The Dreyfus Affair and the Birth of Modern Intellectuals

In 1898, France was torn apart by the Dreyfus Affair—a military cover-up that framed a Jewish officer for treason. But the affair also gave birth to a new force in public life: the intellectual. When Émile Zola published his open letter 'J'accuse…!', he sparked a debate about truth, justice, and the role of writers and artists in politics. This episode traces how the Affair mobilized figures like Zola, Marcel Proust, and Georges Clemenceau, and how the term 'intellectuels' was coined as both an insult and a badge of honor. We explore the trial of Zola, the formation of the Ligue des Droits de l'Homme, and the lasting legacy of the Affair for French democracy and the modern world. #DreyfusAffair #ÉmileZola #Jaccuse #Intellectuels #LigueDesDroitsDeLHomme #MarcelProust #GeorgesClemenceau #AlfredDreyfus #LaffaireDreyfus #FrenchHistory #ThirdRepublic #Antisemitism #FreeSpeech #MilitaryJustice #Paris #History #FexingoHistory #Podcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo