Gallieni was born 1849. In 1867 he began attending the Berthier Military Academy, and in 1869 he graduated with the rank of second lieutenant. Upon graduation he spent six months serving with the garrison at Boulogne before being sent to Indo-China. He spent the next seven years there, working his way through the ranks, and becoming a captain by 1875. In 1876 he was posted to Guyana to form part of the penal colony guard, but contracted malaria within a month and was forced to return to France.