THE DREYFUS AFFAIR
FRANCE BEFORE THE DREYFUS AFFAIR
The political stability in France was quite fragile because of a split in society amongst the Conservatives and the Liberals. These were not political factions such as those found in Canada or America, but rather they were factions in the political structure of France. The Conservatives consisted of groups such as Monarchists, the Church, and the nobility of France who believed in the old France with a King and were against change. The Liberals on the other hand consisted of the republic, the nationalist and anybody else who was against the Conservatives. They believed in rapid change and progress throughout the country. The people of France had a reputation for social uprisings when upset by their leader, such as the French Revolution and the overthrow of King Louis XVI. The third republic in France had finally been established and the monarchists were losing popularity amongst the common people. France's army was still rebuilding and restructuring, as well as the people were hurting after a crushing defeat by Prussia (modern day Germany)in the 1870's. The people were bitter about the loss to Prussia and there was wide spread animosity throughout France towards them. Economically, culturally and artistically, France was beginning to compete internationally. France however, still felt threatened by the German alliance with Austria-Hungary and still felt estranged from Great Britain by colonial quarrels, and felt little security in its secret military pact with Russia. France's military was not worried because many of the citizens of France would willingly go to war for their country at a moments notice.
"But the great majority of the country felt war to be inevitable and intended to win it if the worst happened."
France had not yet renounced her claim to Alsace and Lorraine which had been lost after the war with the Prussians. This brought resentment among the French, especially among the nationalists, who were pushing for a war against Germany in order to retrieve the lost provinces.
"France had not renounced her claim to Alsace and Lorraine, whose statuues in the Place del la Concorde had remained draped in black crape since 1871."
It was this and the fact that the military depended on the patriotism of the French people, that fostered "spy-fever" which inflamed public opinion every time a foreign agent was caught in an act of espionage. Anti-semitism was spreading quickly, fueled by the media's need to slander groups.
"In the lower-middle classes, and even in a large section of the working class,
it fed on the daily rantings of Edouard Drumont in the newspaper La Libre Parole."
