1898
January 1 : Final report by Ravary concludes that a
case against Esterhazy lacks evidence and that there is no need for
Court-martial. General Saussier however decides with Esterhazy that demanding a
Court-martial is the best course to clear him completely.
January 4 : Zola publishes "Letter to France."
January 6 : Ludovic Trarieux publishes an open letter in Le Temps.
January 10-11 : Esterhazy is brought to trial, which is soon held in closed session. He is quickly unanimously acquitted by the Court-martial.
Ironically, Colonel Picquart is indicted for revealing military secrets to civilians and is put under arrest at the Mont-Valérien military prison.
Under pressure from the Dreyfus family, Scheurer-Kestner meets with more celebrities who now believe that Dreyfus has been unfairly convicted. Among those "intellectuals", as they are referred to by the anti-Dreyfusard press, are Joseph Reinach, Marcel Prévost, Anatole France, George Clémenceau, and Emile Zola.
January 13 : In the journal L'Aurore, under the political editorship of Georges Clémenceau, Emile Zola publishes an open "Letter to the President of the Republic" accusing the military of scheming to bring about Dreyfus' disgrace and the handwriting experts of being totally blind. Entitled as a full page headline "J'accuse...!" by Clémenceau, the pamphlet is intended is to force the reopening of the Dreyfus Case, provided that Zola's accusations are not found to be slanderous.
The Chamber of Deputies votes to bring Zola to trial.
Scheurer-Kestner's term as Vice-president of the Senate is not renewed.
In Algiers, violent antisemitic riots are taking place.
January 14-16 : L'Aurore publishes a series of petitions by "intellectuals" - writers, scholars, scientists - calling for a retrial.
January 18 : Billot lodges a formal judicial complaint against Zola and L'Aurore.
January 21 : The three handwriting experts, "accused" by Zola, start a formal suit for libel.
February 7-23 : Emile Zola's trial takes place in the Cour d'Assises de la Seine (Palace of Justice, Paris) with Clemenceau 's brother and Labori as his defense.
His sensationalistic trial hearings are accompanied by numerous incidents: witnesses are silenced; General de Boisdeffre intimidates the Jury; opponents begin a campaign to defame Zola's family; anti-Semitic hoodlums mob the Court premises; Clémenceau and Drumont, then Picquart and Henry fight in a duel; riots erupt in Paris. Public opinion is divided: out of sincere concern or for more absurd reasons, every level of society becomes involved and takes sides.
During the trial, however, General de Pellieux inadvertently acknowledges the existence of the secret file that was distributed to the judges at Dreyfus' unfair military trial of 1894 and quotes the document produced by Henry Oct. 31 1896, the "faux Henry," thereby offering new evidence for a re-trial.
February 18 : In a waitig room of the Law-Courts, Ludovic Trarieux with other witnesses for the defence of Zola, decide to create a league for the defence of human rights : la Ligue française pour la défense des Droits de l'Homme et du citoyen.
February 23 : Zola is convicted and receives the maximum sentence for libel: one year in jail and a fine of 3000 Francs.
February 26 : By decree, Picquart is dismissed from the Army
Zola appeals against the judgement
March 13 : Lemercier-Picard, author of the forged letter quoted by General de Pellieux a month earlier (the "faux Henry"), is found hanging from the window-catch of his hotel bed-room. Circumstances of death remain unclear.
April 2 : Agreeing on reason of legal technicality, the Court of Appeals overturns the verdict of February 23 granting Zola a new trial.
May 23 : Second Zola trial in Versailles. Labori appeals. Suspension.
In his Petit Journal, Ernest Judet publishes "Zola Père et fils," an article in which he defames the past of Zola's father.
May 24 : Zola sues Judet for libel.
May 15 : The Méline government resigns.
June 4 : Official creation of the Ligue des Droits de l’Homme. Ludovic Trarieux is its first President, assisted by Duclaux, Grimaux and Francis de Pressensé.
June 16 : The Court of Appeals rejects Me Labori's appeal filed May 23.
June 28 : New Cabinet with Henri Brisson as Prime Minister. Godefroy Cavaignac is Minister of War.
July 7 : In an attempt to close the case by producing genuine proofs, Cavaignac, unwittingly presents the National Assembly documents which include a piece of forged evidence, "le faux Henry". Picquart and the Socialist leader Jean Jaurès, however, publicly denounce the falseness of this evidence and challenge Cavaignac.
July 9 : Zola is convicted of libel in the three handwriting experts' libel trial: 2 weeks suspended prison sentence, fine of 2000 Francs, plus 5000 Francs in damages to each of the handwriting experts.
July 12 : Esterhazy is charged with swindling his nephew and having sent forged telegrams to Picquartin November 1897.
July 13 : Picquart arrested for the second time on charges brought by Cavaignac for having divulged military documents to Leblois, a civilian.
July 18 : Second Zola trial, in Versailles.
Zola is convicted again and sentenced to one year in prison and fined 2,000 Francs.
In order to avoid the notice of the sentence being served and to continue fighting, Zola takes refuge in England. Labori files for appeal.
July 19 : Labori appeals the verdict of the three handwriting experts.
July 26 : Zola is suspended from the Légion d'honneur.
August 3 : Judet and Le Petit Journal are convicted of libel.
August 5 : The Court of Appeals rejects the appeal of July 19.
August 10 : The Court of Appeals stiffens the penalties awarded to the handwriting experts: Zola is sentenced to one month in jail, a fine of 2000 Francs and 10,000 Francs in damages to each expert.
August 12 : All charges against Esterhazy are dismissed.
August 13 : While browsing through the still-classified Dreyfus file in the Intelligence office, Captain Cuignet (although an ardent anti-Dreyfusard) realizes that some of the documents have been forged, especially the one naming Dreyfus as a German agent. This particular document is the one so conveniently produced by Lt.-Col. Henry in October 1896 (the "faux Henry") and that Cavaignac has mentionned in the National Assembly, on July 7. Cuignet accuses Henry of having forged the documents to insure Dreyfus' certain condemnation. Henry's still debatable motives might have been to cover Esterhazy (possibly then used as a double agent) and protect his superiors from self-incrimination.
August 27 : Esterhazy dismissed from the army for "habitual misconduct."
August 30-31 : Henry confesses his perjuries against Dreyfus to Cavaignac. He is interned at the military prison, Mont-Valérien, where he commits suicide.
Generals de Boisdeffre and de Pellieux request to be relieved from their duties.
Esterhazy flees to Belgium, then to England.
September 3 : Minister of War Cavaignac resigns, and his statement is posted throughout France.
Lucie Dreyfus petitions once more the Chamber of Deputies requesting a retrial for her husband.
September 5 : General Zurlinden, Military Governor of Paris, becomes Minister of War.
September 17 : General Zurlinden refuses to consider the possibility of a retrial, then resigns. He is replaced by General Chanoine, but is reinstated in his former function as Military Governor of Paris.
September 20 : Zurlinden orders inquiries against Picquart to start.
September 21 : A trial against Picquart and Leblois is postponed.
September 22 : Picquart remains under arrest and is brought to the Cherche-Midi military prison.
September 26 : Citing new evidence, Prime Minister Brisson submits the Dreyfus file to the Court of Cassation requesting a retrial.
September 29 : The Court of Appeals accepts to conduct an investigation of the Dreyfus facts.
September-October Fashoda crisis between England and France.
October 11 : In order for the fine of the August 10 verdict (the equivalent of $ 300,000 today) to be paid in cash, a distraint order is placed on Zola's estate: his furniture and private belongings of his home, rue de Bruxelles, are put up for sale in an in absentia public auction. Editor Eugène Fasquelle buys the first item, Zola's desk, for the total amount of the fine, 32,000 Francs, thus closing the sale.
October 25 : General Chanoine resigns.
Violent antisemitic demonstrations in Paris.
October 26 : The Brisson Cabinet resigns.
October 31 : New Cabinet with Charles Dupuy as Prime Minister. Freycinet is Minister of War.
November 4 : French troops led by Colonel Marchand evacuate Fashoda.
November- Joseph Reinach starts a series of articles in Le Siècle (later published as Le
December Crépuscule des traîtres) in which he accuses Henry of connivance with Esterhazy.
November 18 : Picquart's Court-martial begins.
December 14 : La Libre Parole starts a subscription to help Henry's widow in a suit against Reinach.
December 31 : The Ligue des Patriotes (Nationalist and anti-Dreyfusard) is founded.
January 4 : Zola publishes "Letter to France."
January 6 : Ludovic Trarieux publishes an open letter in Le Temps.
January 10-11 : Esterhazy is brought to trial, which is soon held in closed session. He is quickly unanimously acquitted by the Court-martial.
Ironically, Colonel Picquart is indicted for revealing military secrets to civilians and is put under arrest at the Mont-Valérien military prison.
Under pressure from the Dreyfus family, Scheurer-Kestner meets with more celebrities who now believe that Dreyfus has been unfairly convicted. Among those "intellectuals", as they are referred to by the anti-Dreyfusard press, are Joseph Reinach, Marcel Prévost, Anatole France, George Clémenceau, and Emile Zola.
January 13 : In the journal L'Aurore, under the political editorship of Georges Clémenceau, Emile Zola publishes an open "Letter to the President of the Republic" accusing the military of scheming to bring about Dreyfus' disgrace and the handwriting experts of being totally blind. Entitled as a full page headline "J'accuse...!" by Clémenceau, the pamphlet is intended is to force the reopening of the Dreyfus Case, provided that Zola's accusations are not found to be slanderous.
The Chamber of Deputies votes to bring Zola to trial.
Scheurer-Kestner's term as Vice-president of the Senate is not renewed.
In Algiers, violent antisemitic riots are taking place.
January 14-16 : L'Aurore publishes a series of petitions by "intellectuals" - writers, scholars, scientists - calling for a retrial.
January 18 : Billot lodges a formal judicial complaint against Zola and L'Aurore.
January 21 : The three handwriting experts, "accused" by Zola, start a formal suit for libel.
February 7-23 : Emile Zola's trial takes place in the Cour d'Assises de la Seine (Palace of Justice, Paris) with Clemenceau 's brother and Labori as his defense.
His sensationalistic trial hearings are accompanied by numerous incidents: witnesses are silenced; General de Boisdeffre intimidates the Jury; opponents begin a campaign to defame Zola's family; anti-Semitic hoodlums mob the Court premises; Clémenceau and Drumont, then Picquart and Henry fight in a duel; riots erupt in Paris. Public opinion is divided: out of sincere concern or for more absurd reasons, every level of society becomes involved and takes sides.
During the trial, however, General de Pellieux inadvertently acknowledges the existence of the secret file that was distributed to the judges at Dreyfus' unfair military trial of 1894 and quotes the document produced by Henry Oct. 31 1896, the "faux Henry," thereby offering new evidence for a re-trial.
February 18 : In a waitig room of the Law-Courts, Ludovic Trarieux with other witnesses for the defence of Zola, decide to create a league for the defence of human rights : la Ligue française pour la défense des Droits de l'Homme et du citoyen.
February 23 : Zola is convicted and receives the maximum sentence for libel: one year in jail and a fine of 3000 Francs.
February 26 : By decree, Picquart is dismissed from the Army
Zola appeals against the judgement
March 13 : Lemercier-Picard, author of the forged letter quoted by General de Pellieux a month earlier (the "faux Henry"), is found hanging from the window-catch of his hotel bed-room. Circumstances of death remain unclear.
April 2 : Agreeing on reason of legal technicality, the Court of Appeals overturns the verdict of February 23 granting Zola a new trial.
May 23 : Second Zola trial in Versailles. Labori appeals. Suspension.
In his Petit Journal, Ernest Judet publishes "Zola Père et fils," an article in which he defames the past of Zola's father.
May 24 : Zola sues Judet for libel.
May 15 : The Méline government resigns.
June 4 : Official creation of the Ligue des Droits de l’Homme. Ludovic Trarieux is its first President, assisted by Duclaux, Grimaux and Francis de Pressensé.
June 16 : The Court of Appeals rejects Me Labori's appeal filed May 23.
June 28 : New Cabinet with Henri Brisson as Prime Minister. Godefroy Cavaignac is Minister of War.
July 7 : In an attempt to close the case by producing genuine proofs, Cavaignac, unwittingly presents the National Assembly documents which include a piece of forged evidence, "le faux Henry". Picquart and the Socialist leader Jean Jaurès, however, publicly denounce the falseness of this evidence and challenge Cavaignac.
July 9 : Zola is convicted of libel in the three handwriting experts' libel trial: 2 weeks suspended prison sentence, fine of 2000 Francs, plus 5000 Francs in damages to each of the handwriting experts.
July 12 : Esterhazy is charged with swindling his nephew and having sent forged telegrams to Picquartin November 1897.
July 13 : Picquart arrested for the second time on charges brought by Cavaignac for having divulged military documents to Leblois, a civilian.
July 18 : Second Zola trial, in Versailles.
Zola is convicted again and sentenced to one year in prison and fined 2,000 Francs.
In order to avoid the notice of the sentence being served and to continue fighting, Zola takes refuge in England. Labori files for appeal.
July 19 : Labori appeals the verdict of the three handwriting experts.
July 26 : Zola is suspended from the Légion d'honneur.
August 3 : Judet and Le Petit Journal are convicted of libel.
August 5 : The Court of Appeals rejects the appeal of July 19.
August 10 : The Court of Appeals stiffens the penalties awarded to the handwriting experts: Zola is sentenced to one month in jail, a fine of 2000 Francs and 10,000 Francs in damages to each expert.
August 12 : All charges against Esterhazy are dismissed.
August 13 : While browsing through the still-classified Dreyfus file in the Intelligence office, Captain Cuignet (although an ardent anti-Dreyfusard) realizes that some of the documents have been forged, especially the one naming Dreyfus as a German agent. This particular document is the one so conveniently produced by Lt.-Col. Henry in October 1896 (the "faux Henry") and that Cavaignac has mentionned in the National Assembly, on July 7. Cuignet accuses Henry of having forged the documents to insure Dreyfus' certain condemnation. Henry's still debatable motives might have been to cover Esterhazy (possibly then used as a double agent) and protect his superiors from self-incrimination.
August 27 : Esterhazy dismissed from the army for "habitual misconduct."
August 30-31 : Henry confesses his perjuries against Dreyfus to Cavaignac. He is interned at the military prison, Mont-Valérien, where he commits suicide.
Generals de Boisdeffre and de Pellieux request to be relieved from their duties.
Esterhazy flees to Belgium, then to England.
September 3 : Minister of War Cavaignac resigns, and his statement is posted throughout France.
Lucie Dreyfus petitions once more the Chamber of Deputies requesting a retrial for her husband.
September 5 : General Zurlinden, Military Governor of Paris, becomes Minister of War.
September 17 : General Zurlinden refuses to consider the possibility of a retrial, then resigns. He is replaced by General Chanoine, but is reinstated in his former function as Military Governor of Paris.
September 20 : Zurlinden orders inquiries against Picquart to start.
September 21 : A trial against Picquart and Leblois is postponed.
September 22 : Picquart remains under arrest and is brought to the Cherche-Midi military prison.
September 26 : Citing new evidence, Prime Minister Brisson submits the Dreyfus file to the Court of Cassation requesting a retrial.
September 29 : The Court of Appeals accepts to conduct an investigation of the Dreyfus facts.
September-October Fashoda crisis between England and France.
October 11 : In order for the fine of the August 10 verdict (the equivalent of $ 300,000 today) to be paid in cash, a distraint order is placed on Zola's estate: his furniture and private belongings of his home, rue de Bruxelles, are put up for sale in an in absentia public auction. Editor Eugène Fasquelle buys the first item, Zola's desk, for the total amount of the fine, 32,000 Francs, thus closing the sale.
October 25 : General Chanoine resigns.
Violent antisemitic demonstrations in Paris.
October 26 : The Brisson Cabinet resigns.
October 31 : New Cabinet with Charles Dupuy as Prime Minister. Freycinet is Minister of War.
November 4 : French troops led by Colonel Marchand evacuate Fashoda.
November- Joseph Reinach starts a series of articles in Le Siècle (later published as Le
December Crépuscule des traîtres) in which he accuses Henry of connivance with Esterhazy.
November 18 : Picquart's Court-martial begins.
December 14 : La Libre Parole starts a subscription to help Henry's widow in a suit against Reinach.
December 31 : The Ligue des Patriotes (Nationalist and anti-Dreyfusard) is founded.
