“Intervent” is a word that periodically appears now, but was especially well known in Russia during the Civil War. The interventionist is the one who carries out the intervention. The meaning of this term will be considered below.
What is intervention?
From the point of view of international law, the meaning of this term cannot always be clearly indicated. In Latin, intervention translates as “intervention”. What is meant? This may be political, military, economic or informational interference of one country or several states in the external and internal affairs of another country, violating its independence. So far, in relation to some events, a firm position has not been developed whether to consider them an intervention or not. One thing is certain: foreign military intervention is an act of aggression and is condemned by international law as an unlawful act.
Types of Intervention
The most common military intervention is the direct invasion of one or more states on the territory of another country. There are also diplomatic, economic, political, informational, humanitarian interventions. The latter species is very interesting, since it is quite rare. More precisely, humanitarian intervention in its purest form is an extremely rare occurrence. Most often, it is mixed and acts as part of violent interference in the affairs of another country.
In the 20th century, the scale of open and disguised (covert) intervention gained such proportions that the UN adopted a declaration in 1965 that says that no one should interfere in the affairs of an independent state.
However, this document cannot affect the fact that many countries continue covert intervention, which manifests itself in the form of financing for terrorist or anti-government groups, organizing rebellions, overthrowing the legitimate government, civil war, sending spies or militants, attracting the media to tense the situation in the country. Based on this, the interventionist is not only the one who openly tries to influence another country, but also acts secretly in this direction.
Forms of Foreign Intervention
Intervention can take many forms. The main methods of influence and interference in the affairs of another sovereign state include:
- armed intervention is the most aggressive form of intervention;
- diplomatic pressure on another country;
- using the media to destabilize the situation and increase tension;
- organization of coups or civil war;
- export of capital, dumping, loans on unfavorable conditions for another country.
It is also not always possible to say for sure that a country intervenes in relation to another state, since it is often impossible to prove, for example, involvement in the organization of a coup or rebellion.
Meaning of the word “interventionist”
All dictionaries and encyclopedias give almost the same definition of this term. An interventionist is one who intervenes in the affairs of one or more sovereign states. Also, an interventionist is an individual who takes part in the process of violent interference in the affairs of another country.
Civil war and foreign intervention
For the inhabitants of Russia, the word "interventionist" is primarily associated with the difficult years of the civil war. It began almost immediately after the Bolshevik party came to power in 1917. For five years, until 1923, numerous groups and social strata tried to resolve the sharp contradictions that arose between them. This bloody confrontation was the logical result of the most difficult political and economic crisis that began in Russia at the beginning of the 20th century.
The interventionists in the civil war in Russia are the Entente countries that were allies of the Russian Empire and did not intend to recognize the young Soviet power. By and large, each of them pursued its own selfish goals. For example, Germany, with which the leadership of the Bolsheviks concluded a separate armistice, demanded, as conditions for peace, resource-rich territories of Russia. Turkey, together with Germany, invaded Transcaucasia, which was of strategic interest to it. As a result of the invasion, Georgia went to the conclusion of peace with Turkey.
The remaining European members of the Entente - Britain, Italy and France - were extremely interested in the destruction of the Bolshevik regime. The head of the British government, Winston Churchill, who saw him as a threat to the whole world, was especially afraid of the influence of communism.
For starters, in 1917, the Entente countries recognized the governments of those regions of Russia that rebelled against Soviet power. It was decided not only to maintain contact with them, but also to allocate material assistance in the form of loans. After that, the Allies divided among themselves the spheres of military influence in Russia. So, Great Britain had to act in the Caucasus, the USA and Japan (which also joined the Entente allies) - to deal with the Far East and Siberia, and France and Ukraine and Crimea.
In the spring of 1918, an English naval landing party landed in Murmansk. Then troops of Japan, the USA and England were introduced into Vladivostok and Arkhangelsk. The Czechoslovak Corps, formed during the First World War, became part of the French army and had to be transferred to Europe to continue the war with Germany. However, an uprising took place, and parts of the corps scattered throughout the country began a struggle against the Red Army.
Foreign intervention negatively affected the course of the civil war and led to the fact that it dragged on for several years.
Finally
So, the interventionist is the organizer or participant in the intervention in the affairs of a sovereign state in any form that is contrary to international law.