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A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air and space forces, marines or naval infantry.

In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED Online. March 2021. Oxford University Press. https://www.oed.com/view/Entry/77489?rskey=dCKrg4&result=1 (accessed May 11, 2021)

The adjective ''general'' had been affixed to officer designations since the late medieval period to indicate relative superiority or an extended jurisdiction.

French Revolutionary system

Arab system

Other variations

Other nomenclatures for general officers include the titles and ranks:
* Adjutant general
* Commandant-general
* Inspector general
* General-in-chief
* General of the Air Force (USAF only)
* General of the Armies of the United States (of America), a title created for General John J. Pershing, and subsequently granted posthumously to George Washington and Ulysses S. Grant
* (" general admiral") (German Navy)
* Air general and aviation general
* Wing general and group general
* (, a Serb/Slovenian/Macedonian rank immediately inferior to colonel general, and roughly equivalent to Commonwealth/US major general)
* Director general (a common administrative term sometimes used as an appointment in military services)
* Director general of national defence (most senior rank in the Mexican Armed Forces)
* Controller general (general officer rank in the French National Police)
* Prefect general (the most senior rank of the Argentine Naval Prefecture)
* Master-General of the Ordnance (very senior British military position)
* Police General (most senior rank in some national police)
* Commissioner (highest rank of the Bureau of Immigration)

In addition to militarily educated generals, there are also generals in medicine and engineering. The rank of the most senior chaplain, (chaplain general), is also usually considered to be a general officer rank.

Specific rank of general

In the old European system, a general, without prefix or suffix (and sometimes referred to informally as a "full general"), is usually the most senior type of general, above lieutenant general and directly below field marshal as a four-star rank (NATO OF-9).

Usually it is the most senior peacetime rank, with more senior ranks (for example, field marshal, marshal of the air force, fleet admiral) being used only in wartime or as honorary titles.

In some armies, however, the rank of captain general, army general or colonel general occupied or occupies this position. Depending on circumstances and the army in question, these ranks may be considered to be equivalent to a "full" general or to a field marshal five-star rank (NATO OF-10).

The rank of general came about as a "captain-general", the captain of an army in general (i.e., the whole army). The rank of captain-general began appearing around the time of the organisation of professional armies in the 17th century. In most countries "captain-general" contracted to just "general".

General ranks by country

The following articles deal with the rank of general, or its equivalent, as it is or was employed in the militaries of those countries:
* General (Australia)
* General (Bangladesh)
* General (Canada)
* (China) – People's Republic of China (PRC) and Republic of China (ROC/Taiwan)
* General (Denmark),
* General (Estonia),
* General (Finland),
* General (Germany),
* (Greece)
* General (India)
* (North and South Korea)
*
* General (Nigeria)
* General (Pakistan)
* General (Poland),
* General (Sri Lanka)
* General (Sweden),
* General (Switzerland)
* General (United Kingdom)
* General (United States)
* General (Yugoslav People's Army)

Army generals' insignia

File:13.PNA-BG.svg,

( Algerian People's National Army)
File:Angola-Army-OF-9.svg,
(Angolan Army)
File:Australian Army OF-9.svg, General
( Australian Army)
File:Bundesheer - Rank insignia - General.png,
( Austrian Army)
File:Bangladesh-army-OF-9.svg,
General
( Bangladesh Army)
File:Belgium-Army-OF-9.svg,
( Belgian Land Component)
File:16.Bhutan Army-GEN.svg, General
( Royal Bhutan Army)
File:19.RBrLF-GEN.svg,
( Royal Brunei Land Force)
File:Rank insignia of Генерал of the Bulgarian Army.png,

( Bulgarian Army)
File:Canadian Army OF-9.svg, General
(Canadian Army)
File:Colombia-Army-OF-9.svg,
( Colombian Army)
File:Denmark-Army-OF-9-M69-service.svg,
( Royal Danish Army)
File:Timor-Leste-Army-OF-9.svg,
( Timor-Leste Army)
File:Estonia-Army-OF-9.svg,
( Estonian Land Forces)
File:Ethiopia-Army-OF-9 (2022).svg,

( Ethiopian Ground Forces)
File:Kenraali M05.svg,
( Finnish Army)
File:16.Gambian Army-GEN.svg, General
( Gambian National Army)
File:Georgia-Army-OF-9.svg,

( Georgian Land Forces)
File:HD H 64 General.svg,
( German Army)
File:16-Ghana Army-GEN.svg, General
(Ghana Army)
File:15. Guinea-Bissau GEN.svg,
( Army of Guinea-Bissau)
File:Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Minister of Defence rank insignia.svg, General
( Guyana Army)
File:General of the Indian Army.svg,
General
( Indian Army)
File:22-TNI Army-GEN.svg,
( Indonesian Army)
File:Rank insignia of generale of the Army of Italy (1973).svg,
( Italian Army)
File:16. Kenyan Army GEN.svg, General
( Kenya Army)
File:Luxembourg-Army-OF-6.svg,
( Luxembourg Army)
File:North-Macedonia-Army-OF-9.svg,

( Army of North Macedonia)
File:16. Malawi Army - GEN.svg, General
( Malawian Army)
File:Malaysia-army-OF-9.svg,
( Malaysian Army)
File:Mexico army OF9.svg,
( Mexican Army)
File:Mongolian Army-GEN-service.svg,

( Mongolian Ground Force)
File:Namibia-army-OF-9.svg, General
( Namibian Army)
File:22.Nepalese Army-FM.svg, General
( Nepal Army)
File:Netherlands-Army-OF-9.svg,
( Royal Netherlands Army)
File:Nigeria-Army-OF-9.svg, General
( Nigerian Army)
File:Norway-army-OF-9.svg,
( Norwegian Army)
File:OF-9 Pakistan Army.svg,
General
( Pakistan Army)
File:PA General.png,
( Philippine Army)
File:Army-POL-OF-09.svg,
( Polish Army)
File:Portugal-Army-OF-9.svg,
( Portuguese Army)
File:Romania-Army-OF-9.svg,
( Romanian Land Forces)
File:16-Rwanda Army-GEN.svg, General
( Rwandan Defence Forces)
File:18-Serbian Army-GEN.svg,

( Serbian Army)
File:Army-SVK-OF-09.svg,
( Ground Forces of the Slovak Republic)
File:SAA-OF-9.svg, General
( South African Army)
File:Sri Lanka-army-OF-9.svg, General
( Sri Lanka Army)
File:Sweden-Army-OF-9 (M1987).svg,
(Swedish Army)
File:CHE OF9 General.svg,
( Swiss Land Forces)
File:17-Tanzania Army-GEN.svg,
( Tanzanian Army)
File:Uganda-Army-OF-9 (2019).svg, General
( Ugandan Land Forces)
File:Погон генерала ЗСУ (2020).svg,

( Ukrainian Ground Forces)
File:British Army OF-9.svg, General
(British Army)
File:US Army O10 (Army greens).svg, General
( U.S. Army)
File:Zimbabwe-Army-OF-9.svg, General
( Zimbabwe National Army)

Air force generals' insignia

File:16.ANAF-GEN.svg,
( National Air Force of Angola)
File:BE-Air Force-OF9.svg,
( Belgian Air Component)
File:19.RBrAF-GEN.svg,
( Royal Brunei Air Force)
File:Rank insignia of Генерал of the Bulgarian Air forces.png,

( Bulgarian Air Force)
File:Canada-Air force-OF-9-collected.svg, General
( Royal Canadian Air Force)
File:General del Aire FACH.png,
(Chilean Air Force)
File:Colombia-AirForce-OF-9.svg,
( Colombian Air Force)
File:RDAF-OF-9 Sleeve.svg,
( Royal Danish Air Force)
File:17.Ecuadorian Air Force-GEN.svg,
( Ecuadorian Air Force)
File:Estonia-AirForce-OF-9.svg,
( Estonian Air Force)
File:Finland-AirForce-OF-9.svg,
( Finnish Air Force)
File:Georgia Air Force OF-10.png,

( Georgian Air Force)
File:LD B 64 General.svg,
( German Air Force)
File:16. Kenyan Air Force GEN.svg, General
( Kenya Air Force)
File:Malaysia-Air Force-OF-9.svg,
( Royal Malaysian Air Force)
File:Mongolian Army-GEN-service.svg,

( Mongolian Air Force)
File:Netherlands-AirForce-OF-9.svg,
( Royal Netherlands Air Force)
File:Norway-air force-OF-9.svg,
( Royal Norwegian Air Force)
File:Peru-AirForce-OF-9.svg,
( Peruvian Air Force)
File:PAF GEN Svc.svg,
( Philippine Air Force)
File:Rank insignia of generał of the Air Force of Poland.svg,
(Polish Air Force)
File:Portugal-AirForce-OF-9.svg,
( Portuguese Air Force)
File:Romania-AirForce-OF-9.svg,
( Romanian Air Force)
File:16-Rwanda Air Force-GEN.svg, General
( Rwandan Air Force)
File:18-Serbian Air Force-GEN.svg,

( Serbian Air Force and Air Defence)
File:SVK-Air Force-OF-09.svg,
( Slovak Air Force)
File:SAAF-OF-9.svg, General
(South African Air Force)
File:SP-09 General del Aire.svg,
( Spanish Air and Space Force)
File:Sweden-AirForce-OF-9.svg,
( Swedish Air Force)
File:17-Tanzania Air Force-GEN.svg, General
( Tanzania Air Force Command)
File:Turkey-air-force-OF-9a.svg,
( Turkish Air Force)
File:Uganda-AirForce-OF-9.svg, General
( Ugandan Air Force)
File:Ukraine-AirForce-OF-9 (2020).svg,

( Ukrainian Air Force)
File:US Air Force O10 shoulderboard.svg, General
( US Air Force)
File:Uruguay-AirForce-OF-9.svg, General del aire
( Uruguayan Air Force)

Naval infantry generals' insignia

File:Generic-Navy-O12.svg,
( Colombian Naval Infantry)
File:22-TNI Navy-ADM.svg,
( Indonesian Marine Corps)
File:Maldives Army OF-9.svg,
General
( Maldivian Marine Corps)
File:Netherlands-Navy-OF-9.svg,
( Netherlands Marine Corps)
File:Sweden-Navy-OF-9.svg,
( Swedish Amphibious Corps)
File:British Royal Marines OF-9.svg, General
(Royal Marines)
File:US Marine 10 shoulderboard vertical.svg, General
( US Marine Corps)

Air force and naval equivalents

Some countries (such as the United States) use the general officer ranks for both the army and the air force, as well as their marine corps; other states only use the general officer ranks for the army, while in the air force they use air officers as the equivalent of general officers. They use the air force rank of air chief marshal as the equivalent of the specific army rank of general. This latter group includes the British Royal Air Force and many current and former Commonwealth air forces—e.g. Royal Australian Air Force, Indian Air Force, Royal New Zealand Air Force, Nigerian Air Force, Pakistan Air Force, etc.

In most navies, flag officers are the equivalent of general officers, and the naval rank of admiral is equivalent to the specific army rank of general. A noteworthy historical exception was the Cromwellian naval rank " general at sea". In recent years in the American service there is a tendency to use ''flag officer'' and ''flag rank'' to refer to generals and admirals of the services collectively.

See also

* General officers in the United States
* List of comparative military ranks
* List of Roman generals
* General officer commanding
* '' Général''
* '' Generalissimo''
* '' Shogun''

Notes

References

External links

Generals of World War II

Schema-root.org: US Generals
News feeds for US Generals in the news
Marines.mil: General Officer Biographies
Biographies of US Marine Corps General Officers

Bios & Information on Generals of Western History
Information on 10 Generals who influenced Western History

{{DEFAULTSORT:General Officer

Military ranks