Existing comment:
A House Divided: Dreyfusards and Anti-Dreyfusards:
French media, intellectuals, politicians and ordinary citizens fell into two opposing camps -- those who believed in Dreyfus' innocence and those who believed in his guilt. In November 1897, in an open letter appearing in Le Temps, Senate Vice President August Scheurer-Kestner declared that Dreyfus was innocent. Soon after, renowned author Emile Zola's first article supporting Dreyfus appeared, but the General Staff, the anti-Semites and their supportive media continued to grind out condemnation and caricatures of Dreyfus and those who believed in him. |