Dreyfus affair

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.

Example Sentences

Media exposés of incompetent and dishonest military commanders like Gen. William Westmoreland became, for conservatives, a kind of Dreyfus affair: a patriotic officer persecuted by the liberal establishment intent on glorifying the communists while dragging an honorable soldier’s reputation through the mud.

From Salon

France was still haunted by the Dreyfus affair—the idea of the enemy within.

From Literature

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

From Literature

He’d always been stubborn—that was clear from the Dreyfus affair—but now he was becoming a caricature of himself.

From Literature

In the decadence of La Belle Époque, Jews were admitted to the great salons, until the Dreyfus affair.

From Salon