The Dreyfus Affair
At a glance:
- Series: Chronology of European History
- Categories: Government and Politics, Religion, Ethics, Military History
- Subcategories: Generals, Military Officers, Soldiers, Treason, Traitors
- Curriculum: 19th Century European History, French History
- Geographical Location: Paris, French Guiana
- Date: 1894-1906
Article abstract: The Dreyfus affair undermines the conservative leadership of the French army, triggering a democratic reform of the officer corps and leading to the separation of church and state.
Summary of Event
In October of 1894, Captain Alfred Dreyfus, an artillery officer serving on the General Staff of the French army, was arrested and charged with selling French military secrets to the Germans. The charge by the Statistical Section, the counterespionage agency of the French army, was based entirely on circumstantial evidence. A letter...
[The entire page is 1474 words long]
