CLEP Western Civ II

Answer: C - The Dreyfus Affair highlighted the role of corruption in the government and divided the nation. When Captain Dreyfus, a Jewish officer, was accused of treason in 1894, his conviction was quick. Evidence of his innocence emerged, and it became clear that he had been framed, but the nation was conflicted about whether or not he should be retried. He was eventually cleared of all charges, but only after serving nearly five years on Devil’s Island. Emile Zola was among the liberal intellectuals who championed his cause. Zola’s public letter J’accuse (“I accuse”) protested the judicial misconduct and high-level military cover-up involved in the case. Not only did the incident bring France's anti-Semitism to the international stage, but it also fueled tension among the various political factions in France.