Consequential Wars That Ended Before They Even Started
It's tough to turn on the news today and not see anything about a war going on somewhere in the world. And part of that is due to conflicts that have gone on forever, with no solution on the horizon. We normalize war as a state of mind, making it part of the background noise of our daily lives, but the truth is that all of those fights are way more complex than we can possibly imagine.
All wars can be avoided, but there's a special category of armed conflict that makes no sense, and those are wars that last for a couple of days, at most. Dictators with delusions of grandeur, nations trying to bite off more than they can chew, or countries that can't live without invading others for their natural resources.
Here are some consequential wars that ended before they even started and, in most cases, amounted to nothing at all.
Anglo-Zanzibar War (1896)
The shortest war in history lasted only 38 minutes.
Invasion of Anjouan (2008)
Also known as Operation Democracy in Comoros, it lasted for seven hours.
Azerbaijani offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh (2023)
Azerbaijan launched a military offensive against Artsakh that lasted less than 24 hours.
Wagner Group Rebellion (2023)
A Russian private military company staged an uprising but reached an agreement 24 hours later.
Football War (1969)
The conflict between El Salvador and Honduras in 1969 lasted 4 days, and it's also known as the 100 Hour War.
Rwandan-Ugandan War (2000)
Part of the Second Congo War, this conflict lasted five days.
Six Day War (1967)
From June 5 to June 10, 1967, Israel fought a coalition of Arab states.
Russo-Georgian War (2008)
This is considered the first European war of the 21st century, and while it lasted almost two weeks, it's also known as the Five Day War.
Iran–Israel War (2025)
The most recent example on this list is already known as the Twelve-Day War.
Indo-Pakistani War (1971)
The military conflict between India and Pakistan took place during the Bangladesh Liberation War and lasted less than two weeks.
Serbo-Bulgarian War (1885)
Serbia started this conflict that lasted two weeks and ended with their absolute defeat.
Turkish-Cypriot War (1974)
The Turkish invasion of Cyprus lasted a bit less than a month.
Austro-Prussian War (1866)
This war involved many European countries and lasted one month and eight days.
Falklands War (1982)
This undeclared war between Argentina and the United Kingdom lasted ten weeks.
Ilinden–Preobrazhenie Uprising (1903)
The organized revolt against the Ottoman Empire lasted about two or three months, according to official sources.
Spanish–American War (1898)
This war, which lasted less than four months, resulted in the USA acquiring sovereignty over Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines.
Gulf War (1990-1991)
Iraq faced a 42-country coalition for more than six months.
Toyota War (1986-1987)
Considered the last phase of the Chadian–Libyan War, it went on for nearly nine months.
Mexican–American War (1846-1848)
The invasion carried out by the USA lasted a year and nine months and annexed a big chunk of Mexican territory.
War of the Polish Succession (1733-1735)
This major European conflict was sparked by a civil war in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth over the succession to Augustus II the Strong.
