The Heretics' Hour: The Dreyfus Affair - Guilty!

Jan. 19, 2015

Margaret Huffstickler brings us a detailed examination of the Dreyfus Affair in turn-of-the-century France, including new information coming forth suggesting that Jewish Army Officer Alfred Dreyfus was indeed guilty as charged.

• The evidence against Dreyfus was very strong, yet a certain element in society insisted on his innocence;
• The head rabbi of France tells the Paris Police Chief that if Dreyfus is prosecuted it will create a war that will split France in two;
• 35 million francs pour into France for Dreyfus' defense, mainly from England and Germany, and many new newspapers spring up for the same purpose;
• After Dreyfus goes to prison, a long campaign begins to appeal the verdict, which is not above carrying out bribery, perjury, forgery and even murder;
• Even after Dreyfus is pardoned, his supporters continue on to get him declared legally innocent of all charges;
• The whole affair was characterized as antisemitism, pure and simple, and even today that is universally presented as the one and only lesson of the Dreyfus Affair;
• From it the League of the Rights of Man was launched in France, the counterpart of the ADL in the U.S.

Image: Illustration from the period depicting Alfred Dreyfus as a snake or Hydra. He was the only Jewish member of the French Army General Staff.