Dreyfus affair

1. A scandal in France at the end of the nineteenth century involving a Jewish army officer, Alfred Dreyfus. Dreyfus was falsely convicted of betraying French military secrets and was sentenced to life imprisonment. French society was deeply divided over Dreyfus, with liberals , including Émile Zola and Georges Clemenceau , arguing that he was innocent, and conservatives defending the French military authorities. Dislike of Jews (see also Jews ) also affected the opinions of many in France about the incident. Zola's article “ J'accuse ” (“I accuse”) strongly influenced the public in Dreyfus's favor. Dreyfus was eventually cleared of all charges, reinstated in the army with a promotion, and publicly honored.