The promotion is partly by seniority and partly by selection.
The following regulations exist as to the length of service in each rank before promotion can be given, during a period of peace:—
| A second Lieutenant | can not be | promoted to | Lieutenant | under | 2 | years’ service. |
| A Lieutenant | “ | “ | Captain | “ | 2 | “ |
| A Captain | “ | “ | Major | “ | 4 | “ |
| A Major | “ | “ | Lieut-Col. | “ | 3 | “ |
| A Lieutenant-Colonel | “ | “ | Colonel | “ | 2 | “ |
But in time of war these regulations are not in force.
Up to the rank of captain, two-thirds of the promotion takes place according to seniority, and the other one-third by selection.
From the rank of captain to that of major (chef de bataillon ou d’escadron) half of the promotion is by seniority and the other half by selection, and from major upwards, it is entirely by selection.
The steps which lead to the selection are as follows:—The general officers appointed by the minister at war to make the annual inspections of the several divisions of the army of France, who are called inspectors-general, as soon as they have completed their tours of inspection, return to Paris and assemble together for the purpose of comparing their notes respecting the officers they have each seen, and thus prepare a list arranged in the order in which they recommend that the selection for promotion should be made.
We were informed that the present minister of war almost invariably promoted the officers from the head of this list, or, in other words, followed the recommendation of the inspector-general.