Never in the history of humanity, did a case of treason have such a profound impact on the entire state, from the government to the youngest child. The Affair penetrated, slowly but steadily, the conscience of the people not only in France but worldwide. Not only did it affect the government of France and its Army, but it also influenced the intellect and the religious framework, organizations and societies, as well as the ordinary citizens and the so-called little Frenchmen. L'affair split families, societies, organizations, friendships and the people in two tabors: The Dreyfussards - those who were on the side of Captain Dreyfus - and anti Dreyfussards - those in favor of anti-Semitism. The Dreyfus Affair and its aftermath were remembered long after the case itself was officially closed.

The Dreyfus Affair actually started in the second half of September 1894, when a letter containing some secret information about the French Army was brought at the Statistical Section of the Fren

ch War Office. The letter called "bordereau" was stolen from the waste paper basket of the German Military Attache von Schwartzkopfen. It contained a list of notes on the new artillery weapons and a Firing Manual. The officers of the General Staff were convinced that a probationer officer could have written it, since only they could have such a variety of information. Among these officers, Alfred Dreyfus was the only Jew and had a bad report. After a brief interview by Major the Marquis du Paty de Clam, he was accused of high treason and arrested a few minutes past nine o'clock in the morning of October 15th, 1894. He was secretly kept in prison and interrogated mainly by du Paty de Clam. The case maybe would have never been made public, if Edouard Drumont hadn't published an article on the Affair. He published it in his anti-Semitic newspaper "La Libre Parole," on November 1. Dreyfus was found guilty of treason in a closed court-martial on December 22. The Army stripped him of his rank in a humiliating ceremony, in front of many soldiers and other officers, in the courtyard of the École Militaire on January 5, 1895. Almost everyone, except the family of the convicted officer, believed that he was the traitor. Mathieu Dreyfus, brother of Alfred Dreyfus, protested against the decision of the court, but without success. Dreyfus was sent on the Devil's Island and it looked like the case was closed.

This did not end The Dreyfus Affair; it remains alive even today. The French Army and the French State are still dealing with it. In September 1995, the French Army publicly admitted that Dreyfus had been framed. On January 13, 1998, Jacques Chirac, President of the French Republic, formally apologized to the Dreyfus and Zola families for the injustice that was done to them a hundred years ago.

The woods across France and gardens in all the cities became a battlefield for those who dueled. The duels became very common and popular, reflecting the mind-frame of the French. Deputies, writers, journalists...everyone dueled everyone else. Deputy Joseph Reinach vs. Deputy Alexandre Millerand; staff member of L'Aurore Jean Ajalbert vs. Monsieur Andre Vervoort; Georges Clemenseau vs. Drumont; Picquart vs. Henry. The pistol shots were also heard regularly. Attempts of assassination were becoming very common, too. Dreyfussards and especially the public defenders of Captain Dreyfus were targeted. The spirit of a person couldn't remain calm feeding ferocity with a bold, sometimes ironic patriotism. This went on gathering in intensity. No lives were lost, however, only some lighter injuries.

After the elections of May 1898, the Radicals managed to form a new government. Godefroy Cavignac was chosen Minister of War. On August 13, an examination of the "secret dossier," used in the Dreyfus trial, revealed Henry's forgery. On August 31, after being arrested, Henry left a confession and committed suicide. Esterhazy fled from France escaping in this way from imprisonment and shortly afterwards Cavignac resigned. On September 25 he confesses that he had written the bordereau on command of Colonel Sandherr.

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 2470
Approximate Pages = 10 (250 words per page double spaced)