The Dreyfus Affair??

Question: The Dreyfus Affair!?!?

What was it!?
how did it begin!?
who was involved!?
what were the effects!?Www@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

The Dreyfuss affaire is in fact a justice error that has not been treated correctly by the French justice, except when it was to late!. Here are the facts!.

The background is a very tense situation between France and The german Empire at the end of the 19th Century!. Around November 1894, the French Army Captain Alfred Dreyfus,a polytechnician of Jewish oriogin and born in Elsass is charged with thigh treason as his is supposed to have communicated secret military information to the Germans!.

He is found guilty and earns life imprisonement in a work colony in French Guyana "The Devil's Island" (L'?le du Diable), at this moment the french politicians and the french in general are very hostile to Dreyfus!.

The family of Captain Dreyfgus does not believe one second that he had done what he was charged with and tries to prove his innocence!. Leading figure here is Alfred Dreyfus brother Mathieu who hires the journalist Bernard Lazare!.

In secrecy, a French Colonel, Georges Picquart, head of the French Counter Intelligence Service, who also has doubts, finds out two years later that the real spy is still among the French army!. He cites Major Ferdinand Walsin Esterházy!. The General Staff of the Army however refuses to back-track on its judgement (he was sentenced by a military court)!. In order to hide things from the public they just send Picquart to North Africa!.

Mathieu Dreyfus writes a letter to the president of the Senat in 1897, Auguste Sheurer-Kestner who opens an board of enquiry!. After a few months he is also convinced that Dreyfus is innocent, he takes contact with a certain Georges Clemenceau, a former representative who is also convinced!. At that time Clemenceau is also journalist!. With these men behind him Mathieu Dreyfus charges Esterházy!.

The Dreyfus partisans grow more as the days go by, when in 1998 Esterházy is acquited, and rallies all the conservative and republican parties behind him!.

This gives the problem a political dimension that splits France in two!. Amile Zola publishes his famous letter "J'accuse" (I accuse) a letter in favour of Dreyfus which results in a complete adhesion hereto on behalf of the French intellectuals!. France is definitely devided in two front hardened parties!

Anti jewish browls take place everywhere in France and the colonies, there are many dead!. The French Republic is in danger, and everybody wants an end to this "affaire"!.

Dreyfus's case is roled up again and, to the surprise of everyone, revided to 10 years in 1899!. Dreyfus is so weak from his detention that he accepts this sentence although he is innocent!. The french president Emile Loubet decides to graciate him!

It will take last until 1908 that all charges against Dreyfus are dropped after another enquiery!. He will then be fully rehabilitated in the army an in society, a unique fact of procedure in the French Legal System!
Dreyfus took part in WWI and died in 1935!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Do you own research!.Www@QuestionHome@Com