The cautionary tale of the dreyfus affair deserves an important place in our current political and legal memory. Mar 09, 2017 how emile zolas role in the dreyfus affair irrevocably changed european politics antisemitism was the vogue and criticizing the state tantamount to treason, but a new book shows that when the. Numerous books have been written about the affair in which french army officer alfred dreyfus was wrongfully accused of treason, and this volume by piers paul read, simply titled the dreyfus affair, is a solid recollection of the case that garnered worldwide attention in the 1890s. The dreyfus affair tells a story of political passions, political will, and unswerving loyalty that resonates to this very day. The dreyfus affair piers paul readbloomsbury, 416pp. Jan 01, 2009 i find the dreyfus affair fascinating. The congress which immediately assembled set aside the candidateship of all those who had been to a greater or less degree involved in the dreyfus affair meline, brisson, dupuy, and fixed its choice on the president of the senate, emile loubet, who had preserved up to that time, and who continued to preserve, a consistently neutral attitude. Robert harriss novel about dreyfus affair named thriller of. In why the dreyfus affair matters, louis begley brings us the story of the affair. Oct 27, 2014 robert harriss novel about the dreyfus affair an officer and a spy has been named the best thriller of the year by the crime writers association harriss book, which won him the. In addition to the memoires of alfred dreyfus, reinach published his history of the dreyfus affair and jaures published the proofs. Dreyfus affair, political crisis, beginning in 1894 and continuing through 1906, in france during the third republic.
In september 1894 the french authorities intercepted a letter wh. After his highly publicized trial, authorities sentenced him to life imprisonment on devils island, and antisemitic groups used him as an example of unpatriotic jews. The dreyfus affair was a political scandal that divided the third french republic from 1894. I will add, too, that whenever i am in france and need to introduce myself, and my listeners appear to have trouble understanding me my spoken french is not up to the level anyone. Intellectuals, the press, and the dreyfus affair abstract in his introduction to the age of revolution historian eric hobsbawm considers a few english words which were invented, or gained their modern meanings, substantially in the period between 1789 and 1848. The dreyfus affair was one of the biggest scandals in the history of france.
In addition to an historical overview, other essays examine the french political context before dreyfus, the issue of antisemitism in the affair, the socialists position, and how historical perceptions of the dreyfus affair have shifted over the last hundred years. So much fuss for so long about seemingly so littleone unimportant and unjustly convicted man. The book opens with the complete text of jaccuse, zolas public letter to the french authorities. Robert harriss novel about dreyfus affair named thriller of the year. The dreyfus affair 10 of the biggest lies in history.
But so many fault lines converge on this casearound race and ethnicity and frenchness, anxieties about the modern world, political structures and corruption, the legacy of a century of revolution and political instability, the army and military values. Ive recently been reading prousts in search of lost time in which the characters keep discussing the affair and anyone who has read anything about zola will realise that zola played a significant part in the affair. An officer and a spy, a thrilling novelization of the. Leslie derfler, the foremost american authority on the dreyfus affair, puts the affair in historical and social context for the reader. Widespread antimilitarism and anticlericalism also ensued. Buy why the dreyfus affair matters why x matters s. The dreyfus affair pops up time and again when reading french books from the end of the nineteenth century. More than 115 years have passed since dreyfus was convicted of treason, and it has been more than a century since he was exonerated. It represents, in its polemical entirety, a classic defense of human rights and a searing denunciation of fanaticism and prejudice. With the facts of the case long settled, the archives thoroughly mined, and hundreds of books and articles published, it would seem unlikely that there is much left to be discovered or said. Jul 18, 20 soon reports of an army coverup and dreyfuss possible innocence were issued by the press resulting in a heated debate on antisemitism and the dreyfus affair took centrestage in france. The central focus of betty schechters account of the dreyfus affair is to draw a distinction between the dreyfus trial and his life, and the dreyfus affair, the impact of the trial on france as a nation. The book dealt with the period preceding the dreyfus affair, focusing on the popularization of antisemitism in the nineteenth century.
We are now skipping a century and find ourselves in paris where a relative of haydns patrons, charles marie ferdinand walsinesterhazy 16 december 1847, austria 21 may 1923, england, would be the key player in a drama that began several years after france was defeated in the francoprussian war 19 july 1870 10 may 1871, also called the francogerman war of 1870. In 1894, dreyfus was accused of being a spy, and accused of crimes against france. The dreyfus affair also led to the idea of a jewish state. It was about alfred dreyfus, a jewish officer in the french army. Publication in le matin of a facsimile of the bordereau. This book is the first to provide, in english translation, the full extent of zolas writings on the dreyfus affair. Even esterhazy took advantage of his secrets and sold several different versions of the text of his statement to the consul of france. A family affair, from the french revolution to the holocaust 1992, which was awarded the prix bernard lecache of the international league against racism and antisemitism. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. This led to the formation of the zionist movement, a jewish homeland in palestine. Numerous books have been written about the affair in which french army officer. The dreyfus affair goodreads meet your next favorite book. The dreyfus affair is a continuation of ensemble for the romantic centurys trilogy of historic music dramas beginning with 2015s jules verne. Jun 12, 2010 a brave new insight into the dreyfus affair finds france in the 1890s riven by more than antisemitism, writes ruth scurr ruth scurr sat 12 jun 2010 19.
The dreyfus affair uniquely combines a fastmoving mystery story with a snapshot of france at a moment of great social flux and cultural richness the belle epoque, the impressionists, novelists such as flaubert, zola, the goncourts, proust. Lorraine beitler collection university of pennsylvania. The unending parade of books and papers and movies and miniseries and madefortvspecials and documentaries and websites all devoted to retelling and consecrating the dreyfus affair have, over the years, covered over the events with an intricate and multilayered tapestry. In 1894, alfred dreyfus, a captain in the french army and a jew was falsely accused of selling military secrets to germany. Read quotes zola in defence of his decision to publish. In 1898, he wrote an open letter entitled jaccuse to alert the public to what piers paul read describes as an infamous miscarriage of justice. The dreyfus affair is distinguished by the large number of books published on this subject. Released by meliess star film company and numbered 206217 in its catalogs, 5 each of the eleven oneminute installments reconstructs an event from the historical. On november 1, 1886, maurice palelogne, then aged twentyseven and for the past four years an embassy secretary, was assigned to the reserved affairs section of the political department of the french ministry of foreign affairs. Dreyfus affair summary of the scandal in france learnodo. Alfred dreyfus and committed dreyfusards remained steadfast in their resolve to establish his innocence. Numerous books have been written about the affair in which french army officer alfred dreyfus was wrongfully accused of treason, and this volume by piers.
In 1901, the struggle continued with the publication of zolas truth on the march, the first volume of joseph reinachs history of the dreyfus affair, and dreyfuss own account, five years of my life. On a january day in paris, in 1895, a ceremony was enacted in the courtyard of the ecole militaire, on the champdemars, that still shocks the mind and conscience. Georges picquart, the first great hero of the dreyfus affair, was pressing. Hubert henry, who had condemned dreyfus at the trial, forges documents in order to incriminate dreyfus and discredit picquart. The dreyfus affair top 10 trials that shook the world time. How to understand the dreyfus affair by robert gildea the. Apr 30, 2002 he is attuned to not only how the affair reveals the tensions between the french at the time of the crisis, but the enduring insight that studying the dreyfus affair can offer for the conflicts we face in our own day and age.
In 1898, esterhazy was acquitted, to the cheers of conservatives and nationalists. Oct 29, 2010 buy why the dreyfus affair matters why x matters s. Burns serves as advisory editor for the blackwell series new perspectives on the past. Proust and the dreyfus affair 1898 marxists internet archive. In addition to an historical overview, other essays examine the french political context before dreyfus, the issue of antisemitism in the affair, the socialists position, and how historical perceptions of the. David a bell on the dreyfus affair told from the catholic point of view. The dreyfus affair took place well over a century ago, but it was such a dramatic story with intriguing characters, and it touched on deep philosophical issues that lie at the heart of our civilization, that it is still frequently discussed even in our own time. Begley is a brilliant choice for this examination, the latest in the why x matters. Publication of bernard lazares une erreur judiciare. List of books and articles about alfred dreyfus online. An officer and a spy by robert harris, for the soul of france. A summary history of the dreyfus affair by theodore reinach. This book is the first complete edition in english of the pivotal contribution of french novelist emile zola to the dreyfus affair.
Apr 30, 2017 a sense of anxiety is established from the beginning of the dreyfus affair, a hybrid of concert and theater that has become the signature style of the ensemble for the romantic century. It was feared by theodore herzl that jews could not find a safe home in a nonjewish society. Alfred dreyfus was a jewish officer in the french army in the late 19th century when he was accused of a treasonous crime. In this edition, page numbers are just like the physical edition. Culture wars in the age of dreyfus by frederick brown, dr.
An intimate journal of the dreyfus case by maurice. His publications on the dreyfus affair include rural society and french politics. In order to understand the proportions and the turn it took, as well as the role it played for several years in french public life, we must on one hand go back to the origins of the nationalist movement, heir of boulangisme, and on the other hand to those of the antisemitic movement. The immediate result of the dreyfus affair was to unite and bring to power the french political left wing. The belle epoque in france saw the lows of the dreyfus affair but also sowed the seeds for modernism, says oxford history professor ruth harris.
Laffaire dreyfus, also known as dreyfus courtmartial, is an 1899 series of short silent docudramas, conceived and directed by georges melies. The dreyfus affair never goes away, and is the subject of a brave new book by the novelist and lawyer louis begley, why the dreyfus affair. When french authorities accused jewish army captain alfred dreyfus of espionage in 1894, the resulting antisemitic controversy bitterly divided france and its intellectual world. How emile zolas role in the dreyfus affair irrevocably. Douglas johnson, france and the dreyfus affair london, 1966 and new york. An officer and a spy thus opens with what seems to be the end of the dreyfus affair, but it proves to be only the beginning of what harris, the bestselling british author of fatherland. Politics, emotion, and the scandal of the century by oxford historian ruth harris, who has unearthed a mass of new documentation, is an extraordinary study of the affair as a tragic drama that swept up a man, his family and friends, and more widely french society and the french state. Mar 27, 2010 thus began the dreyfus affair, in which an innocent man was unjustly convicted, amid rising xenophobia and antisemitism, and sent off to rot on a deserted island in south america. Aug 29, 1996 to make a very long story simplistically short. Boulangism and the dreyfus affair 1984 and dreyfus. The affair, as it is known in french, has come to symbolise modern injustice in the francophone world, 1 and it remains one of the most notable examples of a. Reliving the gigantic drama of the dreyfus affair the new. Its the dreyfus affair, a scandal that embroiled france and reverberated throughout europe and the united states.