Ukuthula KwaseWestphalia—Inkathi Yoshintsho EYurophu

“UKUBUTHANA ndawonye kwezinhloko zemiBuso zaseYurophu eziningi kangaka namuhla kuyivelakancane impela.” URoman Herzog, owayengumongameli weFederal Republic of Germany, washo la mazwi ngo-October 1998. Lapho esho lawo mazwi, ezilalelini zakhe kwakukhona amakhosi amane, izindlovukazi ezine, amakhosana amabili, umbusi ophakeme, nabengameli abaningana. Lesi senzakalo, esasixhaswe uMkhandlu WaseYurophu, sasibaluleke kakhulu emlandweni weminyaka engu-50 weJalimane lanamuhla. Kwakuhlangenwe ngani?

Ngo-October 1998 kwakugujwa iminyaka engu-350 yeSivumelwano Sokuthula SaseWestphalia. Ngokuvamile, izivumelwano zokuthula ziyisikhathi lapho kwenziwa khona izinqumo ezibalulekile eziba nethonya elikhulu emlandweni, futhi kulokhu iSivumelwano SaseWestphalia sasikhethekile. Ukusayinwa kwalesi sivumelwano ngo-1648 kwaqeda iMpi Yeminyaka Engamashumi Amathathu futhi kwasho ukuqala kweYurophu yanamuhla ukuba yizwekazi elinamazwe azimele.

Uhlelo Oludala Luyazanyazanyiswa

NgeNkathi Ephakathi, iSonto LamaRoma Katolika noMbuso Ongcwele WamaRoma kwakunamandla amakhulu eYurophu. Umbuso wawunamakhulu ezigodi ezishiyana ngobukhulu futhi uphethe indawo esiyi-Austria, iCzech Republic, impumalanga yeFrance, iJalimane, iSwitzerland, iBelgium, iLuxembourg, iNetherlands, nezingxenye ze-Italy. Njengoba izigodi zaseJalimane zaziyingxenye enkulu yawo, umbuso wabizwa ngokuthi uMbuso Ongcwele WamaRoma Wesizwe SamaJalimane. Isigodi ngasinye sasibuswa inkosana njengokungathi siyisifunda. Umbusi ngokwakhe wayengumRoma Katolika wasemkhayeni wakwaHabsburg e-Austria. Ngakho, njengoba kwakuphethe isonto nombuso, kwakukhala isicathulo samaRoma Katolika eYurophu.

Nokho, ngekhulu le-16 nele-17, uhlelo olwalusebenza lwazanyazanyiswa. Kuyo yonke iYurophu kwakunokungagculiseki okwandile ngenxa yokweqisa ekuziphatheni kweSonto LamaRoma Katolika. Abashisekeli bezinguquko zenkolo abanjengoMartin Luther noJohn Calvin bakhuluma ngokubuyela ezindinganisweni zeBhayibheli. ULuther noCalvin basekelwa kabanzi, futhi kulo mzabalazo kwavela iNguquko (i-Reformation) nezinkolo zobuProthestani. Le Nguquko yahlukanisa umbuso waba nezinkolo ezintathu—ubuKatolika, ubuLuthela, nobuCalvin.

AmaKatolika ayengawethembi amaProthestani, namaProthestani ayeweya amaKatolika. Lesi simo saholela ekwakhekeni kweNhlangano YamaProthestani neNhlangano YamaKatolika ekuqaleni kwekhulu le-17. Amanye amakhosana ombuso ajoyina iNhlangano YamaProthestani, amanye ajoyina eyamaKatolika. IYurophu—ikakhulu umbuso—yayigcwele ukukhombana ngeminwe, ifana nomgqomo kaphethiloli odinga inhlansi eyodwa ukuze uqhume. Lapho leyo nhlansi igcina ivelile, yaqala impi eyadonsa iminyaka engu-30.

Inhlansi Ebulalayo Yokhela IYurophu

Ababusi bamaProthestani bazama ukuthonya abakwaHabsburg abangamaKatolika ukuba banikeze abantu inkululeko eyengeziwe yokukhulekela. Kodwa bavuma bengathandi, kwathi ngo-1617 kuya ku-1618, amasonto amabili amaLuthela eBohemia (iCzech Republic) avalwa ngempoqo. Lokhu kwazithukuthelisa izikhulu zamaProthestani, ezangena zingasadle nkobe zamuntu esigodlweni sasePrague, zagxavula izikhulu ezintathu zamaKatolika, zaziphonsa ngefasitela lekamelo eliphezulu. Lesi senzo sasiyinhlansi eyokhela iYurophu.

Nakuba ayethi angabalandeli beNkosi Yokuthula, uJesu Kristu, amalungu ezinkolo eziphikisanayo ayesebambene ngobhongwane. (Isaya 9:6) EMpini YaseNtabeni Emhlophe, iNhlangano YamaKatolika yayicoboshisa iNhlangano YamaProthestani, eyabe isihlakazeka. Izikhulu zamaProthestani zabulawelwa emakethe yasePrague. Kuyo yonke iBohemia, amaProthestani ayengavumi ukulahla inkolo yawo aphucwa izindawo zawo zabelwa amaKatolika. Incwadi ethi 1648—Krieg und Frieden in Europa (Ngo-1648—Impi Nokuthula EYurophu), ichaza lokhu kuphucwa kwendawo ngokuthi “enye yezinguquko ezinkulu ebunikazi bendawo ezake zenzeka eYurophu ephakathi.”

Lokho okwaqala njengempi yenkolo eBohemia kwakhula kwaba umbango wamazwe wokubusa. Phakathi neminyaka engu-30 eyalandela, la mazwe iDenmark, iFrance, iNetherlands, iSpain, neSweden angena empini. Ababusi bamaKatolika nabamaProthestani, ngokuvamile beqhutshwa ukuhaha nokunxanela ukuphatha, benza izinto ngobuqili ukuze badlondlobale kwezombusazwe futhi bazuze ngokwezimali. IMpi Yeminyaka Engamashumi Amathathu iye yahlukaniswa ngezigaba, ngasinye saqanjwa ngezitha eziyinhloko zombusi. Izincwadi eziningana zibiza izigaba ezine kanje: iMpi YeBohemia NePalatinate, iMpi YeDenmark NeLower Saxony, iMpi YeSweden, neMpi YeFrance NeSweden. Ngokuvamile kwakulwelwa ezindaweni zoMbuso WamaRoma.

Izikhali zangaleso sikhathi zazihlanganisa amavolovolo, oqhwasha, ontuluntulu, nombayimbayi, eziningi zazo zivela eSweden. AmaKatolika namaProthestani ayengene shí empini. Amasosha aya empini ememeza ethi “Santa Maria,” amanye ethi “UNkulunkulu unathi.” Amasosha ayehamba ephanga futhi ethumba enqamula izigodi zaseJalimane, ephatha amasosha ezitha nezakhamuzi njengezilwane. Impi yaba nesihluku esikhulu. Yeka umehluko kulokho okushiwo isiprofetho seBhayibheli: “Ngeke ziphakamise inkemba, isizwe simelane nesizwe, futhi ngeke zisayifunda impi”!—Mika 4:3.

Isizukulwane esithile samaJalimane sakhula sazi impi kuphela, futhi abantu abase bekhathele impi, babelangazelela ukuthula. Ngokusobala ukuthula kwakuyoba khona ukube ababusi babengenayo imigomo engqubuzanayo yezombusazwe. Ezombusazwe zavelela kakhulu njengoba kwakungasalwelwa inkolo. Okuxakayo ukuthi enye indoda eyayikhuthaza lolu shintsho yayiyisikhulu esiphakeme eSontweni LamaKatolika.

UKhadinali Richelieu Usebenzisa Igunya Lakhe

Isiqu esingokomthetho sika-Armand-Jean du Plessis kwakunguKhadinali de Richelieu. Waba nangundunankulu waseFrance kusukela ngo-1624 kuya ku-1642. URichelieu wayehlose ukwenza iFrance ibe umbuso onamandla eYurophu. Ukuze enze lokho, wazama ukuqeda amandla amaKatolika akubo, abakwaHabsburg. Wakwenza kanjani lokhu? Ngokuxhasa ngezimali amasosha amaProthestani ezigodi zaseJalimane, aseDenmark, aseNetherlands, nawaseSweden, wonke ayelwa nabakwaHabsburg.

Ngo-1635, uRichelieu wathumela amasosha aseFrance empini ngokokuqala ngqá. Incwadi ethi vivat pax—Es lebe der Friede! (Makume Njalo Ukuthula!) ichaza ukuthi ngasesigabeni sokugcina, “iMpi Yeminyaka Engamashumi Amathathu ayibange isaba impi ephakathi kwezinkolo. . . . Le mpi yaba umdonsiswano wokudlondlobala kwezombusazwe eYurophu.” Lokho okwaqala njengempi yenkolo phakathi kwamaKatolika namaProthestani kwagcina sekuyimpi lapho amaKatolika namaProthestani ayelwa namanye amaKatolika. INhlangano YamaKatolika, eyayisintekenteke ngasekuqaleni kwawo-1630, yahlakazeka ngo-1635.

Ingqungquthela Yokuthula EWestphalia

IYurophu yabhuqwa ukuphanga, ukubulala, ukudlwengula, nezifo. Kancane kancane, ukubona ukuthi akekho owayenganqoba kule mpi, kwenza ukulangazelela ukuthula kwaba namandla. Incwadi ethi vivat pax—Es lebe der Friede! ithi “ngasekupheleni kwawo-1630, amakhosana ayebusa agcina evumile ukuthi impi yayingeke isawasiza ukufinyelela umgomo wawo.” Uma kanti wonke umuntu wayefuna ukuthula, kwakuzotholakala kanjani?

UMbusi uFerdinand III woMbuso Ongcwele WamaRoma, neNkosi uLouis XIII yaseFrance, neNdlovukazi uChristina yaseSweden bavumelana ngokuthi kufanele kube nengqungquthela lapho bonke ababesempini babezobuthana khona baxoxisane ngemibandela yokuthula. Kwakhethwa izindawo ezimbili zalezi zingxoxo—idolobhana lase-Osnabrück nelaseMünster esifundazweni saseWestphalia eJalimane. Akhethwa ngenxa yokuthi ayephakathi nendawo phakathi kwenhloko-dolobha yaseSweden neyaseFrance. Kusukela ngo-1643, amathimba angaba ngu-150—amanye ayenenqwaba yabeluleki—afika kula madolobhana amabili, izithunywa zamaKatolika zabuthanela eMünster, ezamaProthestani zabuthanela e-Osnabrück.

Kwaqale kwamiswa inqubo yokwenza izinto ukuze kucaciswe izinto ezinjengeziqu nezikhundla zezithunywa, ukuthi ubani uzohlala kuphi, nezinye izinqubo. Kwabe sekuqala izingxoxo zokuthula, iziphakamiso zidluliswa abaxhumanisi zisuka kwelinye ithimba ziya kwelinye. Ngemva kweminyaka ecishe ibe mihlanu—impi isaqhubeka—kwavunyelwana ngemibandela yokuthula. ISivumelwano SaseWestphalia salotshwa ezincwadini ezingaphezu kweyodwa. Esinye isivumelwano sasayinwa uMbusi uFerdinand III neSweden, esinye sasayinwa yilo mbusi neFrance.

Njengoba imibiko yesivumelwano yayisakazeka, kwaqala imikhosi yokuhalalisa. Lokho okwaqala ngenhlansi ebulalayo kwaphela ngeziqhumane zokudlala zangempela. Zakhanyisa isibhakabhaka emadolobheni ahlukahlukene. Kwakhala izinsimbi zesonto, kwaqhuma ombayimbayi benanela isivumelwano, abantu bavuma ingoma ezitaladini. Ingabe iYurophu manje yayingalindela ukuthula okuhlala njalo?

Kungaba Khona Yini Ukuthula Okuhlala Njalo?

ISivumelwano SaseWestphalia sasekela isimiso sokuzibusa kwamazwe. Lokhu kwasho ukuthi bonke ababesesivumelwaneni bavuma ukuhlonipha amalungelo ezifunda abo bonke abanye, bangagxambukeli ezindabeni zamanye amazwe. Ngaleyo ndlela kwaba khona iYurophu eyizwekazi elinezifunda ezizimele. Kulezo zifunda, abanye bazuza kakhudlwana kulesi sivumelwano kunabanye.

IFrance yamiswa njengombuso onamandla, izwe laseNetherlands nelaseSwitzerland ngalinye lathola uzimele geqe. Ezigodini zaseJalimane, eziningi zazo ezazibhuqwe impi, lesi sivumelwano saba nemiphumela ethile engathandeki. Ngezinga elithile, ikusasa leJalimane lanqunywa amanye amazwe. I-New Encyclopædia Britannica iyabika: “Ukuthi yikuphi lapho amakhosana aseJalimane ayezuza noma elahlekelwa khona kwakuxhomeke kulokho okwakuzuzisa imibuso eyinhloko: iFrance, iSweden, ne-Austria.” Kunokuba zenziwe zibe munye njengesizwe esisodwa, izigodi zaseJalimane zahlukaniswa njengakuqala. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ezinye izindawo zayo zanikwa ababusi bakwamanye amazwe, njengoba kwaba njalo nangezingxenye ezithile zemifula emikhulu yaseJalimane—iRhine, i-Elbe, ne-Oder.

Inkolo yamaKatolika, yamaLuthela, neyamaCalvin, zaqashelwa ngokulinganayo. Lokhu akujabulisanga wonke umuntu. UPapa Innocent X wasiphikisa isivumelwano waze wasebenzisa amandla, wathi siyize. Noma kunjalo, imingcele yenkolo eyayisikiwe yahlala amakhulu amathathu eminyaka ingashintshwanga. Nakuba abantu ngabanye babengakayitholi inkululeko yenkolo, yayisiseduze ukutholakala.

Isivumelwano saqeda iMpi Yeminyaka Engamashumi Amathathu, saqeda nokungezwani okuningi. Lena kwakuyimpi yenkolo yokugcina enkulu eYurophu. Izimpi aziphelanga, kodwa izimbangela zazo eziyisisekelo zashintsha ekubeni ezenkolo zaba ezombusazwe noma ezentengiselwano. Lokho akusho ukuthi inkolo ayibange isaba nalo ithonya ezingxabanweni zaseYurophu. EMpini Yezwe I neyesi-II, amasosha aseJalimane ayenombhalo emabhandeni awo onamazwi azwakala ejwayelekile: “UNkulunkulu Unathi.” Kulezo zimpi ezishaqisayo, amaKatolika namaProthestani aphinde ahlangana alwa namanye amaKatolika namaProthestani.

Ngokusobala, iSivumelwano SaseWestphalia asizange silethe ukuthula okuhlala njalo. Nokho, maduze isintu esilalelayo sizokuthola ukuthula okunjalo. UJehova uNkulunkulu uzoletha ukuthula okuhlala njalo esintwini ngoMbuso kaMesiya, iNdodana yakhe, uJesu Kristu. Kulowo hulumeni, inkolo yeqiniso eyodwa iyoba ithonya elibangela ubunye, hhayi ukuhlukana. Akekho oyokulwa nganoma isiphi isizathu, senkolo noma esinye. Yeka indlela okuyoba impumuzo ngayo lapho uMbuso ubusa umhlaba ngokuphelele futhi ‘ukuthula kungeke kuphele’ khona!—Isaya 9:6, 7.

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 21]

Lokho okwaqala njengempi yenkolo phakathi kwamaKatolika namaProthestani kwagcina sekuyimpi lapho amaKatolika namaProthestani ayelwa namanye amaKatolika

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 22]

Amasosha aya empini ememeza ethi “Santa Maria,” amanye ethi “UNkulunkulu unathi”

[Isithombe ekhasini 21]

UKhadinali Richelieu

[Isithombe ekhasini 23]

Umdwebo wangekhulu le-16 obonisa ukulwa kukaLuther noCalvin belwa nopapa

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 20]

From the book Spamers Illustrierte Weltgeschichte VI

[Imithombo Yezithombe ekhasini 23]

Religious leaders struggling: From the book Wider die Pfaffenherrschaft; map: The Complete Encyclopedia of Illustration/J. G. Heck