My major is business, so my main focus was going to be in the direction of a business-related topic of France at a particular time in history, but your lecture on Alfred Dreyfus and "The Affair,"" caught my attention immensely and I had a strong desire to research and explore more information on this particular issue. From Alfred Dreyfus as an individual to the Affair itself, this long and unfortunate experience in essence altered the French attitude. This paper will reflect on Alfred Dreyfus, "The Affair- itself, and a few of the outcomes that occurred because of this historic incident. .
October 9, 1859, Alfred Dreyfus arrived on the earth in Mulhouse, Alsace as the youngest of seven children. Alfred's parents, Raphael and Jeanne had 13 children, but only seven survived infancy. Raphael set up a small cotton mill to which he soon added a textile factory. With his father's successful business, he secured his family a more-than comfortable upbringing. The family, long established in Alsace, accepted French nationality in 1871 when Germany annexed Alsace as a result of the Franco-Prussian war. In 1877, accepted into military training at Ecole Polytechnique , primarily influenced by the experience of witnessing the Prussians enter Alsace in 1871, Alfred proudly graduated three years later as a sub-lieutenant. Alfred then extended his training when he attended Fontainebleau from 1880 until 1882, where he specialized as an artillery officer. On graduation, he claimed first division of the 32nd cavalry regiment and promoted to lieutenant in 1885. In 1889, Alfred, adjutant to the director of the pyrotechnical school in Bourges , became captain (M. Johnson 20).
On April 18, 1891, Alfred married Lucie Hadamard, (1870-1945) who would later bear his son Pierre, and daughter Jeanne. A mere three days later, he received notice that he had been admitted to the Superior War College. Two years later, Alfred graduated ninth in his class with honorable mention, and immediately designated as a trainee at army headquarters where he remained as the only Jew.
