The Affair: The Case of Alfred Dreyfus

439 Pages·1986·0.2 MB·English

by  Jean-Denis Bredin

This book made available by the Internet Archive.

To my daughter Frederique
Acknowledgments
My thanks to:
Marcel Thomas, Zeev Sternhell, Mavis Gallant, and Erik Arnoult, who have assisted and enlightened me
with their advice when I undertook this effort;
My friend Jean-Pierre Ramsay, who encouraged me in this project;
Chief Advocate General Lindon, who facilitated my first encounters;
Jean Favier, the Director General of the French Archives and Madame Favier, who facilitated my research
and allowed me both to consult and to reproduce in part the files used by the High Court of Appeal and
the numerous documents held in the National Archives;
General Delmas, head of the French Army's Historical Service, who placed at my disposal the "secret file"
as well as the administrative files of the officers involved;
Charles Hernu, minister of defense, and Olivier Renard Payen, technical advisor to his staff, who, along
with General Delmas, authorized me to take or use photographs of essential documents;
Bar President Bondoux, whose acquaintance with Edgar Demange, helped me greatly, Michel Brichard,
Librarian of the Ordre des Avocats, who confided to me the precious documents held by the Ordre at the
Paris Bar;
Monseiur Oliver, Justice of the High Court of Appeal, for having opened to me the library of the High
Court of Appeal, and the staff of the Court's library for having facilitated my research;
Monsieur Drai, Presiding Justice of the Tribunal de Grande Instance in Paris, and Secretary General
Canivet of the Tribunal, for having put at my disposal the Tribunal's archives, and particularly the works
and documents left by Andre Blumel;
Doctor Jean-Louis Dreyfus, Jeanne Dreyfus's son, Charles Dreyfus, Pierre Dreyfus's son, and Francine
Beck, Mathieu Dreyfus's granddaughter, for having assisted me with their recollections, their documen-
tation, and their review of my work. Madame Jeanne Levy, Alfred Dreyfus's daughter, had already done
much to enlighten me at the time of her death. Doctor Jean-Louis Levy was willing to pursue that
assistance to me with a measure of patience and intelligence to which I am deeply indebted. My very
special thanks to him;
Renaud Fessaguet, who assisted me in my research from the first to the last day. Without his help, I would
not have run the full course;
Madame Briquet and Madame Seek, who gave so freely of their time and intelligent devotion;
Madeleine Reberioux, whose exceptional competence, attentive advice, and friendly lucidity added much
to my account. She agreed to read large sections of this work, according me, up to the end, her invaluable
support.
My friend Bernard de Fallois, who encouraged and advised me greatly. His opinions helped me to remedy
several shortcomings in this work.
I cannot fail to evoke the memory of Pierre Mendes-France. At a time when I hesitated to undertake this
project, he encouraged me yet also warned me of its difficulties. Once begun, he sustained me with his
friendship. Each of the conversations we had about the Affair opened new perspectives to me. This book,
like all that I have tried to do, owes much to the light he shed.
I know all that this work of many years owes to tenderness, as well as what it owes to friendship. To be
silent is not to forget.
Goult, June 26, 1983

III LONG LIVE ESTERHAZY
1. The Legend of a Confession 105
2. The Retirement of Mercier 110
3. Don't Do That; It's Not Nice 114
4. A Fabulous Gambler 120
5. Dreyfus the Deportee 124
6. The First Jew to Rise on Behalf of the Jew 134
7. The "Petit Bleu" 140
8. I Was Terrified 148
9. An Idealist? 152
10. The Serenity of France 158
11. Keep the Two Affairs Separate 161
12. The Patriotic Forgery 170
13. Speranza 178
14. From Colonel to Lawyer, Lawyer to Senator 181
15. I Have a Closetful 187
16. My Dear Friend, Just Listen to Me 196
17. Help Me, My Prince, to My Rescue! 203
18. I Speak to You as from the Grave 213
19. Let Us Not Allow Ourselves to be Devoured 217
20. They Would Not Have Done as Much for a Poor Man 231
21. Long Live Esterhazy 237
III: TWO FRANCES
1. J'Accuse 245
2. The Question Will Not Be Raised 258
3. Logicians of the Absolute 275
4. The Fury of France 285
5. Thou Shalt Not Follow the Multitude 299
6. A Republican Majority 302
7. All This Is Going to End Badly 306
8. We Need a Lightning Bolt 313
9. I Am Doomed; They Are Abandoning Me ... 324
10. More Stupid than Cowardly, More Cowardly than Stupid 332
11. To Roast the Jews 346
12. And So We Arrive at the Last Stage 353
IV! TRUTH ON THE MARCH
1. Bar Girls 359
2. To the Elysee, General 366
3. Appealed and Annulled 378
4. Panama the First 384
5. Silence in the Ranks 390
6. To Rennes, to Rennes, Gentlemen of the Army 397
7. Living Mauled Flesh 402
8. The Final Battle 407
9. Yes, the Accused Is Guilty 422
10. The Incident Is Over 429
11. Forgetting 438
12. A Moment in the Conscience of Humanity 452
13. On Punctured Drums 456
14. Marching in Step 464
15. France's Premier Cop 469
16. Innocence Proclaimed 475
17. I Name You Knight of the Legion of Honor 481
18. I Was Only an Artillery Officer 486
19. The Last Survivor 49^
:ii Contents
EPILOGUE IN THE MIRROR OF THE AFFAIR
1. From Legend to Legend 505
2. The Long Wave ... 515
3. The Dividing Line 531