A Général d'Armée is the highest active military rank of the French Army

French Army

The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in...

.

Officially, Général d'armée is not a rank (grade in French), but a position and style (rang et appellation) bestowed on some Généraux de division (Divisional General

Divisional General

Divisional General is a rank used in many armies to denote a rank of general, corresponding to command of a division. For convenience Divisional General is almost always translated into English as Major-General, the equivalent rank used by the UK, USA, etc., although this translation is, strictly...

, which is the highest substantive rank) in charge of important commands, such as chief of staff of the army (Chef d'état-major de l'armée de terre) or chiefs of general staff (Chef d'état-major des armées).

A Général d'armée displays five stars on a shoulder board.
The mention of the current usage of "a sixth star authorized for the Army General in command of the Paris

Paris

Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...

 sector" is a legend, this sixth star never existed.
The Air Force

French Air Force

The French Air Force , literally Army of the Air) is the air force of the French Armed Forces. It was formed in 1909 as the Service Aéronautique, a service arm of the French Army, then was made an independent military arm in 1933...

 equivalent is Général d'armée aérienne and the Navy

French Navy

The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching...

 equivalent is Amiral.

Only a Marshal of France

Marshal of France

The Marshal of France is a military distinction in contemporary France, not a military rank. It is granted to generals for exceptional achievements...

 (Maréchal de France) is higher; however, Marshal of France is not a rank, but a dignity of the State (dignité dans l'État), today not bestowed. It is considered to be a position of distinction rather than an actual military rank. A seventh star is displayed on the General of the Army insignia by a Marshal of France.

The title of Army General

Army General

For the army rank of General, as opposed to the specific rank of Army General, see General officer.Army General is a title used in many countries to denote the rank of General nominally commanding an army in the field...

 in France and elsewhere should not be confused with the rank of General of the Army

General of the Army

General of the Army is a military rank used in some countries to denote a senior military leader, usually a General in command of a nation's Army. It may also be the title given to a General who commands an Army in the field....

, which is more senior, and corresponds to other countries' Marshal

Marshal

Marshal , is a word used in several official titles of various branches of society. The word is an ancient loan word from Old French, cf...

 or Field Marshal

Field Marshal

Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...

. The rank of "General of the Army" theoretically corresponds to overall command of an entire national army with several armies in the field, while the title "Army General" only theoretically corresponds to the command of an individual army in the field.

See also

• Army General
  Army General
  For the army rank of General, as opposed to the specific rank of Army General, see General officer.Army General is a title used in many countries to denote the rank of General nominally commanding an army in the field...
  
  
• Generalissimo
  Generalissimo
  Generalissimo and Generalissimus are military ranks of the highest degree, superior to Field Marshal and other five-star ranks.-Usage:...
  
  
• Général
  Général
  Général is the French word for General.In France, Army generals are named after the type of unit they command. In ascending order there are two ranks :* Général de brigade : Brigade General.* Général de division : Divisional General....
  
  
• General Officer
• Ranks and insignia of NATO armies officers
  Ranks and insignia of NATO armies officers
  Rank comparison chart of all armies of NATO member states.- Officers :- Warrant officers :Warrant officers rank below officers and above enlisted servicemen....