Dreyfus affair

Cultural  

1. A scandal in France at the end of the nineteenth century involving a Jewish army officer, Alfred Dreyfus. Dreyfus was falsely convicted of betraying French military secrets and was sentenced to life imprisonment. French society was deeply divided over Dreyfus, with liberals, including Émile Zola and Georges Clemenceau, arguing that he was innocent, and conservatives defending the French military authorities. Dislike of Jews (see also Jews) also affected the opinions of many in France about the incident. Zola's article “J'accuse” (“I accuse”) strongly influenced the public in Dreyfus's favor. Dreyfus was eventually cleared of all charges, reinstated in the army with a promotion, and publicly honored.

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Dreyfus affair

Hannah Arendt wrote that fascism wouldn’t have developed the way it did without the Dreyfus affair, and briefly mentioned that Morès’ antisemitic activities shaped the way that unfolded.

From Slate ● Mar. 2, 2026

The accusation, based on a comparison of handwriting on a document found in the German's wastepaper basket in Paris, kicked off what would become known as the "Dreyfus affair".

From Barron's ● Nov. 18, 2025

French novelist Emile Zola also faced trial in the building during the Dreyfus affair at the end of the 19th century.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 8, 2021

The film, which tells of the historic miscarriage of justice known as the Dreyfus affair, topped the country’s box office, and, according to its sales distributor, has distribution throughout Europe, Russia and China.

From New York Times ● Nov. 20, 2019

But the Dreyfus affair revealed a real danger hidden by the word science.

From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day

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