4. The Dreyfus Affair
The Dreyfus Affair rocked France in the late 1800s when Jewish army officer Alfred Dreyfus was falsely convicted of treason. Fueled by anti-Semitic conspiracies and forged evidence, his trial exposed deep societal divisions and institutional prejudice. The affair galvanized public opinion, inspiring writers and intellectuals to rally for justice and reform. Its reverberations shaped modern French politics and highlighted the dangers of scapegoating marginalized groups.
