Military History Lecture & Dinner

Military History Evening

Thursday, 5th June 2025

Topic:

Guest Speakers: Anne Chappel

As the Union Jack was lowered for the final time, Prince Philip stood in attendance, marking the end of 73 years of British Protectorate rule. The island nation rejoiced in its long-awaited independence. But the celebration was short-lived. Barely a month later, a violent revolution swept through Zanzibar, toppling the new government and leaving thousands dead.

Anne Chappel was born in Tanganyika and lived in Zanzibar from the age of eight. She witnessed the island’s transformation firsthand. Her father, Mervyn Smithyman OBE, served as Permanent Secretary to the Prime Minister of Zanzibar. On the night of the revolution, Anne and her family made a dramatic escape from Zanzibar’s Stone Town aboard their yacht. In her talk, Anne will recount these events and explain how democracy failed. She will shed light on the Cold War forces that tore the…