The plight of religious and ethnic minorities, in a world marked by the scars of foreign intervention, has remained on the forefront of political and academic debate. Though much of the dominant research has focused on the persecution of minorities following intervention, little research has been conducted to explain why this persecution occurs. Using a structured, focused comparison of three cases of foreign intervention, this paper analyses the variables present in order to understand what factors are sufficient to result in increased levels of persecution following intervention. The findings of this paper indicate that a conjunction of variables are necessary to result in increased persecution including negatively held societal attitudes toward religious minorities and a high intensity of foreign intervention. As the issue of foreign intervention remains a prominent debate on the world stage, it is increasingly important to understand the repercussions of intervention and the effect one might have on religious and ethnic minorities.