The Alfred Dreyfus Affair

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Video The Beginning 1859: Alfred Dreyfus is born in Alsace, a region in eastern France. 1871: France loses Alsace to the German Empire. 1892: Alfred Dreyfus completes his military training and becomes an officer in the French Army. 1894: September: The French military discovers that military secrets are being sent to the Germans. (One list, called the bordereau, is intercepted.) October: Dreyfus is secretly accused of stealing military secrets. He is arrested and imprisoned. December: Dreyfus is tried and sentenced to life imprisonment on Devil’s Island. 1895: Dreyfus is publicly shamed and stripped of his military rank. He is sent to Devil’s Island in April 1895. The Facts Revealed 1896: Lieutenant Colonel Georges Picquart realizes Major Esterhazy is a German spy and the author of the bordereau. 1897: Vice President of the French Senate Auguste Scheurer- Kestner attempts to reopen the Dreyfus investigation due to new evidence that he is innocent. 1898: January: Esterhazy is found innocent by the military. Emile Zola writes “J’Accuse” a newspaper article in which he accuses the French military of a conspiracy against Dreyfus. August/September: Esterhazy appears before a military inquiry and gives details of his spying activity. He then flees to England. Dreyfus Returns 1899: August/September: Dreyfus is brought back to France and receives a second trial. It causes an international sensation. Dreyfus is again found guilty under “extenuating circumstances” and sentenced to 10 years in prison. Dreyfus supporters face angry mobs and protestors. The country is divided between those who support the military and those who support Dreyfus. September 19th: Dreyfus is pardoned by the French President and released from prison. Aftermath 1906: Dreyfus is finally reinstated into the French Army and receives a full exoneration. 1908: Dreyfus supporter Emile Zola’s ashes are moved to the Pantheon in Paris. During the ceremony Dreyfus is shot by Louis Gregori and wounded, but he does not die. Gregori is acquitted and never serves time in prison. 1914: Dreyfus volunteers for active duty during World War I. 1935: Alfred Dreyfus dies. 1998: A commemorative plaque honoring Dreyfus and Zola is unveiled in Paris. .

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