Captain Alfred Dreyfus

Definition

Captain Alfred Dreyfus was a French Jewish military officer who was falsely accused of treason in 1894, an event known as the Dreyfus Affair. His trial and conviction exposed deep-seated anti-Semitism within France.

Analogy

Imagine being blamed for stealing your classmate's lunch when you didn't do it, just because some people don't like you due to your background or beliefs. That's what happened to Captain Alfred Dreyfus - he was blamed for a crime he didn't commit because of anti-Semitic sentiments.

Related terms

Dreyfus Affair: The scandal surrounding the false accusation and conviction of Alfred Dreyfus for treason. It divided France into pro-army, mostly Catholic "anti-Dreyfusards" and anticlerical, pro-republican "Dreyfusards."

Anti-Semitism: Prejudice against, hatred of, or discrimination against Jews as a religious, ethnic, or racial group.

French Third Republic: The system of government adopted in France from 1870 until it was overthrown by the Nazi German victory in World War II in 1940. The Dreyfus Affair occurred during this period.