The minister of war, Godefroy Cavaignac, aiming to quiet criticism, publicly revealed much of the evidence against Dreyfus. Zola hoped to bring the facts of Dreyfus's case before a civil court, where it would be more difficult for the army to conceal what had happened he was only partially successful, but increased public concern and violence in the streets forced the authorities to take further action. The controversial novelist Émile Zola, however, found a way to reopen the case: he charged in an open letter to the President of the Republic entitled J'accuse that the military court had acquitted Esterhazy although they knew him to be guilty. The evidence against Esterhazy was little better than that which had convicted Dreyfus, but his acquittal dashed the hopes of the Dreyfusards, who had expected his conviction to prove Dreyfus innocent. Supported by friends within the command, Esterhazy demanded a court-martial to prove his innocence he received a triumphant acquittal in January 1898. The anti-Semitic press counterattacked, and the Dreyfus case began to turn into the Dreyfus Affair, as public passions were raised against the few who dared to challenge the verdict of the court-martial. Still unable to persuade the government to act, the supporters of Dreyfus-the Dreyfusards-now took their case to the public, charging Esterhazy with the crime for which Dreyfus was being punished. Although Picquart was unable to convince his superiors to reexamine the verdict, he remained determined to help free Dreyfus. Walsin-Esterhazy to be the real author of the bordereau. Marie Georges Picquart, became convinced of Dreyfus's innocence and discovered a Maj. Aside from a few individuals such as the brilliant young writer Bernard Lazare and the respected Alsatian life-senator Scheurer-Kestner, they found few supporters, and their efforts stirred the anti-Semitic press to raise the bogey of a "Jewish syndicate" trying to corrupt the army.įortune came to Dreyfus's aid for the first time in July 1895, when the new Intelligence chief, Lt. Communication of the dossier to the judges without the knowledge of the defense violated due process and was the first of many actions that would bring discredit on the army and ruin the careers of the officers involved.Ĭonvinced of his innocence, the Dreyfus family, led by his brother Mathieu, sought new evidence which would persuade the army to reopen its investigation. Still protesting his innocence, Dreyfus was unaware that he had been convicted with the aid of a secret dossier prepared by Army Intelligence. He was sent to the infamous Devil's Island, where he was to spend almost 5 years under the most inhumane conditions. A unanimous court found him guilty and imposed the highest legal penalty: perpetual imprisonment, loss of rank, and degradation. He was arrested, however, on October 15.ĭreyfus's court-martial was held behind closed doors during December 19-21. Apart from a certain resemblance between his handwriting and that of the bordereau, no very convincing evidence against Dreyfus could be discovered. A hasty and inadequate investigation convinced the anti-Semitic Intelligence chief, Col. The Dreyfus case began in September 1894, when French Army Intelligence found among some papers takenįrom the office of the German military attaché in Paris, a list (bordereau) of secret documents given to the Germans by someone in the French army. His ordeal was to prove that he was a man of great courage but limited vision: his whole life was devoted to the army, and he never lost confidence that it would recognize and remedy the wrong done him. Dreyfus was a competent and hardworking, though not brilliant or popular, young officer. After further study, during which he attained the rank of captain in 1889, he was assigned as a trainee to the general staff. Choosing a military career, Dreyfus entered the École Polytechnique in 1878. After the Franco-Prussian War his family left Alsace in order to remain French citizens. 9, 1859, into a Jewish textile-manufacturing family. The effort, eventually successful, to clear his name divided French society and had important political repercussions.Īlfred Dreyfus was born at Mulhouse on Oct. The French army officer Alfred Dreyfus (1859-1935) was unjustly convicted of treason.
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