Dopo gli studi alla "Prytanée national militaire" a La Flèche fu ammesso all'"École Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr" nel 1868. ###>He was educated at the Prytanée Militaire in La Flèche, and then the École Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr, becoming a Second Lieutenant in the 3rd Marine Infantry Regiment before serving in the Franco-Prussian War.