J'accuse! The History of the Dreyfus Affair

[@HikmaHistory]

Dude the quality of your videos, it's hit another level! If quality is the reason why you take so goddamn long to post, then keep doing your thing, Barris!

[@TicketToKnow]

Hikma History agreed. This editing is off the chain!

[@ThisisBarris]

Haha I feel called out 🙃 but yeah it's really the research part that takes me ages so I hope to outsource that one day. Thank you Hikam! I'm glad you enjoyed it

[@HikmaHistory]

@@ThisisBarris yh man, I feel the same about the research. Keep it up!

[@Raymando]

This production value is off the roof, but it's easy to ignore how much time this must have taken in terms of research. Great job Barris

[@ThisisBarris]

Thank you Raymon! I'm glad some people appreciate the research time it takes too (especially since I'm not a pro). Merde!

[@SagesseNoir]

@@ThisisBarris Did you study history as a student? Your work is excellent

[@SagesseNoir]

Zola's "J'accuse!" is probably the most famous letter in history. I have an English translation of that letter

[@jacobrobert9561]

with all due respect, i would like to disagree, for I am of the opinion that letters such as "The Declaration of Independence" or Paul's epistles are far more well known.

[@SagesseNoir]

@@jacobrobert9561 The Declaration of Independence is not a letter. But you may be right about Paul's epistles

[@jacobrobert9561]

I do understand where you are coming from, but if I may I would like to say that I put the declaration in because in a sense it is sort of a letter to Britain declaring the sovereignty of the states. My government teacher in 8th grade compared it to a break up letter. I also did Google it and it said it was. However it is not worth getting into a debate about this.

[@mohamedseleem]

Can i have it plz

[@SagesseNoir]

@@mohamedseleem I don't have a separate copy of J'Accuse. I have that letter combined with other writings on the Dreyfus affair by Emile Zola

[@iammrbeat]

Well done!

[@ThisisBarris]

Thank you! I think we did well enough to earn our George Soros checks.

[@SagesseNoir]

While I am, not French, the role of Zola and other French artists and intellectuals is inspiring, an inspiring example of the role intellectuals can play in society.

[@ThisisBarris]

Yes, I definitely agree. It's really inspiring to see all these people to get together and use their voice/platform to pursue what was right.

[@SagesseNoir]

Ironic coincidence, I discovered a book called PRISONERS OF HONOR: THE DREYFUS AFFAIR, written by American (black American) historian David Levering Lewis. I hope it proves a good read.

[@SagesseNoir]

@@ThisisBarris What in your opinion are some of the best books on the Dreyfus Affair? ( Books available in English (my French has deteriorated severely since my student days)?

[@jorenvanderark3567]

This entire affair looks like most french of the time cared more about having their anti semitic world view confirmed than catching a traitor to the state.

[@ThisisBarris]

Oh definitely. It's always baffling to see self-pronounced "nationalists" that loved France then go on and protect Esterhazy while accusing Dreyfus... Thank you for watching Joren and merde!

[@YouDonteverhavetodie]

So? France was catholic for centuries. Still is. What do you expect?

[@ThisisBarris]

@@YouDonteverhavetodie France is not catholic, it's a laic country. I also don't see how that justifies what we did to Dreyfus.

[@SagesseNoir]

@@ThisisBarris It is my understanding that Catholicism is the majority religion but that France, like the USA, is a secular republic--or Laic as you French would say. But I wonder, were there at least a significant part of the Catholic majority who supported Dreyfus? Or was Dreyfus supported only by Frenchmen who were non-religious or at least non-Catholic?

[@henrimourant9855]

I wouldn't say that most French people were against Dreyfus but it seems like around 50% were against him. The reason was because believing or not believing that Dreyfus was guilty became associated with partisan identity (this was due I think to the rising anti-semitism that was begining to infect much of the European political rightwing at the time). It was one of those times when believing or not believing in reality itself (as derived from evidence) becomes connected with partisan identity causing one side to deny and or ignore overwhelming evidence. You can still see this type of reality denying politics today. For one example just look at the politics surrounding climate change: in the USA belief in the reality of anthropomorphic climate change is often now associated with supporting the Democratic party, causing many, if not most, supporters of the Republican party to deny and or ignore the overwhelming evidence that proves the reality of the phenomena.

[@AsiniusNaso]

Wow, I’d heard about the Dreyfus Affair, but HOLY MERDE I didn’t know it was that dirty and corrupt!

[@ThisisBarris]

Yeah it's pretty upsetting to read about, especially when you realize that Dreyfus could have died on the island if his brother wasn't there to help him out. It's also just so ridiculous that people who pretended to love France would support someone who had insulted France (Esterhazy) and condemn someone who still supported France despite the numerous injustices committed towards him... Thanks for watching!

[@SagesseNoir]

I saw American movies about the Dreyfus Affair, or movies in which the Affair was featured. Most of them virtually rendered invisible the role of anti-Semitism played in the Dreyfus Affair.

[@kalpanaanubhav]

@@ThisisBarris I absolutely adore your work. Anti-Semitism is the main problem of today. Today France is discriminating against muslims by making caricatures and sad to see Emmanuel Macron defending it. Love from India 🇮🇳. I belong to the former French colony of Puducherry. Je parle français aussi. People like Dreyfus have a heart made up of Iron.

[@lancegideondiokno1774]

people back then just to put it lightly where assholes

[@srbrant5391]

I remember Edgar Degas made a painting that depicted Jews in a very unflattering light shortly after the Dreyfus Affair. He later regretted making the painting when he was disowned and abandoned by several of his close friends, who were Jewish themselves.

[@ThisisBarris]

You're referencing his "Portraits at the Stock Exchange" painting right? That's certainly a controversial painting. The interesting part is the man who commissioned it was Jewish himself. Thanks for watching and merde!

[@saba6502]

Thank you for posting this! It's so important to remember the Dreyfus affair, and also the heroic role Emile Zola played in it!

[@ThisisBarris]

I agree! I'm glad you enjoyed the video and merde!

[@F22onblockland]

It is really tough to watch a man be broken by the worst aspects that human societies can offer. This entire affair was driven by hatred, lies, and excesses of pride. A refusal to seek truth led to an innocent man losing his dignity and years of his life. The arc of the moral universe Is long, but It bends toward justice. I am glad there was some justice in the end.

[@ThisisBarris]

I definitely agree. You can't help but feel pity and anger for him, especially since he could have very well died on that island if it wasn't for his brother. Thank you for watching and merde!

[@CLASSICALFAN100]

It was the same thing with the Leo Frank trial: digitalcommons.law.uga.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1032&context=fac_pm

[@rainbowgirl678]

Its also horrific to think that his granddaughter would later be hunted down by the French Police and deported to Auschwitz where she died.

[@ThisisBarris]

@@rainbowgirl678 Yes, Madeleine Dreyfus. A real tragedy.

[@SagesseNoir]

@@CLASSICALFAN100 You're referring, I believe, to the Jewish gentleman lynched in the American South about a century ago

[@rafisanders]

dreyfus was a man of great character, even after all the shit his government put him through. he enlisted in the army and fought at verdun in ww1. most people cant even fathom what would cause a man to do such a thing.

[@georgeptolemy7260]

This locks me in everytime I watch it. Emotionally outraging and incredibly interesting.

[@ThisisBarris]

Thank you George! I'm really glad you enjoyed it. It's definitely quite outrageous and while I'm glad Dreyfus got justice in the end, it makes you wonder how many people didn't. Merde!

[@SagesseNoir]

Very much so. A case where Justice insurgent triumph over arrogant Injustice in power!

[@Artur_M.]

It's great to see you covering this topic.

[@ThisisBarris]

Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed it Artur. Merde!

[@AncientAccounts]

damn you really be out here with epic history tv quality with twice the upload rate and with zero extra staff... i need to step up my game

[@ThisisBarris]

Thank you man! Epic History TV was a huge inspiration for me so I'm glad to hear that. And as long as you do better than your last video, that's all that matters! Merde!

[@SagesseNoir]

So what happened to the humanistic and even cosmopolitan values of the French Enlightenment? And wasn't it the French Revolution (largely based on the Enlightenment) which first granted equal rights of citizenship to the Jews well before any other European country did? Why didn't the values of the French people lead to to resist with horror the tide of anti-Semitic hatred unleashed by the Dreyfus?

[@ThisisBarris]

I think people don't realise how little really changed in France following the French revolution. While there was a radical change for a few years following the revolution, France quickly turned back to conservatism and it took more than a century for France to become the liberal republic it is today and to repudiate a lot of the ingrained institutions and views of the monarchy. Ironically, I would argue that England, despite being a monarchy, was much more liberal than France in many ways because it had gradually become more liberal ever since the Magna Carta in 1215. So while the French republic did put France on the path of liberalism, it wasn't the overnight, sudden shift that people imagine it to be.

[@Crafty_Spirit]

A gripping, gut-wrenching documentation on how false pride, hypocrisy, and blind hatred trump moderation and honesty... great work, Barris 🖖🏾 By the way, do you have any further French movies to recommend not starring Le Marquis? One of my all-time favourite flicks will forever and ever be La Haine

[@ThisisBarris]

Thank you! I really appreciate it - comments like these motivate me to keep working. My favorite French movie (and book) is Cyrano de Bergerac, which I strongly recommend. Amélie, of course, is a classic. For a comedy, I recommend OSS 177, although I don't know how the humour translates to english. Merde!

[@SagesseNoir]

@@ThisisBarris Do you mean the CYRANO movie starring Gerard Depardieu?

[@SagesseNoir]

. Just as American racism conflicts with the values we claim to stand for as a republic, the anti-Semitic animosity against Dreyfus in France violated the principles of the French republic, of their Declaration of the rights of Man. How sad

[@markwalsh4mtr]

Outstanding summary of a tumultuous period of French history. Succinct, dramatic and beautifully produced.

[@ThisisBarris]

Thank you - means a lot to me. Merde!

I searched the web after reading the news of ROman Polanski's new movie regarding Dreyfuss case. I found your video. The case was so complicated that I expected. So many details. It is the best one so far. Thank you..

[@ThisisBarris]

Thank you very much Dr. Akgün, I really appreciate it! The case is quite complicated and mostly spread out through a decade and involving numerous actors so unfortunately I had to remove quite a bit but I'm glad you enjoyed it nevertheless. Merde!

[@Christian-mt5jx]

This just shows how much effort racists put in being racist and hateful. Instead of finding the correct guy that committed treason and actively helped Frances biggest enemy at the the time Germany, they went after a jewish man. Being racist must be so much effort for nothing.

[@ThisisBarris]

Yep I agree! The fact that they were so against a patriotic guy while supporting someone who consistently showed his hatred for France just shows that these "nationalist" don't really care about France so much as to hating on people. Thanks for watching and merde!

[@danieltsiprun8080]

Thank you for doing this video, in Israel this affair is only mentioned when we learn about Zionism. Because the founder of the Zionist movement started it after he had reported about the affair as an austro Hungarian journalist. And the only things mentioned about the affair is how he got convicted and then acquited and went to serve on in ww1. We never go deep into this kinda stuff in high school or into any subject really. So i want to thank you for finally explaining the affair.

[@silesiaball9505]

Hey a Pole here. I wonder what you learn about Poland on history lessons especially recently as there is growing antagonism between our countries.

[@danieltsiprun8080]

@@silesiaball9505 poland isn't really mentioned in our history lessons until we get to nationalism in 10th grade then your teacher picks a country as an example of nationalism in Europe. The countries you can pick are italy germany poland and greece. And we talk about how the germans built death camps in poland ofcourse with the yearly pilgram to poland to visit the death camps in grade 12(a small section of students go on to it).

[@danieltsiprun8080]

@@silesiaball9505 and can you update me on the antigonism that has been growing between our nations because i have not been following it.

[@silesiaball9505]

@@danieltsiprun8080 I think it started when our government tried to pass the law that punish for phrase Polish death camps becauae they were German. I do not know why but it angered your president and he said that Poles were also the opressors even if we were victims too. Then one Israelian politician said that we suck antisemitism from our mothers' milk.

[@danieltsiprun8080]

@@silesiaball9505 okay i think i remember how it went back then and how it was reported. The new polish law not only stated that you can't call german death camps polish death camps but it also said that people claiming some polish people collaborated with the nazis and didn't massacere any jews can be arrested. This angered the israeli govermeant since this law denies massaceres that happaned in eastern polish villages that were in the soviet occupation zone. Those massaceres happaned in 1941 after Barbaarossa for example the one we studied about Jedwabne. And from there it's all the insults and our government used some populist rethoric against the poles and claims the poles have also used some populist rhetoric against Israel. This conservesy is reall stupid in my opinion and damaged the relations we had with Poland. I think this thing should be left to historians to decide not politicians.

[@tomsuiteriii9742]

J’adore l’histoire; c’est très utile. 😍 Merci des États-Unis!

[@ThisisBarris]

Merci beaucoup Tom et merde!

[@mazyarkanani6708]

Beautifully done and very moving. Bravo for bringing this incredible story to life again

[@ThisisBarris]

Thank you Mazyar. I'm glad it moved you. Merde!

[@formulajuan6038]

This one is a wonderful one. I had to write and research about the Dreyfuss affair as I was the ghostwriter for a book on modern Judaism. Thank you for enhancing my knowledge of this sad but revealing event in French and Jewish history. Merde!

[@sebastiend.5335]

Excellent documentaire mon cher!

[@ThisisBarris]

Merci beaucoup Sébastien! Toujours heurex de voir des francophones ici. Merde!

[@Griff00]

Theodor Herzl was also a correspondent for an Austrian newspaper at the time in Paris when this was happening and he was convinced of the idea of Zionism. Exactly *how* influential it was was up to debate but he was indeed there at the time

[@ThisisBarris]

Yes, I remember reading about that. While he never explicitly mentioned it, as far as I know, I have no doubt the affair had some influence on his Zionist ideals or at least confirmed the need for a Jewish state. Thanks for watching and merde!

[@YouDonteverhavetodie]

Sheer coincidence

[@mc-lb9dk]

Check Theodor Herzl. without him no Israel (?)

[@pdjinne65]

I would give to your patreon, please create one. These videos are really amazing! One of my favorite history channels.

[@ThisisBarris]

Thank you! Means a lot to me. Not that keen to start a patreon just yet as I don't post enough, but maybe in the future. Thank you for watching and merde!

[@goodgriefwhatarelief8899]

Very powerful, thank you so much for this!

[@ThisisBarris]

I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for watching and merde!

[@danb9897]

By far this the best historical summary I have ever seen on the Dreyfus Affair. Your channel, videos and method of delivery is superb! You have a unique style of deadpan humor coupled with a mastery of the topic that exceeds all other historical based youtube channels I have ever seen or subscribed to. Bravo! I love your channel and your videos keep up the good work. On a personal note, the Dreyfus Affair has always a personal meaning for me a Jewish-American who served in the U.S. Armed Forces. Although I rarely (if ever) experienced antisemitism throughout my 25+ year career, I was always acutely aware of the origins and consequences of the Dreyfus Affair so that history wouldn't repeat itself! Très bien, à bientôt!

[@ThisisBarris]

Thank you Dan! I really appreciate your compliments. It means a lot to me. And I can understand why it would be such an important event for you. Unfortunately, people are often unaware of how prominent anti-antisemitism was in Europe, if not the world, and to this day, it is all too common. I hope you enjoy my other videos and merde!

[@danb9897]

@@ThisisBarris Circling back from a few months ago - Last night I watched the Roman Polanski movie J'Accuse (2019) aka An Officer and a Spy (US). Someone else referenced it one of the posts. It is a well done movie and features famous French actor Jean Dujardin as Colonel Picquart. It is in French (English subtitles) and focuses mostly on the first half of the Dreyfus Affair. I highly recommend the movie. Also, for those following US current events...there are some interesting articles comparing the Dreyfus Affair to the political climate in the US surrounding our outgoing President. Worth a search...

[@Crafty_Spirit]

@@danb9897 Thanks for the recommandation! The U.S. courts and administration did not choose the side of madness and failure, and that was to be expected, but it was shocking and damaging enough hateful lies gain such momentum!

[@VNExperience]

Excellent video. The research, storytelling and production value are second to none. You just earned another subscriber. Best wishes from France's former colony, Indochina. Merde!

[@ThisisBarris]

Thank you Pasi! I'm really happy to hear that I have subscribers from across the globe. I hope you enjoy my future videos and merde!

[@quillinkhistory9539]

Did the guys from the great war channel animate this? Seriusly, these animations have such a high quality I dont really know what to compare them to. Great video Barris! Im posting on to the mealtime videos sub reddit as soon as I am able! ⭐️

[@ThisisBarris]

Hahah thank you! The Great War channel (and Epic History TV) were huge inspirations for me so that means a lot to me. Thanks for watching Quill and thank you for sharing. I appreciate it a lot. Merde!

[@MisterBrickFilms]

One tiny error at 16:56 (unrelated to the Dreyfus narrative, don't panic): the Eiffel Tower was indeed built for the Paris World's Fair, but the one held in 1889, not 1900!

[@ThisisBarris]

ugh you're right. This is an embarrassing, basic mistake. Thanks for pointing it out and I hope you enjoyed the rest of the video nevertheless. Merde!

[@MisterBrickFilms]

Évidemment que j'ai apprécié cher ami, quand on pinaille sur des petits détails pareils c'est que le reste est très bien haha !

[@ThisisBarris]

@@MisterBrickFilms Merci beaucoup :) toujours ravi de voir d'autres francophone ici

[@alehamora]

I am in tears. Such beautiful narration!

[@ThisisBarris]

Thank you! Means a lot to me. Merde!

[@jordanamorgan9526]

Ok my iPhone is listening in on me for sure now, that’s how I ended up here (I’ve subscribed btw) because my Mother, whom is Moroccan Jewish was French educated & told me this very story the other day. She ended the story typical of her family which is to say “The French are if nothing else extremely racist & anti Semitic, they like nothing but there own & even then they will find dislike” 🤣 however I was raised with an odd love of France, for their philosophies, art, language (of course spoken perfectly with the right accent), art, penmanship, yes penmanship! And food. Even though I love Moroccan food more the French it still 3rd on my list of delicious world cuisine. Merci Barris d’avoir transmis vos histoires de Français histoire d’un lieu de vérité xo

[@Edmonton-of2ec]

I’m still confused why some historians wouldn’t refer to the French Empire as a monarchy and almost universally only use that word for the Kingdoms, including the Ancien Regime, the Bourbon Restorationist Monarchy, and the July Monarchy. The Empire (both 1st and 2nd) qualify as such.

[@DonTitoNYC]

There are some differences between a Kingdom and an Empire. But you do got a point.

[@Edmonton-of2ec]

Don Tito Cespedes Yes, but my point is they are both still monarchies (Empire as in reference to a country with an Emperor, not just simply an empire)

[@DonTitoNYC]

@@Edmonton-of2ec True. It's not like I mean a "conquer territories" empire.

[@davidladjani108]

Probably a matter of dynasties and perceived legitimacy

[@Edmonton-of2ec]

@@davidladjani108 I mean, all regimes had somewhat credible legitimacy. The Bourbons had history and (maybe, who knows) “Gods approval”, the Orléans had at least initially the backing of the people, and the Bonapartes had rights by conquest

[@palamecianrider7385]

I love his accent.

[@ThisisBarris]

Thank you John! I'm glad you enjoy it haha merde!

[@misterholst]

Barris, when I win the lottery and become rich I will turn all of the money over to you on the condition that you make videos of French history full time. Your work gets better and better. Bravo for yet another brilliant job. I eagerly await the next!

[@ThisisBarris]

Hello Tim, always happy to see you here! Thank you for watching and thank you for your continuous support - I would gladly accept your patronage haha Say Hi to your classroom from me! Merde! Also, I just wanted to be sure you received my reply to your email.

[@Psychedlia98]

Third republic of france: Ah. A new republic, so many chances, new ideas, culture, what to do first... let’s have a racist scandal!

[@carlwetzel273]

The production of your videos are flawless, and you're quickly becoming my favorite history channel. Have you done a video on the 1848 revolution yet? If not i would love to see that in a future video.

[@ThisisBarris]

Thank you Carl! That means a lot to me. Yes, I intend to go through every revolution of the 19th century one by one but unfortunately these videos take a lot of time to make and I have a lot of subjects to cover so I haven't had time to get over this yet. Sorry. Merde!

[@patavinity1262]

The Eiffel Tower was not "revealed" at the 1900 Exhibition; it was constructed for the 1889 World Fair.

[@ThisisBarris]

Yes, you're absolutely right. A small, embarrassing mistake that I mention in the description.

[@kristiyaniliev4002]

Very well made! For anybody who would like to learn about it from the beginning and for anybody who would like to summarize vast knowledge on the topic.

[@ThisisBarris]

Thank you! I really appreciate it. I hope you enjoy my other videos too. Merde!

[@hugosetiawan8928]

Always going to like french history videos! Especially your new production quality which is really good! I hope you get more subscribers J'aime vos videos de l'histoire française, et ce soit le cas toujours! Surtout, votre nouvelle qualité de production est sans doute réellement bien et me rendre voulant de regarder vous! Soyez de plus en plus populaire et célèbre !

[@ThisisBarris]

Thank you very much Hugo! I really appreciate your comment and know that it's thanks to comments like these that my channel will one day be successful so keep it up! Et pas mal votre français :) Merde!

[@philRminiatures]

A significant page in our history ... told (and illustrated) with a master's hand!👌

[@ThisisBarris]

Merci beaucoup Phil :) toujours heureux de voir vos commentaires. Merde!

[@mementovivere2]

The video is great, but the music just adds another level of thrill in the entire story!

[@ThisisBarris]

Thank you! I'm really glad you enjoyed it. I hope you enjoy my other videos too. Merde!

[@SagesseNoir]

I have Zola's famous letter "J'Accuse!" in a collection of other Zola's writings,

[@HistoryHouseProductions]

I just saw/watched this for some reason, but I really like the cinematic theme you’ve got! I knew a little bit about this from a museum in France, but I only understood like half the signs when I was there, so this is much more useful. XD

[@ThisisBarris]

Thank you Connor! I'm glad you enjoyed it. And at least you understood half the signs which is what matters. Merde!

[@Hipstorian]

Curiously enough, this along with the Franco-Prussian War is like the main thing you tend to learn about France back in history class in high school over here when I was young. Apart from the obvious Revolution and Napoleon episode that everyone talks about by default. It's almost like we like to focus on the bad things the French did, eh? *shiftyeyes* Having said that: MERDE, the quality of your videos just keeps rising and rising! This is seriously higher quality in production and editing than you'd see in your average history KZbinr's videos.

[@ThisisBarris]

I'm actually surprised that you guys learn so much about French history! And that you speak of the Dreyfus Affair of all things which, in my opinion, is often obscured by WW1 since it happened just a few years later. I'm glad you enjoyed Hipstorian! I'll make sure to keep up the good work. Merde!

[@yoavyoav9722]

WOW great video! Thanks for the amazing informative content.

[@ThisisBarris]

Thank you! I'm glad you enjoy it :) Merde!

[@DonTitoNYC]

There is a new French movie about Zola's defense to Dreyfus. Check out the trailer of "J'accuse".

[@ThisisBarris]

Yes I saw that. I know that Roman Polanski is a controversial director, but I still want to see it.

[@jacobmandelblum6644]

I was very young when I watched the film ¨J'Accuse" in which the late PAUL MUNI played ZOLA....

[@DonTitoNYC]

@@ThisisBarris Speaking of French movies, have you heard of Inspector Vidocq?

[@thatahamoment497]

Saw it today, it's good, more of a costume and mind game naturalist drama, but stil quite very good.

[@ThePiratemachine]

@@jacobmandelblum6644 You mean the Hose Ferrer one? - is excellent. Made around 1957. Worth watching.

[@DonTitoNYC]

You know, come to think of it, the superiors' use of Captain Dreyfus as a suspect is like the movie "Marquis", when Governor Preaubois and Father Dom Pompero are using the Marquis as such to save the king. N'est-ce pas?

[@ThisisBarris]

I mean I didn't think of it this way but now that you discuss it, I can definitely see what you mean. Thanks for watching Tito! Always happy to see your comments.

[@DonTitoNYC]

@@ThisisBarris Thank you for discussing it. There many videos about the Affair but yours is better enough.

[@MackerelCat]

Wow. I knew about this case but watching your video really drove home what an important milestone this was for justice. Merde.

[@89Hanine]

One of the most brilliant texts written in French language is Zola's J'accuse! I highly recommend that everybody reads it in their language of choice. I studied it at school and it's chilling, glacial, and like a surgical knife is precise, sharp, and painful. Zola knew how to write to spotlight difficult and challenging topics and remained so brave until his death

[@ThisisBarris]

I agree that it's an incredible text, and the impact it had on the Dreyfus Affair, and the Third Republic altogether, just makes it so much greater and significant. Thanks for watching Hanin and merde!

[@89Hanine]

​@@ThisisBarris Thank YOU for posting. Lenin, in his inaugural speech mentions Zola, and Zola is one of the writers who has been adapted into films the most. Heck, I even wrote a scholarly article about him and Sergei Eisenstein (he was E's favorite author). Also, Zola was already known in Russia since ca. 1870 having worked with Ivan Turgenev and he was widely read and respected there, even when he very openly (and rightly) criticized Tolstoi's conservative and reactionary views of the world. For those interested in Zola but want access to him via something recent, check out the BBC series "The Paradise" based on his novel Au Bonheur des Dames. And if you like opera, I recommend Alban Berg's unfinished masterpiece "Lulu" which presents a lot of similarities to Zola's novel "Nana" ( in terms of how the protagonist is constructed - but if you don't usually listen to symphonic music or opere, please don't start with Berg :-P). Whoever is interested in discovering Zola or just wants to talk about him, just reach out! #TeamZola.

[@Crafty_Spirit]

That description is mouth-watering... je suis obligé de lire J'Acccuse!

[@SagesseNoir]

From what I hear and read France TODAY is less inclined toward anti-Semitism, but that bigotry against North Africans is now socially acceptable.

[@ThisisBarris]

France is definitely much less antisemitic, although there has been a resurgence of antisemitism (frankly there has been one around the world unfortunately.) There is definitely quite a bit of bigotry against North Africans, which is ironic as we invited them to France to help rebuild it following WW2. The refugee crisis only worsened that bigotry.

[@SagesseNoir]

@@ThisisBarris I last visited your country in th e late 1980s, shortly after I finished my studies at university. I had studied some French (and needed to study more) , written my thesis on Sartre, and felt I just had to see the fabled land of Voltaire. I mingled with North African and Black French people as well as indigenous Frenchmen. They often had some gripping stories to tell of their experience.. It saddened me. France is a remarkable country, one of the great purveyors of ideas about human rights, democracy and freedom. But as in the good ole USA, everyone doesn't practice what he preaches. By the way, did that ole sal con Jean-Marie le Pen die yet? Had he lived in th e1890s he'd be persecuting Captain Dreyfus and Jews

[@ThisisBarris]

No, Jean-Marie le Pen is still very much alive and saying racist, vile stuff. His daughter is trying to distance the FN from him, which I actually think it's harmful because now the FN's racism is less direct and people might start voting for them as happened in the last elections... And yes, it's a shame how we fail to practice what we preach. Also, Europe likes to make fun of the US for being more progressive and tolerant, and then go around and do the very thing they mock the US for.

[@user-if5qh5lk1b]

Hi! I just wanted to say I really like your work, seeng a Spanish painting related to "la decada ominosa" in minute 6:19 reminded me of the "100.000 childs of san luis" that is part of or rather bumpy relationship... It had a great impact in the development of the liberala state in Spain, but I think it would be interesting to see it from the french point of view and the old regime reaction to those tries of liberal states in europe. Greetings from spanish town near Saint-Jean-de-Luz!!!!

[@ThisisBarris]

Hey Mario! Thank you for your nice comment. I'm glad you enjoyed the video. I'll definitely look into that and see if I can make an interesting video out of it. Thanks for the suggestion and Merde!

[@SagesseNoir]

Ironically, I first learned of the Dreyfus Affair not in history classes (as I should have0, but from seeing on TV as a child an old 1930s movie called "The Life of Emile Zola" (with Paul Muni as Zola). But the big flaw in that movie's treatment of the Dreyfus Affair is that it concealed the role of anti-Semitism in the Dreyfus Affair. Oh well, so much for American education and Hollywood movies! Only in the university student did I learn how ugly and racist the Affair.

[@ThisisBarris]

Unless you're French, I don't think many people study the Dreyfus Affair which is a shame because it's very interesting, symptomatic of France's political environment during the Third Republic and above all, help explain the rise of Nazism. People see the Nazism as this individual, weird event. An anomaly. But when you realise how deep and prominent antisemitism was in those times, it's not that hard to realise where it came from... Thanks for watching. Always happy to see your comments here. Merde!

[@chen-elbrill9397]

Kudos to you sir! Top notch video!

[@ThisisBarris]

Thank you! I'm really glad you enjoyed it. Merde!

[@feels_bad-man]

Fantastic video. It is a shame it took so long for Dreyfus to be exonerated.

[@ThisisBarris]

Thank you! I really appreciate it. And yes, it's a shame he was convicted in the first place - I can't imagine spending so long on that island. Thanks for watching and merde!

[@KrasMazovHatesYourGuts]

You can practically see the birth of Fascism in this story. All of the forces of reaction seemed to have aligned themselves in confederacy against an innocent Jewish man, and you can draw a direct line between this and the birth of Vichy France decades later.

[@greyghost4448]

And that, Madames et Monsieurs, is the perfect example, why court martials should be abolished and any legal affairs pertaining to the military, should be resolved in civil courts.

[@pikachu-chan8893]

A very good summary of the Dreyfus Affair - the whole story is quite dramatical and plot-twisting. It demonstrated how corrupted and polarized (in many ways) the contemporary French society were - Dreyfus was a victim orchestrated by anti-Semitism and judicial deficiency, and only with the powerful backup of socialist intellectual and some other righteous heroes he was able to clear his name and returned to the army in glory. The Dreyfus Affair pretty much summed up the essence of the conflict in the French Third Republic - Leftist vs rightist, old vs new, conservative vs progressive, Catholic vs anti-clerical, republican vs monarchal, socialism vs racism / hierarchism.

[@ThisisBarris]

Yes, the French Third Republic is fascinating in that sense because it was truly a transitional period for France (and the way it ended and started by two crucial events). I'm just glad there were some people willing to go against the general consensus and defend this poor man. Thanks for watching and merde!

[@andrisfridrihsons7885]

well done! amazing work :)

[@ThisisBarris]

Thank you Andris! I'm glad you enjoyed it. Merde!

[@zakattack8624]

I read about this in Barbara Tuchman's The Proud Tower. This video sums up the affair really good.

[@ThisisBarris]

Thank you! It's a very complicated affair so I'm glad I did a good job summing things up. I'll check out "The Proud Tower". Merde!

[@zakattack8624]

@@ThisisBarris The Proud Tower gives a good description of the Western world before WWI. :)

[@WowlxX]

Love your videos man! Outstanding quality. Thanks to your quality content I have learned much on French history and have forever stained myself by reading parts of "120 jours de Sodome" and watching that movie with Sade and his... companion

[@ThisisBarris]

Thank you Wow! Always happy to see you in the comments. It's the continuous support of people like you that makes me want to keep improving :) and I have no regret in introducing you to le Marquis de Sade haha Merde!

[@Crafty_Spirit]

You actually watched it? You are the bravest person I've heard of in a long time 👍🏽😅

[@CLASSICALFAN100]

The Marquis de Sade was hopelessly insane. Per Wikipedia: "Despite having no legal charge brought against him, De Sade was incarcerated in various prisons and an insane asylum for about 32 years of his life (or, after 1777, solely due to Lettres de Cachet and involuntary commitment. In 1801, Napoleon Bonaparte ordered the arrest of the anonymous author of "Justine and Juliette". De Sade was arrested at his publisher's office and imprisoned without trial; first in the Sainte-Pélagie Prison and, following allegations that he had tried to seduce young fellow prisoners there, in the harsh Bicêtre Asylum. After intervention by his family, he was declared insane in 1803 and transferred once more to the Charenton Asylum. In 1809, new police orders put De Sade into solitary confinement and deprived him of pens and paper. De Sade began a sexual relationship with 14-year-old Madeleine LeClerc, daughter of an employee at Charenton. This lasted some four years, until his death in 1814. His son had all his remaining unpublished manuscripts burned..."

[@WowlxX]

@@CLASSICALFAN100 Wow now that is one hell of a deviant

[@Higgsinophysics]

Impressive work on this video! as always :D

[@ThisisBarris]

Thank you man! I'm glad you enjoyed it. Hopefully one day I'll be able to animated and edit as well as you ;)

[@SagesseNoir]

Wasn't Cavaignac also the man who massacred thousands of Parisian workers during the "June Days" of 1848?

[@ThisisBarris]

Yes, he was given dictatorial powers basically and severely repressed the 1848 rebellion in France, known as the June Days Rebellion.

[@ShanaCarp]

1) This is a great video, (actually, I generally like your videos) - I'm looking forward to when you cover all of the napoleons 2) I'm sort of obsessed with your music choices (in all of your videos, especially this one) - what is the classical piece playing (great violins!). Do you like to use french composers?

[@ShanaCarp]

Also, fun Dreyfus facts - It's the same family (though not direct line) as the Louis-Dreyfus's, (one of the greatest fortunes of France, ever, and one of France's largest multinational corporations) The Vichy government was heavily antiDreyfussards, to the point of trying to censor textbooks on the subject. Fortunately, they failed at this during Vichy. repository.upenn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1003&context=uhf_2018

[@ThisisBarris]

I didn't know that they were related! Thanks for the info. And yes, I knew about the Vichy government's (infamous) involvement. I hope to discuss soon in a video discussing the History of French antisemitism. Thank you for watching Shana! I'm glad you enjoy my videos. As for the music choice, it's Palladio by Karl Jenkins, which was made for a DeBears commercial haha but I like the violins as you say. I like to use some French composers (like Camille Saint-Saëns for my Georges Méliès video) but I really just use whatever suits the video best.

[@ShanaCarp]

@@ThisisBarris I am looking forward to the video and thank you for the music!

[@SagesseNoir]

I have a few of Zola's writings: GERMINAL, NANA and a collection of his writings related to the Dreyfus Affair. I rea "J'Accuse!" a few years ago and ought to rea it again.

[@ThisisBarris]

They're great pieces of literature, if only for their historical importance. Happy to see you here and thanks for watching. Merde!

[@SagesseNoir]

@@ThisisBarris I read GERMINAL many years ago while still a university student. Can't wait to return to it when I've time.

[@SagesseNoir]

@@ThisisBarris And they are great pieces of literature AS literature too.

[@kamyab3840]

Love this channel ♡

[@kamelmrad3267]

such great quality production! wow

[@ThisisBarris]

Thank you Kamel, I really appreciate it. Merde!

[@qus.9617]

Okay... I now perfectly understand now why an educated French Jew learned in his people's past would now gladly leave France and immigrate to Israel.. just sayin' Edit: Not just France. I have immense respect for French culture and history. But in general, the desire to have a homeland of your own where you are not at the mercy of other people.

[@ThisisBarris]

Oh definitely. The history of antisemitism in Europe, if not the world, is really old so you can't blame them for wanting to leave and have their own homeland. I would too if anywhere I went, I was persecuted.

[@SagesseNoir]

I didn't know that Zola was murdered by some extremist blocking the fumes of his chimney. Was Madame Dreyfus harmed also?

[@Nmax]

Fascinating time period 1890s. This shakes up the French Army while at the same time as the European and World order is changing: - The Franco-Russian alliance is formalized (1894) - Fashoda incident between France and Britain in 1898 right after Britain (Anglo/Egyptian force defeats the Mahdi and reconquer the Sudan and then go south and run into a French force at Fashoda claiming the same territory.(France and Britain agree to settle their colonial differences as this Dreyfus Affair is seriously affecting the French Army and this leads to alliance between France and Britain, the Entente Cordial formalized in 1904. Russia and Britain sign an alliance in 1910). - The Spanish American War of 1898 -Failed Italian war on Ethiopia in 1896 (France and Russia arm the Ethiopians)

[@learningwithharry4996]

You told this really well.

[@mrsdashwood9700]

HATE the hyper background racket/music. All of the channels are doing this now. Can’t anyone just talk without background racket anymore!? SO ANNOYING!

[@jen1395]

this is perfect. thank you

[@ThisisBarris]

Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Merde!

[@jfmusicbox3477]

What is the piece of music being used in the video?

[@ThisisBarris]

The music is "Palladio" by Karl Jenkins. Thanks for watching and merde!

[@mdgarciasa]

Great video. Thanks!

[@ThisisBarris]

Thank you! I really appreciate it and thanks for subscribing as well. Merde!

[@SagesseNoir]

Wasn't France during the 1789 Revolution the FIRST European country to extend equal rights as citizenship to the Jewish people? It's remarkable that France should have undergone in the next century such a violent paroxysm of violent anti-Semitism. It apparently continued to some extent into the 20th Century. I recall as a student reading Sartre's critique of anti-semitism, called ANTI-SEMITE AND JEW in English (and, I believe, La Question Juive in French). And that was written in the 1940s

[@ThisisBarris]

Technically Poland had done long strides towards Jewish equality a good five centuries prior, but I would say that France was the first country in Europe to give full emancipation to the Jews. And yes, France, unfortunately, had a large history of anti-semitism long after their emancipation, although tbh that was most of Europe until the holocaust! I hope to make a video discussing that soon actually. Happy to see you here and merde!

[@SagesseNoir]

Do you have a video, or will you have one, about the Paris Commune?. It probably wouldn't have happened without France's loss of the Franco-Prussian war.

[@ThisisBarris]

Paris Commune is definitely on my list - my goal is to go through a timeline of all the revolutions in the 19th century, which will inevitably lead to the Paris Commune. Merde!

[@missthunderstormable]

Zola was a real honest man!

[@SagesseNoir]

Odd coincidence. I just discovered that Dreyfus (like yours truly) was an October baby, born Oct 9. I was born October 7, but over a century later.

[@SagesseNoir]

Barris, you are obviously well informed about French history; and this can't be just because you are French. Are you a student or teacher of history? You know, France has always interested me since at least my teen age years. I had an uncle who fought at Normandy, and who thought that France was a very free country (after the Germans were gone, of course).

[@ThisisBarris]

Haha I'm very flattered to hear that! I'm just some guy who is really passionate about good stories and France, and want to share that. I'm glad you appreciate it though and I'm always happy to see your comments in my videos. Thank you to your uncle for his services. I have a lot of gratitude to the US for helping us during WW2. Merde!

[@RegnaSaturna]

How convenient that two crucial letters were torn up and were never send but were nevertheless viewed by the wrong eyes n'est- ce pas?

[@Exoneos]

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS nouvelle vidéo de Barris et mon merde du mois ça fait zizir ♥ Quand je pense que le vrai coupable s'en est tiré bowdel ça fout le seum et c'est pourquoi j'ai pas confiance en mon gouvernement. Le peuple de tout pays devrait faire peur à leur gouvernant que si ils font les choses mal ! Des mauvaises choses pourrait leur arriver.

[@ThisisBarris]

Merci beaucoup pour ce commentaire! Et oui c'est chiant que Esterhazy s'en ait sorti mais bon, au moins Dreyfus à été acquitté. Merde!

[@SagesseNoir]

How could "one word" by Madame Dreyfus lead to a "European war"?

[@ThisisBarris]

It was more of a saying - like, if she spoke up about the affair, it would lead to great diplomatic consequences that could lead to war!

[@SagesseNoir]

How could the army of the Third Republic be aristocratic and pro-monarchy a century after the French Revolution?

[@ThisisBarris]

It's important to remember that despite the French revolution, France remained conservative for a long time and had, until the 3rd republic, been various ranges of monarchies. I also think there's a tendency for institutions like the army to attract more conservative people, you know?

[@SagesseNoir]

@@ThisisBarris I guess the army would appeal to conservative people more than many other institutions.. (Here in the USA, the police is much more conservative than the military). Yet. historians have long noted that one essential condition of the success of any revolution is that at least a part of the army abandons it's loyalty or allegiance to the government. How was France able to launch revolutions in 1789, 1830 and 1848 if confronted with an overwhelmingly conservative army? Barricades are no match for a trained army determined to put down a popular insurrection. There must have been liberal/left elements in the army for those revolts to have succeeded. Was there no sympathy at all for Dreyfus within the military? Could there have been more liberal elements among ordinary soldiers, perhaps suppressed by a mainly conservative general staff at the top?

[@ThisisBarris]

Yes, I definitely see your point and agree. I can't provide a concrete response although I would tend to agree with your last point - I think the main army itself was quite liberal but with an old, conservative leadership. It's important to remember that these were the remnants of the Second Empire afterall.

[@annelooney1090]

I recently read a book, The Soul of France: Culture Wars in the Age of Dreyfus by Frederick Brown, that shed some light on the topic. But here's what I'd say: imagine living through the French revolution. Imagine being a young adult at the time. Your childhood (formative years) would have been spent learning about the importance of the church and the monarchy. Now, maybe you can sense that the monarchy has issues. But eventually, the revolution turns into the reign of terror, where people are getting beheaded left and right (not just nobles) and the revolution is introducing wackadoodle stuff like a "Republican calendar". Also, the revolution wanted people to give up their religion. For someone who believes in divine justice and life after death, it's hard to stop believing in it just because someone says to (I say this as an atheist myself). But above all a lot of people just want safety and stability in their lives. So you can imagine some people thinking "maybe the old way wasn't so bad" (especially those who were children at the time) and so there'd be a violent swing back to conservatism. Napoleon I might have been seen as a stabilizing force. This was just the first Empire/Republic. More recently (within living memory during the Dreyfus Affair) you'd have the Second Empire and the Third Republic. The Second Empire was under Napoleon III and it turned into the Third Republic after the French lost the Franco-Prussian War (early 1870s--in fact, Dreyfus himself was a child in Mulhouse at this time and decided to join the army due to his memories of this war, like other Frenchmen he wanted revenge against the Germans and wanted Alsace to be French again) So, first of all, even though Napoleon III pretty much bungled that whole thing and it was more or less his own fault, the end of the most recent monarchy is associated in people's minds with foreigners coming in and waging war so to some people it might feel like it ended "unfairly". Second, not everyone liked the direction the Third Republic was going. There were a lot of scandals being wrought by non-monarchy such as stock market crashes in the Bourse, the Panama Affair, Sadi Carnot the President of France in 1984 being assassinated by an anarchist, and so on. Even less obvious things like the Eiffel Tower and the rise of department stores could be seen as signs of "social decay" by some conservatives. Think of how people nowadays talk about consumerism and our culture being empty, like those memes where a picture of a McDonald's offramp gas station is supposed to make you want to retvrn to tradition. That's kind of how the Eiffel tower (among other things) was seen at the time. One of Emile Zola's other open letters was an 1897 one called "Lettre à la jeunesse" or "Letter to the Youth". I'd recommend reading this one, too. A lot of the people who were doing things like burning Mathieu Dreyfus in effigy were young students; some people who in previous generations might have participated in the June Rebellion or the Paris Commune were now channeling that youthful energy into antisemitism and reactionary politics. One might say that these people had decided that the more humanistic politics of their parents' generation was cringe. Zola's letter was lamenting the presence of antisemitism in the young generation even though society was supposed to be getting better. As for the army in particular, in a lot of European countries the military was a respectable career choice for nobility, especially second sons and the like, and you could even get a commission just by being a noble (Esterhazy more or less did this, in the sketchiest way possible). So it's sort of a chicken-egg thing in that regard, it's already a place where nobles have a lot of the power even if that was starting to be counterbalanced by officers like Dreyfus who went to the Ecole Polytechnique instead of Saint-Cyr.

[@SagesseNoir]

@@annelooney1090 This is interesting. I may need to read that book by Frederick Brown. I believe I have that letter by Zola to the young people of France. It appears in a volume which included the famous J'ACCUSE letter.

[@ronalddonahue8325]

how did they get word about the trial all the way to Guyana in only two days?

[@aubreyh100]

Hi This was very well made. Do you have a transcript of the words? Thanks

[@ThisisBarris]

There are subtitles available :) Merde1

[@timwinroth9479]

Now tell us about the Panama affair and how Drumont was right about everything about it.

[@mug-o-tea9517]

what is the music used?

[@Edmonton-of2ec]

I’m honestly quite confused as to the mental....... *Capacity* of the Comte d’Chambord..... Rejecting the throne, a crown over a bloody piece of cloth with long-established meaning......

[@ThisisBarris]

I mean I think it's a bit deeper than that. He probably wanted a return to absolutism or at least more power, and the fact that France wasn't willing to go back to the Bourbon flag showed to him that he had no chance to have the monarchy he wanted. But still, if someone gave me the throne, I would take it no matter what.

[@Edmonton-of2ec]

This is Barris! - French History You’d probably be a great King (or Emperor, depending on which crown they’d offer you)

[@SagesseNoir]

@@Edmonton-of2ec But I thought Barris favored a Republic, not monarchy or dictatorship

[@Edmonton-of2ec]

@@SagesseNoir I’m not one to speak on the political preferences of others. But you must admit, he has a level head on his shoulders.... and that’s more then can be said for most politicians nowadays

[@Mac-st8fd]

Pourquoi dites-vous "extrême droite" il est possible d'être anti-juif à gauche?

[@henrimourant9855]

Wow that was an extremely well done video (I just found your channel). Have you considered doing the Stavisky affair for one of your next videos? It has some similarities to the Dreyfus affair (at least in terms of the antisemitism). I personally think Stavisky actually killed himself but this may be due to my bias in favor of the republicans in France at the time and the fact that the (only) book I have about it is written by a historian who is against the conspiracy idea (Paul Jankowski). But in reality I don't really know a huge amount about it (partly because I haven't finished the one book in english that I have about it lol, but mostly because I'm bad at reading books and articles in French).

[@ThisisBarris]

Thank you very much! I really appreciate it. As for Alexandre Stavisky, it's a great idea but I'm afraid they might not be enough material about him and the affair to make a whole video about it. I'll look into though and I appreciate the suggestion. I hope you enjoy my other videos and merde!

[@henrimourant9855]

@@ThisisBarris Well there is a whole book about him if you're interested lol its called: Stavisky: A Confidence Man in the Republic of Virtue, by the American historian Paul F. Jankowski. I first learned about the affair from the guys at a KZbin channel called TimeGhost History here's a link to their video about it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qn3QYpqNo9GWj9k Anyways good luck with your channel I look forward to seeing your videos about whatever topic you cover next. Merde!

[@SagesseNoir]

I seem to remember reading or hearing that Dreyfus had a grand daughter who died at the hands of the Nazis. that is really sad if true.

[@ThisisBarris]

Yes, indeed - she was named Madeleine Levy.

[@SagesseNoir]

Why didn't Picquart flee like Zola did upon learning of his sentence? Was he already in custody?

[@rhyno5289]

That was unreal!! 👍 also I have a video suggestion that you can do if you wanna. “King Charles the beloved” 🇦🇺🇫🇷

[@ThisisBarris]

That's an interesting suggestion. I'll definitely discuss him during the 100 years war! Thank you for watching and merde!

[@henrimourant9855]

I think there is a small mistake at 17:35. I'm pretty sure Jean Jaurès wasn't ever president he was just the leader of the french socialist party at the time that was part of the Bloc des gauches alliance that had just come to power in the 1902 election. But Jean Jaurès' speech convinced (or forced) the new prime minister (Émile Combes) to reopen the case probably because he needed the support of the socialists to govern. Anyways, I could be wrong about this and if not it's a very minor mistake in an otherwise really great video.

[@ThisisBarris]

You're absolutely right and it's a small but still embarrassingly mistake from my part. I'll update the description to reflect that inaccuracy. He was reelected as a Member of Parliament in 1902, not president, and that's what confused me. Thanks for bringing it up!

[@ShubhamBhushanCC]

Man the frogs really are fucked up.

[@le_souverainiste_francais7420]

If you want to understand the French politics you have to know the Dreyfus affair.

[@patavinity1262]

It's "anti-semItic" not "anti-semEtic". The *i* in the middle is pronounced..... like an *i*

[@ThisisBarris]

Yes, sorry my accent comes through from time to time. Thanks for watching and merde!