Alfred Dreyfus was a Jewish French army captain accused of passing military secr

1895 Event

Dreyfus Stripped of Rank: Sent to Devil's Island

Alfred Dreyfus was a Jewish French army captain accused of passing military secrets to Germany. The evidence was a handwritten memo — and the handwriting wasn't his. On January 5, 1895, he was publicly stripped of his rank: epaulettes torn off, sword broken, while a crowd outside screamed 'death to the traitor.' He was sent to Devil's Island. The real traitor, Major Esterhazy, kept his post. It took Zola's open letter, two more trials, and twelve years before Dreyfus was exonerated. The affair split France and accelerated the founding of the Zionist movement.

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January 5, 1895

131 years ago

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Dreyfus Stripped of Rank: Sent to Devil's Island

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