Fight for Justice

While Dreyfus toiled in Devil’s Island, back in France a movement back for his release grew in strength. One of the most important moments in the Affair was the publication of J’Accuse…! (I Accuse), an open letter to the French president written by Emile Zola, a prominent writer and intellectual. In J’Accuse…!, Zola openly accused the French government of antisemitism and unlawfully imprisoning Dreyfus. Others fought tirelessly—both for Dreyfus, and against him. Also crucial in the battle for justice was Georges Piquart, a young military officer who was one of the first to suspect Esterhazy’s guilt and thus, Dreyfus’s innocence.