After the crushing defeat in the Franco-Prussian war of 1871 and the end of the Second French Empire, the French military reorganised. This included the French Counter Intelligence Department known then as ‘Section de Statistique.’ Through their efforts of spying on the German Embassy they discovered that someone was leaking confidential military information since 1892 to the German Embassy.
The situation only worsened when in 1894 an anonymous letter was discovered that revealed sensitive military secrets about French field-artillery had also been leaked to the Germans.
Through subsequent investigation, it was decided that Officer Captian Dreyfus was the traitor responsible for the leaks. This conclusion was based in part due to the similar style of handwriting shared between Dreyfus and the anonymous letter and the fact Dreyfus was Jewish. Anti-Semitism was a huge problem in France and an issue that divided the country.
Dreyfus is Court-martialled in a closed session, when the judges don’t appear to be swayed by the evidence presented they are given a ‘dossier secret’, false evidence which helps secure a unanimous verdict of high treason.
Dreyfus suffers public military degradation before eventually being transferred to Devil’s island and placed in solitary confinement.
New evidence comes to light that implicates Esterhazy as the true traitor. The new Chief of Intelligence Services, Lieutenant-Colonel Georges Picquart presents his suspicions to the Deputy Chief of the General Staff, General Gonse but is ignored and now considered a whistle-blower.
Picquart is transferred out of Paris allowing Major Henry to present tampered evidence which both incriminates Dreyfus and discredits Picquart.
New evidence comes to light implicating Esterhazy and results in the Mlitary Governor of Paris, General Saussier, to open an inquest. At the same time Zola’s campaign begins in favour of Dreyfus’s innocence.
Whilst the inquest and a subsequent inquest find Esterhazy not guilty, he is brought to trial after demanding a court-martial to clear his name. On January 10th 1898 he is brought to trial in a closed session and is immediately acquitted whilst Picquart is arrested and sent to a military prison for revealing military secrets to civilians.
Zola had already written several letters at this point including the letter to youth and letter to France and his ‘Letter to the President of the Republic’ succeeds in bringing nationwide attention to the Dreyfus affair as well as dividing a nation. Zola is sued for libel by the three handwriting experts he denounced, he is trialled there is a retrial and the cycle repeats until he is eventually forced to flee to Britain to continue his efforts in the Dreyfus affair rather than face jail time.
By now what had originally been a military conspiracy behind closed doors was an affair in full view of the public incited for and against the innocence of Dreyfus. Prevalent anti-Semitism was the root of the anti-Dreyfus group and there were many riots and violent actions carried out by such people throughout and even after the closure of the affair.
By now what had originally been a military conspiracy behind closed doors was an affair in full view of the public incited for and against the innocence of Dreyfus. Prevalent anti-Semitism was the root of the anti-Dreyfus group and there were many riots and violent actions carried out by such people throughout and even after the closure of the affair.
However after several changes of government officials and growing concern for Dreyfus’s innocence he is brought back for a retrial but found guilty once again under extenuating circumstances meanwhile Picquart is released from prison
Eventually after another retrial, Dreyfus is found innocent and is reinstated to the army to the cries of ‘long live Dreyfus! To which he replied: ‘No gentlemen no, I beg of you, long live France!
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