[ñThe Third Republic was rocked by political scandals, anarchist outrages, and crises that threatened the survival of parliamentary democracy.ñ
Between 1898 and 1906, French society was bitterly divided by the Dreyfus case, in which a Jewish officer was falsely convicted of espionage by a military court. The opponents of Dreyfus claimed that the judgement of the army could not be called into question without undermining the authority of the state and the integrity of the French fatherland. The defenders of Dreyfus wanted to see justice and truth triumph, as a guarantee of human rights. The pro-Dreyfus League for the Defence of Human Rights was set up in February 1898. It fought to ensure that the truth be brought to light. At the same time, an anti-Dreyfus League for the French Fatherland was set up, supported by nationalists such as the writer Maurice Barres (1862-1923). The Anti-Semitic League, led by Edouard Drumont, advocated a racist version of nationalism that rejected all foreigners and Jews. The survival of the Third Republic was for a while threatened by the bitterness of the confrontation between the pro- and anti-Dreyfus camps.
The Dreyfus case was one of a series of crises and scandals that the republic had to weather. The most serious occurred after General Georges Boulanger (1837-91) was appointed minister of war in 1896. As his popularity grew, the republican government began to fear that he would seize power in a military coup. Accused of plotting against the state, Boulanger fled to Belgium and committed suicide in 1891. From 1891 onwards, the republic was shaken by anarchist outrages. The anarchists advocated terrorism as a way of undermining the established order. In March 1891, the anarchist Ravachol planted three bombs in buildings in Paris. He was arrested, sentenced to death, and guillotined. In December 1893, Auguste Vaillant organized a bomb attack on the deputies at the French National Assembly. More than 80 people were injured. He was arrested and executed. Finally on 24 June 1894, another anarchist, Caserio, assassinated the President of the Republic, Sadi Carnot (1837-94).ñ x F
