Founded by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802, France's prestigious St Cyr military school brands Frenchness into the hearts and souls of young officers using theatrical rituals and initiations, most notably a re-enactment in full period costume of the Battle of Austerlitz and the Grand Soir in which third-year students ceremonially dress the second-years in the traditional uniform of plumed hat, gloves, and epaulettes. We follow one class over the year before their graduation.

• Veronika Hyks
• Glynis Brooks