8. The Dreyfus Affair (France, 1894-1906)
In 1894, Captain Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish officer in the French Army, was falsely accused of treason for allegedly passing military secrets to Germany. Despite flimsy evidence and a highly irregular trial, he was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment on Devil’s Island. Subsequent investigations revealed Major Ferdinand Walsin-Esterhazy as the true culprit, but the military suppressed this information to protect its reputation. The eventual exposure of the cover-up sparked public outrage, judicial reforms, and debates about prejudice.
