Why was the dreyfus affair ignificiant?

Answer 1

The Dreyfus affair revealed anti-Semitism, prejudice against Jews which, in Eastern Europe was bad; thus the Russian government approved of and allowed organized attacks on Jewish villages. This gave reason for Jews to flee to the U.S.

Answer 2

Alfred Dreyfus was Jewish army officer in France. In 1894 he was accused of spying for Germany. This trial led to the French being suspicious of the Jews. Many people questioned if the Jews in France should be trusted.

The trial of Alfred Dreyfus also led to Zionism. The founder of Zionism, Theodor Herzl, was a Jewish reporter present at the Dreyfus trial. Upon hearing violent statements made about Jewish people in the crowd Herzl concluded that anti-Semitism was present in society despite assimilation. He published the pamphlet Judenstaat which claimed that all Jews should migrate to one land. This land would be solely theirs and so they would be able to defend themselves against anti-Semitism. The next year he formed the first Zionist Congress and started the World Zionist Organization. Zionism was the idea that the home of the Jews should be Palestine. Jews began migrating to Palestine and claiming it at as their land. This caused conflict that continues to this day.