The shortest war in history lasted thirty-eight minutes.
Why it is true
The Anglo-Zanzibar war of 1896 ended with a ceasefire after the sultan's palace was bombarded by the British.
Source: British Museum
Would you rather be asked first?
This is the reading side of the site, so the answer is in the sentence above — that is the whole point of it. Test yourself works the other way round: the question comes on its own, and the fact and the explanation only appear once you have answered.