External Intervention

Abstract

Over the century following 1848, eastern Europe became less and less sealed against extraneous influences and the incidence of external intervention in the affairs of its national minorities became progressively more frequent and ambitious. In the often confusing welter of historical instances of intrusion from outside the immediate relationship between minority and indigenous authority, four distinct (though occasionally overlapping) categories of intervention may be identified. Trans-national ‘partnership’ can be defined as joint action by two or more national minorities acting out of a sense of community of interest to further the individual or collective cause. Extra-national ‘patronage’ covers political, economic or military promotion of a minority by an existing state for reasons ranging from pure humanitarianism to territorial aggrandisement. Multi-national ‘partition’ describes territorial intervention by two or more foreign states, usually Great Powers, acting in a spirit of businesslike consensus to promote the general good. Finally, inter-national ‘protection’ signifies intercession by philanthropic or peace-keeping institutions standing apart from or (more ambitiously) above narrow national self-interest.