The term "Dreyfus" often refers to the Dreyfus Affair, a political scandal in France during the late 19th century. It involved Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish French army officer who was wrongfully convicted of treason in 1894. The case highlighted deep-seated anti-Semitism in French society and sparked widespread public debate about justice and civil rights. The Dreyfus Affair led to significant political and social changes in France. It divided the nation into pro-Dreyfusards, who supported his exoneration, and anti-Dreyfusards, who opposed it. The controversy ultimately contributed to the rise of secularism in France and influenced the development of Zionism.