Top 10 Shortest Wars in All of History

1918
After World War I, both Armenia and Georgia gained their liberation from the Russian Empire. The two newly independent neighboring nations soon fell into a dispute involving control of the Lori and Akhalkalaki territories. At this point, Ottoman forces, which had occupied some of these regions during the war had withdrawn, leaving them under the control of Georgia, even though they were Armenian-dominated. On December 7th 1918, this dispute became hostile and Allied forces were called in to find a resolution. They negotiated to turn the Lori district into a neutral zone, later dividing the area equally between the two nations. By December 31st, a ceasefire was declared, bringing an end to a 24-day war that saw both Georgia and Armenia suffer heavy losses.

1066
On September 28th 1066, the Duke of Normandy, later and more famously known as William the Conqueror, landed in England with his troops, seeking to become King. Harold Godwinson, who ruled England at the time, had ascended to the throne following the passing of his childless brother-in-law Edward the Confessor. After thwarting an attempted invasion by Norwegian king Harald Hardrada in the North, Godwinson marched part of his army to the South to fight the Normans. This resulted in the historic Battle of Hastings on October 14th, when William handily defeated Godwinson and claimed the crown. While there were multiple rebellions in the years that followed, the war was over that day in a little over two weeks.

1885
In September 1885, Bulgaria declared its unification with the Ottoman province of Eastern Rumelia. This move was vehemently opposed by the neighboring Serbia, who feared that they would lose a lot of their influence in the Balkan region. With the support of Austria-Hungary, the King of Serbia, Milan I, declared war on Bulgaria on November 14th. While they were the favorites to win, Serbian forces met stiff opposition from their opponents, who managed victories in vital battles and began occupying their land. Seeing the writing on the wall, Austria-Hungary demanded that Bulgaria stop its warfare, otherwise, their army would intervene on Serbia’s behalf. Hence, a ceasefire was signed on November 28th, with the unification of Bulgaria being internationally recognized.

1971
Following the independence of Pakistan in 1947, tensions arose between the East and West territories that eventually devolved into the Bangladesh Liberation War. With conflict tearing the region apart, millions of Bengalis sought refuge in neighboring India. On December 3rd 1971, Pakistan launched a surprise attack on 11 Indian airfields, reigniting the storied feud between the two countries. It, however, didn’t take long for India to dominate Pakistan, as they were fully prepared for war and carried out coordinated air, land and sea attacks on their opponents. By December 16th, Pakistan formally surrendered to India, after suffering losses of nearly 10,000 troops. This also brought an end to the Bangladesh Liberation War and their formal recognition as an independent country.

1991
On June 25th, 1991, Slovenia announced its independence from Yugoslavia after a referendum passed with an overwhelming majority. As they opposed this declaration, the Yugoslav government began advancing its army, also known as the JNA, towards Slovenia’s border the very next day. The conflict officially began on the 27th, after the first shot was fired by a JNA officer, and lasted for ten days. On the 7th of July, both nations, alongside Croatia, signed the Brioni Accords, under the guidance of the European Community, which brought the war to an end. The Accords also mandated the withdrawal of the JNA from Slovenia, and a cessation of independence activities in the country for three months.

1925
Also known by the less dramatic name of the Incident at Petrich, this battle kicked off on October 19th, 1925, between Bulgaria and Greece after years of strained relations. There are varying accounts over what exactly led to this war, but in the most popular version, a Greek soldier crossed the border on October 18th to chase after his dog. He was then shot and killed by a Bulgarian sentry. Bulgaria apologized for the incident, but Greece demanded that they also punish the shooter and provide two million French francs as compensation. Once they refused, Greece sent troops into the country to force their hand. The League of Nations promptly stepped in and negotiated a resolution, terminating the war on October 29th.

1967
After decades of border disputes between Israel and neighboring Arab countries, things escalated on June 5th when Israel launched an airstrike against Egypt. This attack nearly obliterated Egypt’s air force and led to the deaths of 15 UN peacekeepers. A similar treatment followed in Syria, Jordan, and Iraq, followed by skirmishes with troops on the ground. The UN stepped in and brokered a ceasefire deal, which was signed by all affected nations on June 11th. This battle wasn’t a close contest at all. Israel had less than 1000 fatalities, while the combined Arab countries suffered almost 20,000. Israel also made several land gains, such as the Gaza Strip, Sinai Peninsula, and the West Bank of the Jordan River.

2008
While it’s often called the Five-Day War, this conflict escalated over a longer period between Russia and its former protectorate, Georgia. The tension between the two countries had been palpable ever since Georgia declared independence in 1991 just prior to the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Their relationship became further strained following Vladimir Putin’s election, reaching a breaking point in 2008, when NATO promised to add Georgia as a member. Russia backed independence movements in Georgian territories South Ossetia and Abkhazia, and on August 1st, Russian-supported forces in South Ossetia attacked Georgian villages. The Georgian army entered South Ossetia in response on August 7th. Falsely claiming that Georgia was committing genocide, Russia invaded Georgia, until a ceasefire was negotiated by French President Nicolas Sarkozy on August 12th.

1969
On June 27th, 1969, the El Salvador and Honduras soccer teams faced each other in a play-off qualifier for the 1970 FIFA World Cup. The game was ultimately won by El Salvador, causing already tense relations between the two nations to spiral out of control. Less than three weeks later, on the 14th of July, the Salvadoran air force attacked Honduras and invaded the country. Although they initially advanced rapidly, the Salvadorans soon met significant resistance from Honduran troops. The Organization of American States was then asked by Honduras to arrange a ceasefire, officially bringing the conflict to an end on July 18th. However, it wasn’t until 1980 that El Salvador and Honduras signed a peace treaty resolving their long-standing border dispute.

1896
On August 27th 1896, a war commenced and wrapped up in less time than a “Stranger Things” episode. The conflict involved Khalid bin Barghash, who had installed himself as Zanzibar’s ruler after the sudden death of his uncle, the pro-British Sultan, Hamad bin Thuwaini. Many even believed that Khalid had a hand in Hamad’s demise. This didn’t go down well with British authorities, as they wanted a different person in charge. They sent Khalid an ultimatum to evacuate the palace, but he surrounded it with soldiers instead. On the 27th, British warships rained down bullets on the palace, effectively winning the battle in 38 minutes. Only one Brit was injured in the process, while Zanzibar had around 500 casualties.