Intervention is an act in which one nation involves itself in the internal affairs of another nation. Intervention may occur through the use of force or economic power. An example of intervention was the demand by the United States in April 1898 that Spain withdraw its troops from Cuba. At that time, Cuba was rebelling against Spanish rule.
Most powerful nations have at some time intervened in the affairs of weaker nations. According to some scholars, a country has the right to intervene whenever it sees a threat to its own peace and safety or to the property and persons of its citizens. Some authorities justify intervention if it prevents needless violence and death. Today, intervention is considered most defensible when such action takes place under the authority of a major international agreement or convention, such as the United Nations Charter. But there are still no universally accepted standards to justify intervention.
