by Charlie Overton

The Dreyfus Affair was one of the most divisive incidents in the world around the turn of the 20th century. The affair divided France into two opposed groups, resulting in chaos, riots, anti-Semitic violence, and public outrage. However, the influence of codes and ciphers on the affair is often ignored, but it might be one of the most interesting cases of the unintended effects of enciphering messages.

Sources

Details about the Panizzardi Telegram

A little bit about breaking codes, with a specific example of Baravelli’s codes

Baravelli’s Codebook

A Detailed Timeline of the Dreyfus Affair

A Short Documentary about the Affair

 

Music Credits

Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

 

Midnight Meeting by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100159

Artist: http://incompetech.com/

 

Ambush – The Descent by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100334

Artist: http://incompetech.com/

 

I Am Running Down the Long Hallway of Viewmont Elementary by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Source: http://chriszabriskie.com/honor/

Artist: http://chriszabriskie.com/

 

Lightning on a Blue Sky by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Artist: http://www.twinmusicom.org/

 

Fur Elise by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Artist: http://audionautix.com/

 

Image: Cover of Le Petit Journal, 1894, Wikimedia Commons