Talks History
Talks History with Donnie Dodson is a narrative commentary podcast that explores the echoes of the past through the lens of culture, conflict, and connection. Each episode dives into major historical events, overlooked moments, and enduring figures of history, often drawing parallels to the world we live in today.
Hosted by Donnie Dodson of Eats History, this podcast goes beyond just dates and facts, offering a thoughtful and storytelling-driven take on what history meant then and what it might mean now.
Talks History
The 38 Minute War - Ep.3
Most wars last years. This one couldn’t outlast a podcast episode.
In 1896, the British Empire declared war on the tiny sultanate of Zanzibar, and wrapped the whole thing up in less time than it takes to cook a full English breakfast.
But beneath the trivia-night absurdity of “the shortest war in history” is a brutal, brilliant display of imperial power, a palace in ruins, and a sultan who learned the hard way what happens when you challenge the world’s largest empire without a plan… or navy.
In this episode, we dig into how a miscalculated succession crisis, three British warships, and exactly zero patience turned a royal dispute into a 38-minute spectacle of firepower. You'll hear about defiant sultans, strategic telegrams, and a royal yacht that didn’t stand a chance. It’s a war with everything condensed into less than an hour.
Because sometimes, history doesn’t need a battlefield.
Sometimes, all it takes to erase a kingdom… is 38 minutes.