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Alfred Dreyfus, French army officer of Jewish extraction, 1899
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Alfred Dreyfus, French army officer of Jewish extraction, 1899
Alfred Dreyfus, French army officer of Jewish extraction, 1899. A French army officer of Jewish extraction, Dreyfus (c1859-1935) was wrongly accused of handing secret documents to a German agent. He was court-martialled and disgraced, and sentenced to life imprisonment on Devils Island as a traitor. Although the legal proceedings were irregular, the verdict was widely approved of in French society and the press, where anti-Semitism was rife. The case, which became known as l Affaire Dreyfus continued to divide France, with the author Emile Zola writing a famous open letter accusing the army of a cover-up. A retrial, at Rennes in 1899, again found Dreyfus guilty, although the sentence was reduced to 10 years. Eventually, in 1906, Dreyfus received a full pardon from the President of France, and he went on to serve with distinction in the French army in the First World War. From Vanity Fair. (London, 7 September 1899)
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Media ID 14837573
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EDITORS COMMENTS
This print captures the solemn face of Alfred Dreyfus, a French army officer of Jewish descent, in 1899. Dreyfus's life took a tragic turn when he was falsely accused of espionage and betraying his country by passing secret documents to a German agent. The ensuing court-martial and subsequent sentencing to life imprisonment on Devils Island marked him as a traitor in the eyes of French society. The case, known as l'Affaire Dreyfus, revealed deep-rooted anti-Semitism prevalent at the time. Despite irregularities in the legal proceedings, many supported the verdict against Dreyfus due to religious prejudice. However, this controversy divided France profoundly. Renowned author Emile Zola penned an influential open letter accusing the army of covering up evidence during this tumultuous period. A retrial held in Rennes reaffirmed Dreyfus's guilt but reduced his sentence to ten years. Finally, in 1906, after enduring years of injustice and public outcry for his release, President of France granted Dreyfus a full pardon. He went on to serve with distinction during World War I. This chromolithograph portrait from Vanity Fair offers us a glimpse into one man's struggle against prejudice and injustice within society and highlights how religion can be used as grounds for discrimination even among military personnel. It serves as a powerful reminder that justice must prevail over bigotry and that individuals like Alfred Dreyfus have fought valiantly for their rights throughout history.
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