On this day in 1859 Alfred Dreyfus was born in Mulhouse, France. His arrest, trial, conviction and eventual exoneration became a national affair that dominated French media, divided French society and questioned French identity. 

Alfred Dreyfus grew up in a prosperous Jewish family. After the Franco-Prussian war (1870-1871) his family had to move to Paris as the new German Empire had annexed their home province. This event convinced young Alfred to join the French army. He enrolled in a prestigious military school in 1880 and quickly made his way through the ranks.

In 1894 Dreyfus' life drastically changed. Someone from within the army had passed on sensitive information to the Germans. Dreyfus quickly became the main suspect, partly because of antisemitism, and was convicted for treason based on forged evidence. He was discharged in the most dishonorable way from the army in a special ceremony while the crowd shouted 'death to jews'.

While Dreyfus was imprisoned on Devil's island in French Guiana, Colonel Piquart from the French counterespionage unit found new evidence that proved that Dreyfus was innocent and that major Esterhazy was the real culprit. The top of the military suppressed this evidence, acquitted Esterhazy and fabricated more evidence to prove that Dreyfus was guilty. This information was leaked and the case became a major scandal. 

Famous writers such as Emile Zola fought for Drefyus' innocence and public opinion turned in his favour. However, antisemitic and nationalistic newspapers backed the generals who received support from many Catholic and nationalistic public figures. In 1899 Dreyfus was convicted again for 10 years, but in 1906 he was exonerated as the political climate was more favourable. 

The Dreyfus affair had exposed the growing nationalism and antisemitism in France and shown the growing divide in society between those who viewed French identity as based on blood and Catholicism and those who based it on soil and liberal values. 

Originally posted on Instagram on October 9, 2021