Présider sous l’affaire Dreyfus

One of the most exceptional moments in the history of French politics, and in particular the Chamber of Deputies, is, without doubt, the Dreyfus affair. The presidents who succeeded to the Chamber – Henri Brisson, Paul Deschanel, Léon Bourgeois, Brisson, Paul Doumer, and Brisson again – were certainly not in themselves the most significant actors in the Dreyfus affair, but, beyond certain incidents and phrases, their behaviour is instructive.