The Alfred Dreyfus AffairThe Alfred Dreyfus Affair was a political and legal scandal that occurred from 1894-1906. The affair divided the French political landscape and was seen as an extreme case of miscarriage of justice, and has developed global and modern recognition. This affair led to the conviction of Alfred Dreyfus on charges of treason. He was an artillery officer whose ancestry was Alsatian Jews. Alfred was allegedly guilty of spying for the German government after some letters surfaced in the military attachés' dustbin. As a result, Alfred faced life imprisonment and served his prison sentence on Devil's Island (Burns, p. 73). Within two years, the real culprit turned out to be a major in the French army named Ferdinand Walsin Esterhazy. High-ranking army officers covered up and acquitted Esterhazy of all charges after he appealed in the second trial. Ironically, more charges piled up against Alfred while he was still in prison. The cover-up by the military came to public attention aided by Emile Zola's open letter (J'accuse) in the Paris newspaper in 1898. The letter sparked interest among activists who pushed the government to re-examine the case. The pressure paid off, and in 1899 Alfred Dreyfus received another trial. Meanwhile, intense legal and political scandals intensified and divided the French country into two opposing groups. One group supported Alfred Deyfrus mainly the anticlerical (the Dreyfusards) and the others who supported the government mainly the Catholics (the Anti-Dreyffusards). Subsequently, the government dropped all charges against him and cleared him of his position as a major in the French army. The case fueled a deep political divide in the country and sparked global interest and represented the mis... half of the paper (... bordereau cover) in the Alfred Dreyfus affair. The Jewish officer was prosecuted solely on the basis of malicious and anti-Semitic accusations and was an emblem of the error of the justice system in France and around the world. In conclusion, the Alfred Dreyfus Affair represents a historical overview of past injustices that occurred due to prejudice against the Jewish community. The main driving forces behind this affair were anti-Semitic views, military motivations and the discovery of the bordereau. The story began with the unjust persecution of a military artillery captain of Jewish-Alsatian origin for accusations of espionage. Subsequently, the country split into two political fronts: one side supported Dreyfus and another against him. The main force behind this affair was the prevailing anti-Semitic ideas that demonized the Jewish community.