1914​—Afe A Ɛmaa Wiase No Ho Dwiriw No

“Ɔko Kɛse a esii 1914-18 mu no te sɛ asase a ahyew bi a ɛtew saa bere no ne yɛn de yi ntam. Ɛde adwenem oku kɛse bi too mmere atitiriw abien bi ntam denam sɛnea ɛmaa nnipa pii hweree wɔn nkwa . . ., ɛsɛee gyidi horow, ɛsakraa nsusuwii horow, na egyaw abasamtu a wontumi nyɛ ho hwee no so.”​—Efi nhoma The Proud Tower​—A Portrait of the World Before the War 1890-1914, a Barbara Tuchman yɛe no mu.

“Ɛreyɛ adan abakɔsɛm fã​—nanso ɛnyɛɛ saa nwiei​—efisɛ nnipa mpempem pii a na wɔyɛ mmofra wɔ afeha titiriw a ɛto so aduonu no mfiase mu no da so ara te ase.”​—Efi nhoma 1914, a Lyn Macdonald yɛe na wotintimii wɔ 1987 mu no mu.

DƐN nti na ɛsɛ sɛ w’ani gye afe 1914 ho? Ebia wobɛka sɛ, ‘Daakye na ɛho hia me, na ɛnyɛ nea atwam.’ Esiane ɔhaw ahorow te sɛ efĩ a aba asase so nyinaa, abusua asetra a asɛe, nsɛmmɔnedi a ɛrekɔ soro, adwenemyare, ne adwuma a wonnya nyɛ nti, ebia onipa daakye te sɛ nea anidaso biara nnim. Nanso, nnipa pii a wɔayɛ nea 1914 kyerɛ mu nhwehwɛmu no ahu nea wobetumi agyina so anya daakye pa bi ho anidaso.

Ɔwɛn-Aban no de mfe du du pii akyerɛkyerɛ mu sɛ adesamma fii ase huu nea wɔfrɛ no “awoko yaw mfiase” no wɔ 1914 mu. Saa asɛm no yɛ Yesu Kristo nkɔmhyɛ kɛse a ɛfa nsɛm a ebesisi ansa na onipa nhyehyɛe bɔne yi aba awiei ho no fã bi.​—Mateo 24:7, 8.

Ɛnnɛ, adesamma mu kakraa bi tumi kae nsɛm atitiriw a esisii wɔ 1914 mu no ara. So wɔn a wɔn mfe akɔ anim awo ntoatoaso no betwam ansa na Onyankopɔn agye asase no afi ɔsɛe mu? Bible nkɔmhyɛ kyerɛ sɛ ɛnte saa. Yesu hyɛɛ bɔ sɛ, “sɛ muhu eyinom nyinaa a, munhu sɛ abɛn, na adu apon ano. Nokware mise mo sɛ, awo ntoatoaso yi rentwam, gye sɛ eyinom nyinaa abam ansa.”​—Mateo 24:33, 34.

Nea ɛbɛyɛ na woahu nea enti a 1914 kyerɛ biribi titiriw wɔ abakɔsɛm mu no, susuw sɛnea na nsɛm tebea te wɔ wiase no mu de besi 1914 mfinimfini no ho. Ansa na saa bere no reba no, na ahemfo te sɛ Czar Nicholas a ofi Rusia, Kaiser Wilhelm a ofi Germany, ne Ɔhempɔn Franz Josef a ofi Austria-Hungary wɔ tumi kɛse. Na mmarima yi mu biara betumi aboaboa mmarima akofo bɛboro ɔpepem anan ano akɔ ɔsa. Nanso na wɔn agyanom de wɔn nsa ahyɛ nea na wɔfrɛ no Apam Kronkron no ase, nea ɛka sɛ Onyankopɔn apaw wɔn sɛ wonni “Kristofo ɔman” kɛse biako bi afã horow so no.

Sɛnea The Encyclopaedia Britannica kyerɛ no, krataa yi “nyaa sɛnea Europa aman ne wɔn ho wɔn ho dii nsɛm fae wɔ afeha a ɛto so 19 mu no so tumi kɛse.” Wɔde dii dwuma de sɔre tiaa demokrase akuw ahorow na ɛboaa nea na wɔfrɛ no hokwan a Onyankopɔn de ama ahemfo no. Kaiser Wilhelm kyerɛw Czar Nicholas sɛ: “Yɛn a yɛyɛ Kristofo Ahemfo no wɔ asɛyɛde kronkron biako bi a Ɔsoro de ato yɛn so, na ɛne sɛ yebedi [hokwan a Onyankopɔn de ama ahemfo] ho nnyinasosɛm no so.” So na eyi kyerɛ sɛ ɔkwan bi so no, na Europa ahemfo no ne Onyankopɔn Ahenni no yɛ biako? (Fa toto 1 Korintofo 4:8 ho.) Na nsɔre a wogyinaa saa ahemfo no akyi no nso ɛ? So ka a wɔkae sɛ wɔyɛ Kristofo no yɛ nokware? Nsemmisa yi ho mmuae bɛdaa adi pefee wɔ mfe a na edi 1914 akyi pɛɛ no mu.

Mpofirim Ara, wɔ August Mu

Britaniani ɔmanyɛfo Winston Churchill kyerɛwee sɛ: “Asomdwoe soronko bi baa Europa wɔ 1914 fefɛw ne ahohuru bere mu.” Na nnipa pii wɔ daakye ho akwanhwɛ pa. Louis Snyder kae wɔ ne nhoma World War I mu sɛ: “Na anidaso ne bɔhyɛ pii wɔ 1914 wiase no mu.”

Ampa, na akansi a emu yɛ den akɔ so wɔ Germany ne Britain ntam mfe pii. Nanso, sɛnea abakɔsɛm kyerɛwfo G. P. Gooch kyerɛkyerɛ mu wɔ ne nhoma Under Six Reigns mu no: “Na ɛte sɛ nea ɔko betumi asi wɔ Europa wɔ 1911, 1912, anaa 1913 mu sen sɛnea na ebetumi aba wɔ 1914 mu . . . Na aban abien no ntam abusuabɔ no ye sen sɛnea na ɛte wɔ mfe pii mu no.” Sɛnea Winston Churchill a na ɔka Britain aban asoafo ho wɔ 1914 mu no kae no: “Na ɛte sɛ nea yɛne Germany nyinaa hwehwɛ asomdwoe.”

Nanso, ɔhaw bi bae bere a wɔ June 28, 1914 mu no, wokum ɔhene ba a anka ɔno na obedi Austria-Hungary Ahemman no so hene wɔ Sarajevo no. Ɔsram biako akyi no, Ɔhempɔn Franz Josef paee ɔko tiaa Serbia, na ɔde ahyɛde maa n’asraafo sɛ wɔntow nhyɛ saa ahemman no so. Saa bere no mu, wɔ August 3, 1914 anadwo no, Kaiser Wilhelm hyɛe ma Germanfo asraafodɔm kɛse bi tow hyɛɛ Belgium ahemman no so mpofirim na wɔko de wɔn ani kyerɛɛ France. Ɛda a edi hɔ no, Britain paee ɔko tiaa Germany. Czar Nicholas de, na wahyɛ sɛ wɔmmoaboa Rusia asraafodɔm kɛse no ano na wɔne Germany ne Austria-Hungary nkɔko. Apam Kronkron no antumi ansiw Europa ahemfo no kwan sɛ wɔbɛma asasepɔn no mufo de wɔn ho ahyɛ mogyahwiegu a wokunkum wɔn ho wɔn ho wom mu. Nanso na ahodwiriwde akɛseakɛse no mmae.

Buronya Bedu no na Aba Awiei?

Ɔko a esii no amma akwanhwɛ pa a nnipa wɔ no ano ammrɛ ase. Na pii gye di sɛ ɛbɛma wiase bi a eye koraa aba, na nnipadɔm pii boaboaa wɔn ho ano wɔ Europa nyinaa kae sɛ wɔtaa akyi. A. J. P. Taylor kyerɛw wɔ ne nhoma The Struggle for Mastery in Europe​—1848-1918 no mu sɛ: “Obiara ammu akodi mu asiane ahorow no aniberesɛm wɔ 1914 mu, gye nea ɛfa sraadi ho no nkutoo. . . . Obiara anhwɛ kwan sɛ ɛbɛsɛe nkurɔfo asetra.” Nnipa pii hyɛɛ nkɔm mmom sɛ ɛbɛba awiei wɔ asram kakraa bi mu.

Nanso, bere tenten ansa na Europafo betumi adi 1914 Buronya no, na mogyahwiegu a obiara antumi anni mu nkonim akɔ so wɔ amoa a ɛsesa so bɛyɛ kilomita 700 fi Switzerland wɔ kesee fam kosi Belgium mpoano wɔ kusuu fam no mu. Na wɔfrɛ eyi sɛ Atɔe Fam Akono, na Germanni nhoma kyerɛwfo Herbert Sulzbach kaa ho asɛm wɔ 1914 da a etwa to mu nsɛm a ɔkyerɛw hyɛɛ ne nhoma a ɔyɛ da biara mu nsɛm ho kyerɛwtohɔ wom no mu. Ɔkyerɛw sɛ: “Ɔko huhuuhu no rekɔ so, na bere a wususuw wɔ mfiase no sɛ ɛbɛba awiei wɔ adapɛn kakraa bi akyi no, mprempren wontumi nhu bere a ɛbɛba awiei.” Saa bere no ara mu, wɔ Europa mmeae afoforo no, mogyahwiegu akodi kɔɔ so wɔ Rusia, Germany, Austria-Hungary, ne Serbia asraafo ntam. Ankyɛ na ɔko no mu trɛw kɔɔ Europa akyi mmeae afoforo, na wɔkoe wɔ po so ne wɔ Afrika, Mfinimfini Apuei, ne Pasifik nsupɔw no so.

Mfe anan akyi no, Europa sɛe pasaa. Germany, Rusia, ne Austria-Hungary mu biara hweree asraafo bɛyɛ ɔpepem biako anaa abien. Rusia hweree ahemfo nniso no mpo wɔ 1917 Bolshevik ɔman anidan no mu. Hwɛ sɛnea Europa ahemfo ne wɔn asɔfo a wɔtaa wɔn akyi no ho dwiriw wɔn! Ɛda so ara yɛ nnɛyi abakɔsɛm akyerɛwfo nwonwa. Gordon Brook-Shepherd bisa wɔ ne nhoma Royal Sunset no mu sɛ: “Ɛyɛɛ dɛn na sodifo a wɔn mu dodow no ara nam awo anaa aware so bɔ abusua, a na wɔn nyinaa de wɔn ho ama sɛ wɔbɛkora ahenni so, de wɔn ho hyɛɛ mogyahwiegu a wokunkum wɔn ankasa mmusuafo wom mu ma ɛtɔree wɔn mu pii ase na ɛmaa nkaefo no tumi so tewee no mu saa?”

France ɔman no nso hweree asraafo ɔpepem biako ne akyi, na Britania Ahemman a na wɔn ahemfo tumi so atew bere tenten ansa na ɔko no reba no, hweree 900,000 ne akyi. Wɔka wɔn nyinaa bom a, asraafo ɔpepem 9 ne akyi na wowuwui, na ɔpepem 21 nso pirapirae. The World Book Encyclopedia ka wɔn a wɔankɔ ɔko no bi a wowuwui no ho asɛm sɛ: “Obiara nnim wɔn a wɔnyɛ asraafo a nyarewa, ɔkɔm, ne nneɛma afoforo a ɔko no de bae kunkum wɔn no dodow. Abakɔsɛm akyerɛwfo binom susuw sɛ wɔn a wɔnyɛ asraafo a wowuwui no ne asraafo a wowuwui no dodow yɛ pɛ.” Spanish influensa ɔyaredɔm a ɛbae 1918 mu no kunkum nnipa 21,000,000 nso wɔ asase so nyinaa.

Nsakrae Kɛse

Wiase no anyɛ sɛnea na anka ɛte no bio wɔ Ɔko Kɛse no, sɛnea wɔfrɛɛ no saa bere no, akyi. Esiane sɛ Kristoman nsɔre pii de wɔn ho hyɛɛ mu anigye so nti, wɔn a wofii mu kae a wɔn abam abu no twee wɔn ho fii nyamesom ho na wogye dii mmom sɛ Onyankopɔn biara nni hɔ. Afoforo de wɔn ho hyɛɛ honam fam nneɛma ne anigyede ahorow akyidi mu. Sɛnea Ɔbenfo Modris Eksteins kyerɛw wɔ ne nhoma Rites of Spring mu no, “wɔdaa anigyepɛ ne ahopɛ kɛse adi” wɔ 1920 mfe no mu.

Ɔbenfo Eksteins kyerɛkyerɛ mu sɛ: “Ɔko no sɛee abrabɔ pa gyinapɛn ahorow.” Na nyamesom, sraadi, ne amammui akannifo akyerɛ afã abien no nyinaa mu nnipa ma wobu nnipakum pii sɛ adepa. Eksteins gye tom sɛ na eyi “yɛ abrabɔ nhyehyɛe bi a wɔka sɛ egyina Yudafo ne Kristofo abrabɔ pa ho mmara so a wɔsɛee no koraa ara kwa.” Ɔde ka ho sɛ: “Ankyɛ na tuutuufo afie bɛyɛɛ nneɛma a wɔtaa hu wɔ asraafo trabea wɔ Atɔe Fam Akono . . . Mmarima ne mmea a wɔwɔ fie nyinaa nso abrabɔ sɛee. Tuutuubɔ nyaa nkɔanim ma ɛyɛɛ nwonwa.”

Nokwarem no, 1914 sakraa nneɛma pii. Amma wiase papa biara amma, na ɔko no anyɛ “ɔko a ɛde akodi nyinaa bɛba awiei,” sɛnea na nnipa pii ani da so no. Mmom no, sɛnea abakɔsɛm kyerɛwfo Barbara Tuchman ka no: “Sɛnea nnipa pii abam bui no maa nneɛma a wosusuwii ho na wɔde anigye hwɛɛ kwan sɛ ebetumi aba wɔ mmere a edii 1914 anim mu no nyinaa de nkakrankakra yerae.”

Nanso, nsɛm a esisii saa afe no anyɛ wɔn a wohuu 1914 mu awerɛhosɛm no mu binom ahodwiriw. Nokwarem no, ansa na ɔko no refi ase no, na wɔrehwɛ “ɔhaw bere bi a ennye koraa” kwan. Na wɔne henanom? Na dɛn na wonim a na afoforo nnim no?

[Adaka wɔ kratafa 5]

Britaniafo Akwanhwɛ Pa wɔ 1914 Mu

“Ɛrekɔ bɛyɛ afeha no, na ɔtamfo biara nnaa ne ho adi wɔ po a atwa yɛn supɔw no ho ahyia no so ɛ. . . . Na ɛyɛ den mpo sɛ obi besusuw sɛ yɛn man a asomdwoe wom no betumi aba asiane bi mu ma ayɛ yiye. . . . Na bere biara nni hɔ a anigye ne yiyedi aba London sen saa bere yi. Na bere biara nni hɔ a wɔanya nneɛma pii a ne yɛ, ne hwɛ, ne ne te ho wɔ mfaso sen saa bere no. Mpanyimfo ne mmofra nyinaa anhu da sɛ nokwarem no, nea na wɔrehu wɔ 1914 bere a ɛso bi mmaa da mu no yɛ bere no awiei.”​—Before the Lamps Went Out, a Gooffrey Marcus yɛe no.