Which military school's cadets traditionally open the Bastille Day parade?

École Polytechnique cadets traditionally open the Bastille Day military parade.

The parade places military-school cadets at the front of the marching sequence, arranged by institutional seniority. École Polytechnique leads, followed traditionally by Saint-Cyr and then the École Navale. Their appearance gives the parade a ceremonial opening before the larger formations of the French armed forces proceed down the Champs-Élysées.

École Polytechnique is distinctive because it is primarily an elite scientific and engineering institution rather than a conventional officer school. Its students are known as polytechniciens and wear the school’s formal military-style uniform for major ceremonies. Saint-Cyr, by contrast, is France’s principal army officer-training academy, while the École Navale trains naval officers.

A common mix-up is to assume that the parade begins with the most senior operational military unit or with the French Foreign Legion. The Legion traditionally closes the foot procession because its ceremonial marching pace is slower. The cadets’ position at the front is a matter of parade tradition and school seniority, not a claim that Polytechnique commands the entire armed forces.