
Ivory Coast or around,where local chief took some hostages,and did learn what guns can do.
HasseΜύ -
Message 13
Posted by Eliza6Beth (U2637732) on Thursday, 9th March 2006
So many short wars! And there's me thinking, Well, there was the Six day war, wasn't there?
When is a war a war by the way? DOes it require a formal declaration a la Neville Churchill (I have to tell you now...). Or when is it just border conflicts, skirmishes, 'a little local diffculty' etc.
Eliza. -
Message 14
Posted by Hasse (U1882612) on Friday, 10th March 2006
Plan
You could be right,since If the incident I remember was aganst a local chief would it probably not count as a war but an incident.
Dont war to much with your old lady,my experience of that is even when I win I do lose somehow in the end.
Hasse -
Message 15
Posted by Erik Lindsay (U231970) on Saturday, 11th March 2006
According to American President Truman, the Korean War wasn't a war at all, it was a ''Police Action''.
That being the case, the ''Korean War'' may not have lasted any time at all.....!!
A war can't get much shorter than that. -
Message 16
Posted by Erik Lindsay (U231970) on Saturday, 11th March 2006
Erik Lindsay,
Thankyou for replying, its greatly appreciated. I agree that something as simple as a football match could lead to a war. Im not a keen footbal fan myself, but I think fighting over a game is so stupid. But I guess that if tensions between San Salvador and Honduras were already strained, then there would be a lot more factors than the game which would have lead to this war.
Thanks again,
potter_babe Μύ
Of course, you're right, babe...and I thought I'd pointed that out early in my comment. As I noted, the football game was merely a catalytic agent, but it was evidently what put a final period to (armed) peaceful negotations between San Salvador and Honduras. Whether or not war would have been declared without the stimulus of the football hassle is kind of up for grabs, but there's a possibility that it wouldn't have been.
As more than one person has noted (above), some people take their football very seriously indeed.
I, personally, prefer hockey...... -
Message 17
Posted by pedrokelly (U1360661) on Wednesday, 15th March 2006
I think I once read that the Falklands War wasn't really a war as war between the UK and Argentina was never formally declared. This is why it is sometimes known as the Falklands Conflict.
Don't know if anyone can confirm this.
Of course we never faught a war in N Ireland either, thus IRA prisoners were not POW's, which led to the dirty protests and hunger strikers.
In both cases people died in armed conflict of a sort, is this not war?
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