Early career The childhood experience of seeing his family uprooted by the war with Germany prompted Dreyfus to decide on a career in the military. Following his 18th birthday in October 1877, he enrolled in the elite military school in Paris, where he received military training and an education in the sciences. In 1880, he graduated and was commissioned as a sub-lieutenant in the French army. From 1880 to 1882, he attended the artillery school at Fontainebleau to receive more specialized training as an artillery officer. On graduation, he was assigned to the 31st Artillery Regiment, which was in the garrison at Le Mans. Dreyfus was subsequently transferred to a mounted artillery battery attached to the First Cavalry Division (Paris), and promoted to lieutenant in 1885. In 1889, he was made adjutant to the director of the Établissement de Bourges, a government arsenal, and promoted to captain.
Early career The childhood experience of seeing his family uprooted by the war with Germany prompted Dreyfus to decide on a career in the military Following his 18th birthday in October 1877 he enrolled in the elite military school in Paris where he received military training and an education in the sciences In 1880 he graduated and was commissioned as a sub-lieutenant in the French army From 1880 to 1882 he attended the artillery school at Fontainebleau to receive more specialized training as an artillery officer On graduation he was assigned to the 31st Artillery Regiment which was in the garrison at Le Mans Dreyfus was subsequently transferred to a mounted artillery battery attached to the First Cavalry Division (Paris) and promoted to lieutenant in 1885 In 1889 he was made adjutant to the director of the Établissement de Bourges a government arsenal and promoted to captain