De Gaulle passed his entry examinations to Saint-Cyr in September 1909. He was ranked only 119 out of 221 entrants but this was creditable since it was rare to be admitted at the first attempt. As a result of the Dreyfus Affair, future officers had to serve a year in the ranks before starting at Saint-Cyr: the intention was to prevent them becoming separated from the lives of ordinary soldiers.
