Sunday, January 18, 2015

254 Quiz Answer


The Dreyfus Affair began in France in1894 with the treason conviction of Captain Alfred Dreyfus, who was sentenced for allegedly communicating French military secrets to the German Embassy in Paris.  Though he was innocent, Dreyfus was imprisoned on Devil's Island in French Guiana.  Ultimately, activists put pressure on the government to reopen the case.

(Also for Three Word Wednesday and ABC Wednesday: "B" is for "banish")

This week’s quiz has to do with a famous historical event you should be familiar with.  Name the event.

“The man’s a traitor.  Naturally, you types of the mollycoddle world would just say he was unrefined and would have given him a slap on the wrist.”

“No, I’d agree with you that a traitor should be punished severely.  It’s just that in this case there are some serious doubts that the man is guilty.”

“Get real; stop being frivolous.  For many months this case has been investigated to within an inch of its life.  It has been discussed and debated endlessly throughout the land.”

“Yes, and there’s a growing movement of people everywhere, here and overseas, who are positive that the guy has been railroaded.”

“What you characters have done is turn this into a political football.  You have the finest investigative experts of the Army as well as our entire legal system in agreement.  It’s an open-and-shut case; the man is guilty.”

“When you’ve got the Army investigating itself you’ve got a problem right there.”

“Well, what about the leading legal scholars who agree with that verdict?”

“Legal scholars who never had a chance to examine the evidence because the Army trial consisted of ‘closed sessions’?”

“Look.  We might as well stay amicable.  There’s no point in arguing about this man’s guilt or innocence because it’s of no importance.”

“What!?  You’re going to banish a highly respected army officer away for life, off to a hell-hole thousands of miles from here, and you say the fact that he may be innocent is not important!”

“I knew you wouldn’t understand.  Don’t you see?  This case is no longer about an insignificant captain of artillery.  It’s about subversive political elements that would challenge the integrity not just of our Army but of our very nation.”

“We cannot have integrity without justice.”

“Oh, we’ll have justice, don’t worry about that.  When we have the traitor locked up for life in that hell-hole you mention, that will be justice.”

(The answer will be posted Saturday.)

22 comments:

Roger Owen Green said...

Sounds like the Dreyfus affair to me, although I suspect similar events have happened as well.

21 Wits said...

The trial of Oliver North in the Iran-Contra Affair?

Berowne said...

Roger Owen Green leads us off with the first right answer.

The Blog of Bee said...

The Dreyfus Affair.

Berowne said...

Congrats! Bee, of the Blog of Bee - also known as the Bee Blog - has just coughed up the correct answer.

Kathe W. said...

the Dreyfus Affair?

Berowne said...

Kathe W is another with the right answer.

rel said...

Benedict Arnold?

Berowne said...

A very good guess, rel, but not quite the correct answer.

Altonian said...

This is surely the Dreyfus Affair.

Old Egg said...

This could be the Dreyfus affair in France late 19th century.

Berowne said...

The right answer has arrived from Old Egg and Altonian.

Silent Otto said...

Poor old Lieutenant Harry Harbord "The Breaker" Morant ...

Berowne said...

A fine film; I remember "Breaker Morant" well. But it's not the right answer to this week's quiz.

mrsnesbitt said...

Whatever Roger said - I was going to say exactly the same! lol!
Thanks for participating.
Denise ABC team.

Trubes said...

I think it is Alfred Dreyfus the French Army Captain. He was wrongly accused of divulging military secrets to the German Embassy in Paris..


Fingers crossed X

Best wishes,
Di. ABCW team x

I loved Denise's answer, such a funny lady xx

ChrisJ said...

I'm not very good with American
History or military history, but I'll make a stab at it with some recent history-- Bowe Bergdahl's innocence or guilt as a deserter.

Berowne said...

Trubes has just stepped up with the right answer.

Theresa Milstein said...

I'm going to have to return to see the right answer.

Anita Sabat said...

American history, right?
Need to read more to learn :)
Have a great week.

Sheilagh Lee said...

so many sad times in history I can't guess just one.

21 Wits said...

Oh dear, I think I missed this one! I was way off the mark with my answer!

 
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