Whistleblower—Georges Picquart

In 1895, during Dreyfus’s first year at Devil’s Island, Lieutenant Colonel Marie Georges Picquart was 41 years old. He was the youngest Lieutenant Colonel in the French Army and, in the eyes of his superiors, one of its most promising officers.

That year, Picquart was appointed head of French Intelligence. The following year, he discovered evidence that a French officer, Major Ferdinand Esterhazy, was the real spy and the author of the letter which had been used to incriminate Dreyfus. His efforts to bring this evidence to light were suppressed by his superiors, in part due to antisemitism. Nonetheless, Picquart remained steadfast in declaring Dreyfus’s innocence and Esterhazy’s treason. Picquart was dismissed as Head of Intelligence and in an attempt to ensure his silence, the military ordered him on a tour of active duty in Tunisia. On January 11, 1898, Picquart was arrested. He spent more than one year in prison and was dishonorably discharged from the service. He was released when Dreyfus returned to France from Devil’s Island.

During the Affair, Picquart’s uncompromising commitment to truth and his staunch courage unquestionably revealed him as a man of honor. In 1906, both Dreyfus and Picquart were exonerated and Picquart was promoted to Brigadier General. That same year, Georges Clemenceau became Prime Minister of France and named Picquart Minister of War.