In 1894, the Dreyfus affair rocked French society and politics. In December, a young Jewish Captain, Captain Alfred Dreyfus, was accused of spying for Germany and quickly sentenced to life imprisonment. In 1896, the French realized that it was indeed another officer that was providing secrets to the Germans but Dreyfus was accused of new charges based on forged documents. After a popular outcry, Dreyfus was given a new trial in 1899 and although convicted, was pardoned. Still, French society was divided between the pro-Dreyfus republican camp and the more anti-Semitic, pro-army anti-Dreyfus camp.The divisions in the French society came at a time when it was preparing for an eventual war with Germany.