Philippe Pétain is born at Cauchy à la Tour (Pas-de-Calais), on April 24, 1856. He enters the Saint-Bertin institution in Saint-Omer in 1867, where he carries out all his secondary studies. He prepares for the entrance examination for the Special Military Academy at Saint Cyr with the Dominicans at Arcueil. Admitted at Saint Cyr in 1876, he departs as Second-lieutenant in 1878 to be assigned to the 24th Alpine Battalion of Villefranche (Maritime Alps). After five years spent with the 3rd Alpine Battalion in Besançon, Lieutenant Pétain is admitted, in 1888, to the High War School which he leaves as member of the Headquarters staff in 1890. Captain the same year, he enters the War School in 1901 as a professor. He is named Colonel in 1910. He then leaves the War School and takes command of the 33rd infantry regiment in Arras. On August 31, 1914, Philippe Pétain is named Brigadier-general and receives command of the 6th division which reaches the canal of the Aisne River after victory on the Marne