Impi—Ukushaqeka Nesigemegeme
“SASISEQENJINI lamasosha elalizibonakalise lingenazigigaba. Umkhuzi wethu wamabutho, indoda emnene, enomusa, isosha elingaqeqeshiwe kwezempi, wayesihola siphindela emuva ezinhlwini zethu. Isosha elaliqaphile lasibekela inselele. Ngaphambi kokuba umphathi wethu aphendule, isosha elinetwetwe elalingemva kwezinhlu zethu ladubula, lishaya umkhuzi wethu wamabutho ebusweni. Umuntu wabantu wazifela, engenakuzisiza.” NgokukaEdward B——, isosha laseBrithani, lokho kwahlanganisa isigemegeme seMpi Yezwe II.
Abanye bazama ukufihla ubunjalo bangempela bempi. Ngokwesibonelo, iMpi Yezwe I, yachazwa abanye abasakazi bezinkulumo-ze ‘njengengxenye yeArmagedoni—impi yokugcina yokulwa koKuhle noKubi . . . nanjengengxenye yezimpi zabamahhashi zenkathi ephakathi ezazilwiwa ngezinkemba, njengokungathi kwakunomdlalo omncane wecricket owawenezelwe.’ (The Faces of Power) Yayingekhona noma ikuphi kwalokhu. Yachazwa kangcono umcosheli wezindaba nomlobi uErnest Hemingway lapho ebhala ukuthi “kwakuwukubulala ngonya okwesabekayo, okucekela phansi, nokungenaluzwela kakhulu okwake kwenzeka emhlabeni”—kuze kube seMpini Yezwe II.
Ukubulala ngonya okunjalo kube uphawu lwazo zonke izimpi zalelikhulu leminyaka nangaphambi kwalo. UMalcolm Browne wabhala: “Zonke izimpi emlandweni, kungakhathaliseki imbangela noma isisusa sazo, bezihlasimulisa umzimba, zizwisa ubuhlungu obukhulu futhi zehlisa kubo bonke ababehilelekile.” EVietnam, wazibonela ngawakhe siqu okuningi kokubulala nosizi lwempi okunobufakazi obusobala, kodwa wayesenomuzwa wokuthi “akukho lutho olusha kokuhlangenwe nakho komuntu okwakuvezwa uchungechunge lwezinto ezisabekayo ezenzeka eViet Nam.”—The New Face of War.
Ngokuqinisekile kwenzeka izinto ezisabekayo ezifanayo phakathi neMpi Yezwe II. IJalimane neJapane kwakwenziwe incithakalo futhi ingqikithi yabafa ezimpini zamasosha nezesizwe ilinganiselwa ezigidini. lUnited States yalahlekelwa abalinganiselwa ezi-400 000, iBrithani abalinganiselwa ezi-450 000, neFrance abangaphezu kwengxenye yesigidi. ISoviet Union yalahlekelwa izigidi ezilinganiselwa ema-20. Inikeza uhlu lwalokho eyakuchaza ngokuthi “umshayabhuqe wokulimala kwabantu,” incwadi ethi World War II yaphawula: “Sezizonke izinkubela zasempini, kuhlanganise nezakhamuzi ezingabuthiwe empini, zafinyelela okungenani izigidi ezingama-50.”
Izinkubela zezakhamuzi ezingabuthiwe empini zaziyingxenye yalokho uGerald Priestland encwadini yakhe ethi Priestland—Right and Wrong akuchaza ngokuthi “impi ephelele: impi yamadoda, abesifazane nabantwana, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi bakuphi noma benzani, badala noma bawusizo kangakanani.” Wathi yafaniswa nalapho “imibuso ehlobene yenza iHamburg neDresden incithakalo, namaJalimane ecekela phansi iLiverpool neCoventry.”
Ukuqothulwa kwamashumi ezigidi empini bekuhlasimulisa umzimba. Kodwa kuthiwani ngalabo abasinda kulesigemegeme “esinyanyekayo, esizwisa ubuhlungu obukhulu nesilulazayo” sempi? Bathinteka kanjani? Futhi bangabhekana kanjani nemiphumela yakamuva? Izihloko ezilandelayo zizohlola lemibuzo.