Dreyfusards

The term "Dreyfusard" refers to a supporter of Alfred Dreyfus during the Dreyfus affair. This was a significant political crisis in France during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The affair began in 1894 when Captain Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish army officer, was convicted of treason for allegedly selling military secrets to Germany. Initially, public opinion, fueled by anti-Semitic groups, supported his conviction. However, as evidence emerged suggesting the guilt of another officer, Ferdinand Walsin-Esterhazy, a movement to exonerate Dreyfus gained traction.

Dreyfusards believed in the principle of individual freedom and sought to hold the army accountable, while anti-Dreyfusards viewed the case as an attempt to weaken France and its military. The novelist Émile Zola famously supported Dreyfus with his open letter, "J'accuse." Ultimately, a civilian court of appeals rehabilitated Dreyfus in 1906, though the army did not publicly declare his innocence until much later.12