Cinq années de ma vie, 1894-1899

Born in Mulhouse in 1859, the narrator grew up amid a close‑knit family before the shock of the 1870 war forced his parents to adopt French nationality and relocate to Paris. A bright student, he entered the École Polytechnique, rose through the artillery ranks, married his beloved Lucie Hadamard, and welcomed two children, enjoying a stable, prosperous life that seemed to promise an untroubled future.

The narrative shifts to 1894, when a routine transfer to an infantry regiment brings him to a surprising summons from the Ministry of War. Arriving early, he meets the austere commander Picquart, an encounter that feels oddly out of the ordinary. While the day begins with bright sunshine and familial warmth, the author senses an unsettling change, hinting at a period of isolation that will dominate the next five years of his life.