THE DREYFUS AFFAIR
THE AFFAIR
The French anti-espionage network, also called the Section of Statistics was responsible for national security in France. It had received word of espionage taking place in the German embassy. Documents were being leaked to Germany about France's military. The Statistical Section under command of Colonel Sandherr placed agents throughout the embassy. One of the agents discovered an unsigned document in the office of the German military attaché, Maximillian von Schwartzkoppen. The document became known as Bordereau or schedule. It was a draft letter addressed to the Bureau of Information in Germany by the military attaché speaking of dealings to be initiated with a French officer who had spoken of having worked in the Bureau of Intelligence. The bordereau was later connected to Captain Alfred Dreyfus, a junior officer of the General Staff who was suspected of leaking information based on the fact that his handwritting was similar to that of the bordereau's.
Dreyfus came from a wealthy Jewish family. His intellectual arrogance and aloofness earned him the mistrust of many of his colleagues. Many of the officers of the General Staff were anti-semitic and the only reason Dreyfus made it into his position was because of his intelligence and high grades in the Ecole de Guerre.
"His rather introverted character, the tactless display which he made of both his intelligence and his personal wealth, even his professional curiosity all contributed to make him suspect of a guilt to which, in the eyes of many, his race predestined him."
The case against Dreyfus during the affair was completely mishandled through tampering of evidence and corruption in the military. General Mercier was only able to open official proceedings because of pressure from the media and the gravity of the affair.
"It was the press which created the Affair and made truce impossible."
The People were looking for someone to blame for writing the bordereau and Dreyfus was the perfect candidate. Right from the beginning the case was mishandled. Handwriting experts were handpicked by Mercier to make a correlation between the writing of the bordereau and that of Dreyfus even though none should have been found.
"So he was determined to obtain Dreyfus's conviction at any price."
