École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr
On the 1st of May 1802, Napoleon Bonaparte signed an order creating a new military academy. This document established the École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr to replace the existing École Royale Militaire in Fontainebleau. The revolutionary calendar date for this law was 11 Floréal Year X. Napoleon renamed the institution the École Spéciale Impériale Militaire after he declared himself emperor. He moved the school to Saint-Cyr-l'École in 1806. There it occupied buildings from the former Maison Royale de Saint-Louis. That previous school had been disbanded during the French Revolution.
The German invasion forced the cadets to move multiple times during World War II. They first relocated to the free zone in Aix-en-Provence in 1940. A second German invasion in 1942 led to the school's disbandment. Training continued in Cherchell, Algeria under Free French control. Some cadets trained in the United Kingdom as Cadets de la France Libre under General de Gaulle. After the Liberation of France in 1944, the school reunited under General de Lattre de Tassigny. They settled permanently at the Coëtquidan military camp in Morbihan. This remote location became their home because the original site in Saint-Cyr-l'École suffered severe damage from Allied bombing.
A major reform split the academy into two entities in 1961. The École Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr focused on direct-recruitment officers selected through an annual national competitive exam. The École Militaire Interarmes handled internal recruitment from non-commissioned officer ranks. A third entity called the École Militaire du Corps Technique et Administratif formed administrative specialist officers. The school admitted its first female cadets in 1983. A minor reform in 2002 broadened recruitment diversity. In 2021, the Officer Candidate School Coëtquidan joined the complex as the official officer candidate school for the French Army. These changes consolidated various training streams onto a single campus.
Cadets wear a dark-blue tunic with red trousers and a shako featuring red and white plumes. These plumes are nicknamed Casoars after the bird that appeared at the Paris Zoo in 1855. The uniform was adopted in 1845 and worn until 1914 before returning to use in 1930. It returned again in 1949 after World War II. Night ceremonies mark every stage of formation. The petit soir welcomes first-yearers with shakos granted by third-year cadets. The grand soir presents the Casoar plumes and officers' swords at the end of the first year. The baptism ceremony commissions second lieutenants in the second year. The triumph marks promotion to lieutenant and the final exit from grounds in the third year.
French students enter Saint-Cyr around age 21 after completing tertiary education. They take exams on general knowledge, aptitude, intelligence, and physical ability. Most candidates complete two years of classes préparatoires aux grandes écoles or three years of university license. Mathematics and science were traditional paths but economics and philosophy now appear frequently. A separate track recruits graduates with master's degrees for only the final year of training. The course spans three academic years from September to July. Military strategy theory mixes with leadership and organizational training. First-years focus on military training while last two years prioritize academics with short breaks for drills. Graduates leave as lieutenants holding a Master of Arts or Science degree.
Since 1802, 65,000 French citizens have trained as Saint-Cyriens. Another 2,000 international cadets joined them over time. Of the French graduates, 9,639 died on the field of battle. Alumni include eleven Maréchaux de France and three French heads of state. Charles de Gaulle graduated in 1912 before becoming President of the French Republic. Other notable figures span continents including Zine El Abidine Ben Ali of Tunisia and Francisco Solano López of Paraguay. Two alumni became flying aces during World War I. Six members of the Académie Française emerged from its ranks. One graduate achieved sainthood within the Catholic Church. The school maintains links with West Point and Sandhurst through student exchanges.
Continue Browsing
Common questions
When was the École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr created by Napoleon Bonaparte?
Napoleon Bonaparte signed an order creating the École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr on the 1st of May 1802. The revolutionary calendar date for this law was 11 Floréal Year X.
Where did the École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr relocate during World War II?
The German invasion forced cadets to move multiple times starting with a relocation to Aix-en-Provence in 1940. Training continued in Cherchell, Algeria under Free French control before the school reunited at the Coëtquidan military camp in Morbihan after the Liberation of France in 1944.
What major reform split the École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr into two entities in 1961?
A major reform split the academy into two entities in 1961 where the École Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr focused on direct-recruitment officers and the École Militaire Interarmes handled internal recruitment from non-commissioned officer ranks. A third entity called the École Militaire du Corps Technique et Administratif formed administrative specialist officers.
When did the École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr admit its first female cadets?
The school admitted its first female cadets in 1983 following a minor reform in 2002 that broadened recruitment diversity. In 2021, the Officer Candidate School Coëtquidan joined the complex as the official officer candidate school for the French Army.
Who are some notable alumni of the École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr including heads of state?
Alumni include eleven Maréchaux de France and three French heads of state such as Charles de Gaulle who graduated in 1912 before becoming President of the French Republic. Other notable figures span continents including Zine El Abidine Ben Ali of Tunisia and Francisco Solano López of Paraguay.