The association of a snake and a woman in peril bring to mind many images in today’s world — the story of the serpent tempting Eve, the snake as representative of the “don’t tread on me” anti- government control in the United States, and of course the bodily autonomy of women in peril with the recent overturn of Roe v Wade by the US Supreme Court. But in the waning years of the 19th-century, a different set of human rights was on trial, and a different country was at its epicenter.
“France and her deadly foe,” reads the cartoon caption here, with France personified as a woman (“Marianne”, sort of like “Joe Schmoe”), struggling against a giant python that stood for the scandal surrounding the court trial of Captain Alfred Dreyfus. The world’s nations all have their eyes on the affair.
Alfred Dreyfus was accused of espionage against France in 1894, after a memo promising to deliver an important French artillery manual to the Germans was discovered at the German embassy. Pressure was high on French military officials to find a traitor, and they pinned the blame on Dreyfus. However, they had no direct evidence — only a claim that Dreyfus’ handwriting matched that in the memo.
However, Dreyfus was Jewish, and anti-Semitism was rife across Europe. Dreyfus had also been born near the border of Germany, however, he was wealthy and assimilated into French society. Nonetheless, confirmation bias was at play.
Many French people protested what they saw as injustice. The famous novelist Emile Zola even wrote a scathing condemnation of those in the government who were accusing Dreyfus and the French military for using anti-Semitism to cover up their blunders, which was read by thousands and itself became a scandal. Because of this, he was after tried and convicted for libel by the government.
Dreyfus had a lot evidence supporting his defense, including evidence of letters forged by his chief accuser, but all this was to no avail, and he was sentenced to imprisonment for ten years. France had been a beacon for the values of liberty and equality, but the forces of prejudice proved too strong. Anti-Semitic forces grew stronger after this event.
Source: Https://uh.edu/engines/epi2933.htm, by Andrew Boyd “Engines of our enginuity: no. 2933: math and the Dreyfus Affair.” @myjewishlearning, “The Dreyfus Affair,” Joellyn Zollman.
