Ubu haraciye imyaka ijana abasore amamiliyoni bataye muhira iwabo aho bari batekaniwe maze baja mu ntambara. Bagiyeyo bafise ishaka ridasanzwe bivuye ku gatima ko gukunda igihugu kari gakwiragiye mu bantu. Umunyamerika umwe yagiye muri iyo ntambara avyishakiye mu 1914, yanditse ati: “Niteganye igishika n’umunezero imisi myiza cane iri imbere.”

Ariko rero, ishaka bari bafise ntiryatevye gusubirirwa n’amaganya. Nta n’umwe yigeze yiyumvira ingene izo ngabo nyinshi zomaze imyaka n’iyindi mu mifurege y’urushanga mu Bubiligi no mu Bufaransa. Ico gihe, iyo ntambara abantu benshi bayise ngo ni “Intambara ikomeye.” Ubu tuyita intambara ya mbere y’isi yose.

Intambara ya mbere y’isi yose yari ikomeye koko uravye inganda yatikije. Twisunze ibiharuro bimwebimwe vyatanzwe, yahitanye abantu nk’imiliyoni 10, abantu imiliyoni 20 na bo barakomereka bimwe bikomeye. Vyongeye, ukwihenda gukomeye kw’abantu ni kwo kwandurukije iyo ntambara. Abategetsi b’i Buraya vyarabananiye kubuza ko icuka kibi cari hagati y’ibihugu bitandukanye kivyara intambara y’isi yose. N’ikiruta ibindi kumbure, ni uko iyo “Ntambara ikomeye” yasize inkovu zikomeye. Yarahinduye isi mu buryo bwagize ico bukoze ku bayibako gushika n’ubu.

Iyo ntambara ya mbere y’isi yose yadutse bitewe n’ukwihenda kw’abantu. Igitabu kimwe (The Fall of the Dynasties—The Collapse of the Old Order 1905-1922) gisigura yuko mu ci ryo mu 1914 ryarangwamwo amahoro, indongozi z’i Buraya zapfuye gufata ingingo zitiyumviriye ingaruka vyogize, zimera nk’uwugenda asinziriye maze agatsitara atanabizi agakomereka.

Mu mayinga makeya, igandagurwa ry’umuganwa wo muri Otrishe ryaratumye ibihugu vyose vy’i Buraya bikomakomeye bija mu ntambara bitipfuza. Imisi mikeyi iyo ntambara itanguye, umushikiranganji wa mbere w’Ubudagi yarabajijwe ingene vyose vyatanguye, maze yishurana umubabaro ati: “Nta wosigura ingene vyatanguye.”

Abarongozi bafashe ingingo zitabereye zatumye iyo ntambara yaduka, ntibari bazi na gato ingaruka vyokweze. Ariko abasoda bari binyegeje mu mifurege bobo ntibatevye kwibonera ingaruka zayo. Barabonye ko abategetsi babo batashikije ivyo bari babasezeraniye, be n’uko abakuru b’idini bari babahenze, abajenerali babo na bo barabahemukira. Uti gute?

Abategetsi bari babasezeraniye yuko iyo ntambara yotumye haboneka isi nshasha kandi imeze neza kuruta.shikiranganji wa mbere w’Ubudagi yatangaje ati: “Turiko turwanira ivyo twabiriye akuya mu gihe c’amahoro, kahise kacu gakomeye twarazwe be na kazoza kacu.” Prezida wa Amerika Woodrow Wilson ari mu batanguje icivugo cemerwa na benshi cakura amazinda abantu yuko iyo ntambara “yotumye isi igira amahoro maze demokarasi ikiganza.” Mu Bwongereza na ho abantu biyumvira ko iyo ndwano yobaye “intambara yo kurangiza intambara.” Abo bose barihenda.

Abakuru b’amadini barashigikiye intambara bivuye inyuma. Igitabu kimwe kivuga ivyerekeye kahise k’isi (The Columbia History of the World) kigira giti: “Abari bakwiye kwigisha ijambo ry’Imana bararemesheje abantu kuja mu ntambara. Kuba ibihugu vyarasidukanye n’iyonka muri iyo ntambara vyatumye urwanko rukwiragira mu bantu nka bose.” Abakuru b’amadini barakokeje urwanko aho kururwanya. Igitabu kimwe (A History of Christianity) kivuga giti: “Abakuru b’amadini vyarabananiye gushira ubukirisu imbere y’ubwenegihugu, eka mbere benshi ntibigeze banavyipfuza. Abenshi muri bo bahisemwo kworosha ibintu, ubukirisu babufata cokimwe n’ugukunda igihugu. Abasoda bo mu madini yose ya gikirisu baremeshejwe kwica bagenzi babo mw’izina ry’Umukiza wabo.”

Abajenerali basezeraniye ingabo zabo intsinzi yihuta kandi itagoye, ariko si ko vyagenze. Hadaciye igihe kinini, urugamba rwarakomeye harabura uwutsinda n’uwutsindwa. Mu nyuma, abasoda amamiliyoni bariboneye ico umuhinga umwe mu vya kahise yavuze ko “ari amahano kumbure aruta ayandi yose abantu bihanganiye ku mubiri no ku mutima.” Naho abasoda bahasize ubuzima bari benshi cane, nticabujije ko abo bajenerali baguma barungika ingabo zabo ku birindiro vy’abansi no mu muriro w’ibirwanisho. Ntibitangaje rero kubona hirya no hino ingabo zaciye zitangura kugumuka.

None iyo ntambara ya mbere y’isi yose yagize ingaruka izihe ku bantu? Hari igitabu c’ivya kahise gisubiramwo amajambo y’umusoda umwe yarwanye iyo ntambara giti: “Iyo ntambara . . . yaragize ingaruka mbi ku vyiyumviro vy’abantu b’iryo yaruka no ku nyifato yabo.” Kukaba nkako, iyo ntambara yatumye inganji zimwezimwe zizimangana uko zakabaye. Iyo ntambara ikomeye yabaye intango y’ikinjana caranzwe n’ugusesa amaraso ku rugero abantu batari bwigere babona. Imigumuko n’imyiyerekano vyahavuye bikwiragira hirya no hino.

Kubera iki iyo ntambara yahinduye isi rwose? Ivyo bintu bikomeye vyabaye, vyoba ari ivyapfuye kwiyadukiza? Inyishu z’ivyo bibazo zihishura iki ku bijanye na kazoza kacu?