Episode 1 of 2
Public Degradation in Paris
- When
- 5 January 1895
- Where
- Courtyard of the École Militaire
Dreyfus was formally degraded by having his rank insignia cut from his uniform and his sword broken in the courtyard of the École Militaire.
The ceremony took place on 5 January 1895 before silent ranks of soldiers. A large crowd shouted abuse from behind railings as the buttons and braid were removed. This act symbolized the complete loss of his military status prior to exile.
Sources
- Alfred Dreyfus Wikipedia, revision of 2026-10-07
- Dreyfus affair Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-08
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.