CAPTAIN ALFRED DREYFUS

Born in Mulhouse on 9 October 1859 to Jeannette and Raphael Dreyfus, industrialist, the seventh and youngest child; the Alsatian Jewish family embarks on a course of assimilation, loosening its ties to Judaism in order to strengthen its ties with France; enters Ecole Polytechnique in 1878; Lieutenant 1882; Captain 1889; at Ecole de Guerre 1890-92; leaves 1892; ninth in his class with a mention of 'très bien'; joins general staff of Ministry of War in 1893 where he is the only Jewish officer; marries Lucie Hadamard in 1890; his son Pierre is born in 1891 and his daughter Jeanne in 1893.

LUCIE DREYFUS

Wife of Alfred; born Lucie Hadamard in 1871 and of a more traditional Jewish background than her husband; observes Jewish Holy Days and is dedicated to biblical study; accomplished pianist; exhibits unshakeable loyality to her husband throughout the Affair; in later life devotes much of her time to Jewish causes.

EMILE ZOLA

French novelist born in Paris in 1840; family of Italian origin; begins to take interest in the plight of Dreyfus in 1897 and his articles appear in rapid succession with Lettre à la Jeunesse in December 1897 and Lettre à la France on 6 January 1898; his letter to the President of France, entitled J'Accuse appears in L'Aurore on 13 January 1898 accusing the General Staff of conspiracy to convict Dreyfus; tried for libel and convicted in February 1898 and sentenced to a fine and one year in prison; he takes refuge in Britain; he dies 'mysteriously' of asphyxiation at his home in 1902; his remains are transferred to the Pantheon in 1908.

EDOUARD DRUMONT

Born 1844; anti-Semitic leader and writer; writes La France Juive in 1886, a tirade against Jews that sells 200 000 copies; forms National Anti-Semitic League in 1899; launches the Catholic La Libre Parole in 1892 with a violent campaign against Jews and their admission into the army; becomes the leading organ of anti-Semitism and anti-Dreyfusard propaganda during the Affair; labelled the Pope of anti-Semitism; dies in 1917.

LIEUTENANT-COLONEL MARIE-GEORGES PICQUART

Born in Strasbourg in 1854; Saint Cyr; Ecole de Guerre; outstanding officer; exhibits anti-Semitic traits; promoted Head of Counter-Intelligence in 1895; Lieutenant-Colonel in 1896; becomes suspicious of Esterhazy and denounces him; as a result falls into conflict with his senior officers Generals Boisdeffre and Gonse; relieved of his duties in February 1898; arrested in July 1898 and incarcerated at La Santé and then Cherche-Midi Prison until June 1899; re-integrated into the army with the rank of general in 1906 following the rehabilitation of Dreyfus; appointed Minister of War in the Clemenceau Government in 1906; multilingual of exceptional intellect; accomplished musician and pianist; forms Mahler Society; dies in 1914 from a riding accident.

MATHIEU DREYFUS

Brother of Alfred Dreyfus; born 1857; industrialist; elegant and of distinguished bearing; from 1894 devotes his life to the rehabilitation of his brother Alfred; advertises hand- writing of 'bordereau' and is contacted by the banker Castro who identifies it as that of his client Esterhazy; he denounces Esterhazy as the author of the 'bordereau'.

JULES GUERIN

Active anti-Semite; supported by the Duc d'Orléans; founds the Ligue Antisémitique in 1897; publishes L'Antijuif; masterminds street violence with his People's Army; establishes his headquarters at Fort Chabrol in Paris and is eventually disgraced.

MARIE-CHARLES- FERDINAND WALSIN ESTERHAZY

Born in Paris in 1847; illegitimate descendant bearing the name of the Esterhazy family; becomes Papal Guard and then joins the Foreign Legion; marries in 1887 the daughter of the Marquis de Nettancourt; always in financial difficulties; takes Marie Pays a young prostitute as his mistress; calls on Schwartzkoppen in 1894 to offer his services; is relieved of duty after Henry's confession of forgeries on 30 August 1898; escapes to England and admits writing the 'bordereau'; he lives in England under the name of Count Jean de Voilement and dies in Harpenden, Kent in 1923; receives regular sums at the local post office, from an unknown source.

MAJOR HUBERT-JOSEPH HENRY

Born 1846; volunteers for the army in 1865; becomes Second Lieutenant in 1870 and Captain in 1879; wounded in the Franco-Prussian War; Legion d'Honneur 1895; Lieutenant-Colonel 1897; gives false testimony at first Dreyfus trial and creates forgeries to strengthen the army's case against Dreyfus; confesses to the forgeries during intensive interrogation by Minister of War Cavaignac on 30 August 1898; found dead in his prison cell the following day.

COLONEL MAXIMILLIAN VON SCHWARTZKOPPEN

Born in 1850 in Potsdam: enters the Infantry regiment of Westphalia in 1868: participates in the Franco-Prussian War 1870: Captain in 1882: Commandant 1888: appointed Military Attaché at German Embassy in Paris 1891: has contact with Esterhazy from 1894: participates in the First World War as Commander of the 20th Infantry Division: dies from wounds in hospital in Berlin 1917 affirming the innocence of Dreyfus whom he never met.

MARIE-CAUDRON BASTIAN

Becomes cleaner at the German Embassy in Paris in 1889 and eventually the concierge; works as agent for French Army Intelligence in particular passing fragments of documents and papers found in wastepaper baskets at the embassy for 200 francs per month; in contact with Henry to whom she passes the 'bordereau'.

MARQUIS DU PATY DE CLAM

Born 1853; General Staff Officer; designated as Officer of Judiciary Police on 14 October 1894; masterminds enquiry against Dreyfus and invents the scenario of his hostile interrogation and handwriting test; Lieutenant-Colonel in 1896; participates in intrigues with Esterhazy on behalf of the Military; theatrical personality; dies in 1916. Son appointed head of Jewish Bureau under Vichy government.

GENERAL RAOUL FRANÇOIS CHARLES LE MOUTON DE BOISDEFFRE

Born 1859; Army Chief of Staff from 1893 to 1898; fervent Catholic; ignores Picquart's protestations; resigns after Henry's confession of forgeries; dies 1919.

GENERAL AUGUSTE MERCIER

Born in 1833; participates in the campaigns of Mexico and Metz; Colonel in 1883; General de Brigade in 1885; becomes Minister of War in 1894; masterminds creation of sham secret dossier handed furtively to the judges at the first Dreyfus court-martial to influence their decision; gives virulent anti-Dreyfus testimony in Rennes; remains implacable foe of Dreyfus until the end of his life; dies in Paris in 1921.

GENERAL CHARLES-ARTHUR GONSE

Born 1838; Deputy Chief of Staff; strong anti-Dreyfusard; friend of Boisdeffre; refuses to listen to Picquart's evidence against Esterhazy; replaced after Henry's confession; dies 1917.

MARGUERITE-MARIE PAYS

Young and attractive prostitute from the provinces whom Esterhazy reputedly met on a train journey to Paris or at the Moulin Rouge; is already well-known in her profession at the age of 19; intelligent and loyal to Esterhazy; becomes his mistress.