Ruminating about the history of political resistance in France, a legacy of the French Revolution.

A military court martial convicted French officer Alfred Dreyfus of treason on December 22nd 1894 and he was sentenced to life in prison for his alleged crime of passing military secrets to the Germans. Dreyfus was a Jewish artillery captain and convicted on very flimsy evidence in a very irregular trial. He was sent to the notorious prison on Devils Island in French Guyana.

From Hero or Villain: More Prisoners of Eternity.

The Dreyfus Affair, still resonates in France today. It split society, shook the French Establishment to its core, and poisoned its body-politic for 50 years and more. It brought latent anti-Semitism to the boil, made reconciliation between the warring factions impossible, and contributed to France’s early capitulation in World War II.

Military men and women (excluding revolutionaries and terrorists) should be treated with dignity and respect as they are authorized by the government to defend their country or to attack other countries perceived to be threats. Although there were some in the military who did not uphold to the duty and honor of being a soldier, we must not judge the entire army based on the actions of a few. Here are some notable scandals that involved the military.