General of the Army
Encyclopedia
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.
The rank is typically considered the equivalent of Marshal
, Field Marshal
, Fleet Admiral and other equivalent five-star ranks. The rank of Grand General
, which may also be considered a General of the Army equivalent, has appeared most often in fiction, although it is the literal translation of Da Jiang.
The rank of "General of the Army" should not be confused with the title "Army General
"; the rank of "General of the Army" is usually the equivalent of a five-star rank, and theoretically corresponds to overall command of an entire national army, whereas the title of "Army General" is usually held by the equivalent of a four-star general, and corresponds to the command of an individual army in the field.
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
in command of a nation's Army
Army
An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
. It may also be the title given to a General who commands an Army in the field.
The rank is typically considered the equivalent of 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...
, 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...
, Fleet Admiral and other equivalent five-star ranks. The rank of Grand General
Grand General
Grand General is a supreme military rank which is normally the accepted translation of:#The Indonesian rank Jenderal Besar#The Nepal military rank of Pradhan Senadhipati# The Chinese rank of Da Jiang...
, which may also be considered a General of the Army equivalent, has appeared most often in fiction, although it is the literal translation of Da Jiang.
The rank of "General of the Army" should not be confused with the title "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...
"; the rank of "General of the Army" is usually the equivalent of a five-star rank, and theoretically corresponds to overall command of an entire national army, whereas the title of "Army General" is usually held by the equivalent of a four-star general, and corresponds to the command of an individual army in the field.
General of the Army ranks by country
- General of the Army (United States)General of the Army (United States)General of the Army is a five-star general officer and is the second highest possible rank in the United States Army. A special rank of General of the Armies, which ranks above General of the Army, does exist but has only been conferred twice in the history of the Army...
- General of Army of UkraineGeneral of Army of UkraineGeneral of the Ukrainian Army is a general officer and is the highest possible rank in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. General of Army of Ukraine ranks immediately above a Colonel General and has no equivalent Navy rank.-References:*...
Equivalent General of the Army ranks
- Field MarshalField MarshalField 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...
(Numerous countries) - Maréchal de France (Marshal of France)Marshal of FranceThe Marshal of France is a military distinction in contemporary France, not a military rank. It is granted to generals for exceptional achievements...
(FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
) - Artesh-Bod (IranIranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
) (Note: Since the Islamic Revolution of 1979 no one has been promoted to this rank.) - MarechalMarshal (Brazil)Marshal is the highest rank in both the Brazilian Army and the Brazilian Air Force, although the latter is titled Marechal-do-Ar . These ranks are equivalent to that of Admiral in the Navy...
(BrazilBrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
) - Stožerni generalStožerni generalStožerni general is the highest rank in the Croatian Ground Army and the Croatian Air Force and Defense branches of the Croatian Armed Forces...
(CroatiaCroatiaCroatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
) - Chom PhonChom PhonChom Phon or Field Marshal of Thailand is a military rank of Thailand in the Royal Thai Army, considered the equivalent to a Field Marshal or General of the Army . Today it is ceremonially held by members of the Thai Royal family and exists only on paper in the actual Thai military...
(ThailandThailandThailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
) - Comandante en Jefe (CubaCubaThe Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
) - Jenderal BesarJenderal BesarJenderal Besar, translated literally as "Great General", is the highest rank of the Army of Indonesia. It is the equivalent of a General of the Army, and is used to translate that rank into Indonesian...
(IndonesiaIndonesiaIndonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
) - Pradhan SenapatiPradhan SenapatiPradhan Senapati, literally meaning "Chief General" but usually translated as "Chief of the Army Staff", is the title of the professional head of the Nepalese Army...
(NepalNepalNepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
) - Da Jiang (Senior General)Da JiangDa Jiang was a rank conferred in 1955 to ten veteran leaders of the People's Liberation Army. It was never conferred again and the rank was abolished in 1965 along with all other ranks in the PLA...
(People's Republic of ChinaPeople's Republic of ChinaChina , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
) - Te Ji Shang Jiang (Generalissimo)GeneralissimoGeneralissimo and Generalissimus are military ranks of the highest degree, superior to Field Marshal and other five-star ranks.-Usage:...
(Republic of ChinaRepublic of ChinaThe Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
) - WonsuWonsuWonsu is a very high military rank of the armed forces of the Republic of Korea and of North Korea.-South Korea:Wonsu, known in English as "General of the Army of the Republic of Korea", is the highest military rank of the Republic of Korea armed forces and is the combined equivalent of a Field...
(NorthNorth KoreaThe Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
and South KoreaSouth KoreaThe Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
) - Capitán General (SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
) - MushirMushirA Mushir is the highest rank in most militaries of the Middle East. It is the equivalent to the ranks of General of the Army, Field Marshal, and Fleet Admiral.- Iraq :...
(Arabic countries)
Similar General of the Army titles
- Armeegeneral (Wachregiment F.E. Dzierzinsky of the GDR)
- Reichsführer-SSReichsführer-SSwas a special SS rank that existed between the years of 1925 and 1945. Reichsführer-SS was a title from 1925 to 1933 and, after 1934, the highest rank of the German Schutzstaffel .-Definition:...
(SchutzstaffelSchutzstaffelThe Schutzstaffel |Sig runes]]) was a major paramilitary organization under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. Built upon the Nazi ideology, the SS under Heinrich Himmler's command was responsible for many of the crimes against humanity during World War II...
of Nazi GermanyNazi GermanyNazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
) - StabschefLeadership ranks of the SturmabteilungLeadership ranks of the Sturmabteilung were the titles and positions held by the commanders of the Sturmabteilung of the Nazi Party between the years of 1920 and 1945....
(Nazi StormtrooperStormtrooperStormtroopers were specialist soldiers of the German Army in World War I. In the last years of the war, Stoßtruppen were trained to fight with "infiltration tactics", part of the Germans' new method of attack on enemy trenches...
s "SturmabteilungSturmabteilungThe Sturmabteilung functioned as a paramilitary organization of the National Socialist German Workers' Party . It played a key role in Adolf Hitler's rise to power in the 1920s and 1930s...
")
See also
- GeneralissimoGeneralissimoGeneralissimo and Generalissimus are military ranks of the highest degree, superior to Field Marshal and other five-star ranks.-Usage:...
- GénéralGénéralGénéral 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
- Army GeneralArmy GeneralFor 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...
- Staff (military)
- Ranks and insignia of NATO armies officersRanks and insignia of NATO armies officersRank comparison chart of all armies of NATO member states.- Officers :- Warrant officers :Warrant officers rank below officers and above enlisted servicemen....