Dreyfus Affair - Case Study Example

The Dreyfus Affair was able to generate major impact on the French Jewry activities; the affair had deep impact on the Jewish people, and is responsible for the introduction of drastic changes in the approach, understanding, behavior, aptitude and lifestyle of the Jewish community. The ambition behind the achievement of the success was to make the French Jewry realize that it was a legitimate and non-offensive practice to portray as Jew in another to support the associates of other community.

The researchers have proved that the modern French Jewish organizations have their association with the central group of people who were staunch supporters of Dreyfus. 'The Affair rapidly became a matter of opinion, a polemical debate, dominated by a class consciousness' (Forth, 2006). It proved that the injustice done to the individuals went reported, and was extremely blatant, offensive and immoral. The political implications of the Dreyfus Affairs has been that it was responsible for the change of government, and the newly formed government ceased their activities and restricted their involvement in 'military, clerical and extreme nationalist coalition in the Dreyfus Affair, a law separating Church and State'.

The Affair was responsible for the development of Anti-Semitism, such forces took over the stage and the individuals did not acknowledge the provisions for the equal status of Jews, and protested against their freedom and provisions for human rights in their favor, the group of individuals was driven by 'those driven by a vengeful patriotism' (George, 1899). 'Moreover, the anti-Semitism took on its contemporary form; the group highlighted the linkages and affiliation of the Jews with finance, and international power.

The first signs of Vichy France could already be detected, both in the anti- Semitic press and such movements were responsible for the union of the people who shared supported and were believer of anti-Jewish stance. They simply required official status. In this sense, the Dreyfus Affair can be considered to be the precursor of a twentieth century which would be even darker for the Jews' (Forth, 2006). The emancipation of Jews was visible; therefore the event is regarded as the source for the revelation of Jew's precariousness.

'First and foremost, it proved that assimilation was simply an illusion which had lasted one century', the idea was concluded and supported by the Bernard Lazare , who is considered to be the greatest protagonists of assimilation. It was realized that anti-Semitism is a permanent phenomenon, 'and that the only salvation for the Jews lay in a national solution'. Herzl, another advocate of assimilation, forwarded that the affair was responsible for awakened 'an old dream of the Jewish people, sparking off what was to be the greatest revolution in modern Judaism: Zionism'.

'The Dreyfus Affair was therefore initiator of two events i.e. the Shoah and Zionism, both the events were responsible for the transformation of the Jewish society and believers in terms of their demographic, geographic, and cultural affiliations and linkages. The Dreyfus Affair influenced and changed the future of Jewish people. The issue received due focus and attention of the local population, and concerns were expressed by the International government. The Affair 'acquired a polemical nature dominated by a class consciousness' (Littman, 2005).

The Dreyfus