A general officer is an

officer An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," f ...

of high rank in the

armies An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

, and in some nations'

air force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an ...

space force A space force is a military branch of a nation's armed forces that conducts military operations in outer space and space warfare. The world's first space force was the Russian Space Forces, established in 1992 as an independent military service. ...

s, and

marines Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a military force trained to operate in littoral zones in support of naval operations. Historically, tasks undertaken by marines have included helping maintain discipline and order aboard the ship (refle ...

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 term ''general'' is used in two ways: as the generic title for all grades of general officer and as a specific rank. It originates in the 16th century, as a shortening of ''

captain general Captain general (and its literal equivalent in several languages) is a high military rank of general officer grade, and a gubernatorial title. History The term "Captain General" started to appear in the 14th century, with the meaning of Comma ...

'', which rank was taken from

Middle French Middle French (french: moyen français) is a historical division of the French language that covers the period from the 14th to the 16th century. It is a period of transition during which: * the French language became clearly distinguished from ...

''capitaine général''. The adjective ''general'' had been affixed to officer designations since the

late medieval period The Late Middle Ages or Late Medieval Period was the period of European history lasting from AD 1300 to 1500. The Late Middle Ages followed the High Middle Ages and preceded the onset of the early modern period (and in much of Europe, the Renai ...

to indicate relative superiority or an extended jurisdiction. Today, the title of ''general'' is known in some countries as a

four-star rank A four-star rank is the rank of any four-star officer described by the NATO OF-9 code. Four-star officers are often the most senior commanders in the armed services, having ranks such as (full) admiral, (full) general, colonel general, army ge ...

. However, different countries use different systems of stars or other insignia for senior ranks. It has a NATO rank scale code of OF-9 and is the highest rank currently in use in a number of armies, air forces, and marine organizations.

General officer ranks and history

The various grades of general officer are at the top of the military rank structure. Lower-ranking officers in land-centric military forces are typically known as

field officer A senior officer is an officer of a more senior grade in military or other uniformed services. In military organisations, the term may refer to any officer above junior officer rank, but usually specifically refers to the middle-ranking group of ...

s or field-grade officers, and below them are company-grade officers.

Common systems

There are two common systems of general ranks used worldwide. In addition, there is a third system, the Arab system of ranks, which is used throughout the Middle East and North Africa but is not used elsewhere in the world. Variations of one form, the old European system, were once used throughout Europe. It is used in Germany, where it comes from originally, and from where it eventually spread to the United Kingdom and thence subsequently to other Commonwealth countries and the United States. The general officer ranks are named by prefixing "general", as an adjective, with field officer ranks, although in some countries the highest general officers are titled field marshal, marshal, or

. The other is derived from the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in coup of 18 Brumaire, November 1799. Many of its ...

, where generals' ranks are named according to the unit they (theoretically) command.

Old European system

The system used either a ''brigadier general'' or a ''colonel general'' rank (i.e. exclude one of the italicised ranks). In the 17th and 18th centuries, it became customary in

Prussia Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an ...

and other German states to confer the rank of "full" general with the addition of the branch of service from which the general emerged and which originally also determined the character of the formations which he commanded, e.g. general of the infantry,

general of the cavalry General of the Cavalry (german: General der Kavallerie) was a General officer rank in the cavalry in various states of which the modern states of German and Austria are successors or in other armies which used the German model. Artillery officers ...

and

general of the artillery General of the Artillery is/was a general officer of artillery, and may be: *General of the Artillery (Germany) and Austria-Hungary * General of the Artillery (Imperial Russia) * General of the Artillery (Poland) *Feldzeugmeister (OF-8) of the Austr ...

. Such rank designations were also introduced in the Imperial Russian Army, firstly by the emperor

Peter I Peter I may refer to: Religious hierarchs * Saint Peter (c. 1 AD – c. 64–88 AD), a.k.a. Simon Peter, Simeon, or Simon, apostle of Jesus * Pope Peter I of Alexandria (died 311), revered as a saint * Peter I of Armenia (died 1058), Catholico ...

. The rank of field marshal was used by some countries as the highest rank, while in other countries it was used as a divisional or brigade rank. Many countries (notably pre-revolutionary France and eventually much of Latin America) actually used two brigade command ranks, which is why some countries now use two stars as their brigade general insignia. Mexico and Argentina still use two brigade command ranks. In some states (particularly in the Commonwealth since the 1920s), the equivalent to brigadier general is

brigadier Brigadier is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several thousand soldiers. I ...

, which is not always considered by these armies to be a general officer rank, although it is always treated as equivalent to the rank of brigadier general for comparative purposes. As a lieutenant outranks a sergeant major; confusion often arises because a lieutenant is outranked by a major. Originally the serjeant major was, exclusively, the commander of the infantry, junior only to the captain-general and lieutenant general. The distinction of serjeant major general only applied after serjeant majors were introduced as a rank of field officer. Serjeant was eventually dropped from both rank titles, creating the modern rank titles. Serjeant Major (later spelled sergeant major) as a senior rank of non-commissioned officer was a later creation. The equivalent of the rank of general in the

navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It in ...

was admiral.

French (Revolutionary) system

Arab system

The armies of Arab countries use traditional Arabic titles. These were formalized in their current system to replace the Turkish system that was formerly in use in the Arab world and the

Turco-Egyptian ranks The Turco-Egyptian ranks were the military ranks used by the Kingdom of Egypt from 1922 until they were changed in 1958 after the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 and the abolition of the monarchy. The names are Turco-Egyptian (i.e. derived from Ottoma ...

in Egypt.

Other variations

Other nomenclatures for general officers include the titles and ranks: *

Adjutant general An adjutant general is a military chief administrative officer. France In Revolutionary France, the was a senior staff officer, effectively an assistant to a general officer. It was a special position for lieutenant-colonels and colonels in staf ...

Commandant-general Commandant-general is a military rank in several countries and is generally equivalent to that of major-general. Argentina Commandant general is the highest rank in the Argentine National Gendarmerie, and is held by the national director of the g ...

* Inspector general *

General-in-chief General in Chief has been a military rank or title in various armed forces around the world. France In France, general-in-chief (french: général en chef) was first an informal title for the lieutenant-general commanding over others lieutenant- ...

* General of the Army (which is distinct from the title

army general Army general is the highest ranked general officer in many countries that use the French Revolutionary System.　 In countries that adopt the general officer four rank system, it is rank of general commanding an army in the field, but in coun ...

) *

General of the Air Force General of the Air Force (GAF) is a five-star general officer rank and is the highest possible rank in the United States Air Force. General of the Air Force ranks immediately above a general and is equivalent to General of the Army in the Unit ...

(USAF only) *

General of the Armies of the United States General of the Armies of the United States, more commonly referred to as General of the Armies, is the highest military rank in the United States Army. The rank has been conferred three times: to John J. Pershing in 1919, as a personal accola ...

(of America), a title created for General John J. Pershing, and subsequently granted posthumously to

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...

* (" 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 The National Police (french: Police nationale), formerly known as the , is one of two national police forces of France, the other being the National Gendarmerie. The National Police is the country's main civil law enforcement agency, with prima ...

) * Prefect general (the most senior rank of the Argentine Naval Prefecture) *

Master-General of the Ordnance The Master-General of the Ordnance (MGO) was a very senior British military position from 1415 to 2013 (except 1855–1895 and 1939–1958) with some changes to the name, usually held by a serving general. The Master-General of the Ordnance was ...

(very senior British military position) * Police General (most senior rank of the Philippine National Police) * Commissioner (highest rank of the

Bureau of Immigration Bureau of Immigration may refer to: *Bureau of Immigration (India) *Bureau of Immigration (Philippines) * Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization (Liberia) *Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforc ...

) * (Police General), the highest rank in the Indonesian National Police 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 Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

and directly below field marshal as a

(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

, general of the army, 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 A five-star rank is the highest military rank in many countries.Oxford English Dictionary (OED), 2nd Edition, 1989. "five" ... "five-star adj., ... (b) U.S., applied to a general or admiral whose badge of rank includes five stars;" The rank is t ...

(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 (abbreviated GEN) is the second-highest rank, and the highest active rank, of the Australian Army and was created as a direct equivalent of the British military rank of general; it is also considered a four-star rank. Prior to 1958, A ...

General (Bangladesh) General ( bn, জেনারেল, Jēnārēla) is a four Star commissioned flag officer rank in the Bangladesh Army. It is the highest achieved rank in the Bangladesh Army. General ranks above the Three Star rank of Lieutenant general. The rank ...

General (Canada) General (Gen; ) is a military rank used by the Canadian Army and Royal Canadian Air Force typically held by the officer who is serving as the chief of the Defence Staff – the senior uniformed officer of the Canadian Forces – if they belong t ...

* (China) – People's Republic of China (PRC) and Republic of China (ROC/Taiwan) *

General (Denmark) ''General'' () is the highest rank of the Royal Danish Army and Royal Danish Air Force. As a four-star rank it is the equivalent to the rank of admiral in the Royal Danish Navy. The rank is rated OF-9 within NATO. It has the grade of M406 withi ...

, *

General (Estonia) ''Kindral'' is the Estonian word for General which is also the highest military position in the Republic of Estonia. Both Ground Force and Air Force superior officers ranks share the same names which have been combined with the military rank ...

, *

General (Finland) General ( fi, Kenraali) is the highest officer's rank in Finland. It is held exclusively by the Chief of Defence (Finland), Chief of Defence during peacetime. General is comparable to Ranks and insignia of NATO armies officers, Ranks of NATO armie ...

, * General (Germany), * (Greece) *

General (India) General is a four-star general officer rank in the Indian Army. It is the highest active rank in the Indian Army. General ranks above the three-star rank of lieutenant general and below the five-star rank of field marshal, which is largely a war ...

* (North and South Korea) * *

General (Pakistan) General ; ur, ; abbreviated as GEN) is a four-star commissioned general officer and military rank in the Pakistan Army, officially used by the government of Pakistan to denote a supreme leader of the army. It is given to an army general offic ...

General (Poland) Generał (pronounced ) is the generic Polish language term for the rank of general. In narrow sense it is used to denote the rank of a four-star general introduced on August 15, 2002 (formerly ''generał armii'' - general of the army). It is curren ...

, * General (Sri Lanka) *

General (Sweden) General (Gen) is a four-star commissioned officer rank in the Swedish Army, Swedish Air Force and Swedish Amphibious Corps. General ranks immediately above lieutenant general and is equivalent to admiral in the Swedish Navy. It is held by t ...

, *

General (Switzerland) it, Generale rm, Generale , image = CHE OF9 General.svg , image_size = 80px , alt = , caption = Dress uniform shoulder strap with the rank of General , image2 = OF-9 - Général.png , image_size2 ...

General (United Kingdom) General (or full general to distinguish it from the lower general officer ranks) is the highest rank achievable by serving officers of the British Army. The rank can also be held by Royal Marines officers in tri-service posts, for example, G ...

General (United States) In the United States military, a general is the most senior general-grade officer; it is the highest achievable commissioned officer rank (or echelon) that may be attained in the United States Armed Forces, with exception of the Navy and Coast ...

General (Yugoslav People's Army) General (YPA) or General (JNA) ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, General Jugoslovenske narodne armije, Генерал Југословенске народне армије, sl, General Jugoslovanske ljudske armade) was the highest rank of Yugoslav People's Army ...

Army generals’ insignia

File:13.PNA-BG.svg,
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Algerian People's National Army french: Armée nationale populaire , image = ANP.png , alt = , caption = People's National Army emblem , image2 = , alt2 = , caption2 = , motto = ...

) File:Angola-Army-OF-9.svg,
( Angolan Army) File:Australian Army OF-9.svg,

General A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED ...

(

Australian Army The Australian Army is the principal land warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. The Army is commanded by the Chief of Army (CA), wh ...

) File:Bundesheer - Rank insignia - General.png,
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Austrian Army The Austrian Armed Forces (german: Bundesheer, lit=Federal Army) are the combined military forces of the Republic of Austria. The military consists of 22,050 active-duty personnel and 125,600 reservists. The military budget is 0.74% of nati ...

) File:Bangladesh-army-OF-9.svg,
General
(

Bangladesh Army The Bangladesh Army is the land warfare branch and the largest component of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. The primary mission of the Army is to provide necessary forces and capabilities to deliver the Bangladeshi government's security and defe ...

) File:Army-BEL-OF-09.svg,
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Belgian Army The Land Component ( nl, Landcomponent, french: Composante terre) is the land branch of the Belgian Armed Forces. The King of the Belgians is the commander in chief. The current chief of staff of the Land Component is Major-General Pierre Gérard. ...

) File:16.Bhutan Army-GEN.svg, General
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Royal Bhutan Army The Royal Bhutan Army (RBA; dz, བསྟན་སྲུང་དམག་སྡེ་, bStan-srung dmag-sde) is a branch of the armed forces of the Kingdom of Bhutan responsible for maintaining the country's territorial integrity and sovereign ...

) File:19.RBrLF-GEN.svg,
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Royal Brunei Land Forces The Royal Brunei Land Forces (Malay: Tentera Darat Diraja Brunei, abbreviated TDDB) is the land component of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces. The RBLF has responsibility for maintaining the territorial defence of Brunei Brunei ( , ), form ...

) File:Rank insignia of Генерал of the Bulgarian Army.png,

(

Bulgarian Army The Bulgarian Land Forces ( bg, Сухопътни войски на България, Sukhopŭtni voĭski na Bŭlgariya, lit=Ground Forces of Bulgaria) are the ground warfare branch of the Bulgarian Armed Forces. The Land Forces were establishe ...

) File:Blank.svg,

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Burundi Army The ''Burundi'' National Defence Force (french: Force de defense nationale ''du Burundi'', or FDNB) is the state military organisation responsible for the defence of Burundi. A general staff (''État-Major Général'') commands the armed forces, ...

) File:Canadian Army OF-9.svg,

(

Canadian Army The Canadian Army (french: Armée canadienne) is the command responsible for the operational readiness of the conventional ground forces of the Canadian Armed Forces. It maintains regular forces units at bases across Canada, and is also res ...

) File:Colombia-Army-OF-9.svg,
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Colombian Army The National Army of Colombia ( es, Ejército Nacional de Colombia) is the land warfare service branch of the Military Forces of Colombia. With over 361,420 active personnel as of 2020, it is the largest and oldest service branch in Colombia, an ...

) File:Denmark-Army-OF-9-M11.svg,
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Royal Danish Army The Royal Danish Army ( da, Hæren, fo, Herurin, kl, Sakkutuut) is the land-based branch of the Danish Defence, together with the Danish Home Guard. For the last decade, the Royal Danish Army has undergone a massive transformation of structures ...

) File:Timor-Leste-Army-OF-9.svg,
( Timor-Leste Army) File:Estonia-Army-OF-9.svg,
(

Estonian Land Forces The Estonian Land Forces ( et, Maavägi), unofficially referred to as the Estonian Army, is the name of the unified ground forces among the Estonian Defense Forces where it has an offensive military formation role. It is currently the largest ...

) File:18.EA-GEN.svg, General
( Ethiopian Ground Forces) File:Kenraali M05.svg,
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Finnish Army The Finnish Army ( Finnish: ''Maavoimat'', Swedish: ''Armén'') is the land forces branch of the Finnish Defence Forces. The Finnish Army is divided into six branches: the infantry (which includes armoured units), field artillery, anti-aircraf ...

) File:23.GLF-GEN.svg, General
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Armed Forces of Gabon The Armed Forces of Gabon (french: Forces armées gabonaises) or the Gabonese Defense and Security Forces (french: forces de défense et de sécurité gabonaises) is the national professional military of the Republic of Gabon, divided into the Army ...

) File:16.Gambian Army-GEN.svg, General
(

Gambian National Army The Gambia Armed Forces, also known as the Armed Forces of The Gambia, consists of three branches: the Gambia National Army (GNA), the Gambia Navy, and the Republican National Guard (RNG). It formerly included the Gambia National Gendarmerie (GNG) ...

) File:HD H 64 General.svg,
( German Army) File:16-Ghana Army-GEN.svg, General
(

Ghana Army The Ghana Army (GA) is the main ground warfare organizational military branch of the Ghanaian Armed Forces (GAF). In 1959, two years after the Gold Coast obtained independence as Ghana, the Gold Coast Regiment was withdrawn from the Royal Wes ...

) 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,

(

Indian Army The Indian Army is the land-based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head is the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), who is a four- ...

) File:22-TNI Army-GEN.svg,
( Indonesian Army) File:Rank insignia of generale of the Army of Italy (1973).svg,
(

Italian Army "The safeguard of the republic shall be the supreme law" , colors = , colors_labels = , march = ''Parata d'Eroi'' ("Heroes's parade") by Francesco Pellegrino, ''4 Maggio'' (May 4) ...

) File:16. Kenyan Army GEN.svg, General
(

Kenya Army The Kenya Army is the land arm of the Kenya Defence Forces. History The origin of the present day Kenya Army lie with the British Army's King's African Rifles. In the last quarter of the 19th Century the British began actively enforcing the abo ...

) File:Blank.svg, General
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Lesotho Army The Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) is the military of the Southern African Kingdom of Lesotho, which consists of about 2,000 personnel and is tasked with maintaining internal security, territorial integrity, and defending the constitution of Lesotho ...

) File:Army-LUX-OF-CiC.svg,
( Luxembourg Army) File:18-APM-GEN.svg,

(

Army of North Macedonia , image = Logo of the Army of the Republic of North Macedonia.svg , alt = , caption = Emblem of the Army , image2 = , alt2 = , caption2 = , motto = ...

) File:16. Malawi Army - GEN.svg, General
( Malawian Army) File:Malaysia-army-OF-9.svg,
(

Malaysian Army The Malaysian Army ( ms, Tentera Darat Malaysia; Jawi: تنترا دارت مليسيا) is the land component of the Malaysian Armed Forces. Steeped in British Army traditions, the Malaysian Army does not carry the title ‘royal’ () as do t ...

) File:Mexico army OF9.svg,
(

Mexican Army The Mexican Army ( es, Ejército Mexicano) is the combined land and air branch and is the largest part of the Mexican Armed Forces; it is also known as the National Defense Army. The Army is under the authority of the Secretariat of National ...

) File:Mongolian Army-GEN-service.svg,

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Mongolian Ground Force The Ground Force of Mongolia (, ''Mongol Ulsyn Zevsegt hüchniy Huurai zamyn tsereg'', ) is the land force of the Mongolian Armed Forces, formed from parts of the former Mongolian People's Army in 1992. It was known as the "Mongolian General Purp ...

) File:Namibia-army-OF-9.svg, General
(

Namibian Army The Namibian Army is the ground warfare branch of the Namibian Defence Force. History Development of Namibia's army was fastest of the three arms of Service. The first units of the Army were deployed as early as 1990. The Army was formed when ...

) File:Nl-landmacht-generaal.svg,
( Royal Netherlands Army) File:Nigeria-Army-OF-9.svg, General
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Nigerian Army The Nigerian Army (NA) is the land force of the Nigerian Armed Forces. It is governed by the Nigerian Army Council (NAC). The Chief of Army Staff is the highest ranking military officer of the Nigerian Army. History Formation The Nigerian ...

) File:Norway-army-OF-9.svg,
(

Norwegian Army The Norwegian Army ( no, Hæren) is the land warfare service branch of the Norwegian Armed Forces. The Army is the oldest of the Norwegian service branches, established as a modern military organization under the command of the King of Norway ...

) File:OF-9 Pakistan Army.svg,

( Pakistan Army) File:PA GEN Svc.svg,
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Philippine Army The Philippine Army (PA) (Tagalog: ''Hukbong Katihan ng Pilipinas''; in literal English: ''Army of the Ground of the Philippines''; in literal Spanish: ''Ejército de la Tierra de la Filipinas'') is the main, oldest and largest branch of the ...

) File:Army-POL-OF-09.svg,
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Polish Army The Land Forces () are the land forces of the Polish Armed Forces. They currently contain some 62,000 active personnel and form many components of the European Union and NATO deployments around the world. Poland's recorded military history stre ...

) File:Army-POR-OF-09.svg,
( Portuguese Army) File:Romania-Army-OF-9.svg,
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Romanian Land Forces The Romanian Land Forces ( ro, Forțele Terestre Române) is the army of Romania, and the main component of the Romanian Armed Forces. In recent years, full professionalisation and a major equipment overhaul have transformed the nature of the Lan ...

) File:16-Rwanda Army-GEN.svg, General
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Rwandan Defence Forces french: Forces rwandaises de défense sw, Nguvu ya Ulinzi ya Watu wa Rwanda , image = Rwanda Defense Force emblem.png , alt = , caption = , image2 = , alt2 = , caption2 ...

) File:18-Serbian Army-GEN.svg,

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Serbian Army The Serbian Army ( sr-cyr, Копнена војска Србије, Kopnena vojska Srbije, lit=Serbian Land Army) is the land-based and the largest component of the Serbian Armed Forces. History Originally established in 1830 as the Army of Pr ...

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Sierra Leone Army The Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF) are the armed forces of Sierra Leone, responsible for the territorial security of Sierra Leone's borders and defending the national interests of Sierra Leone, within the framework of the 1991 Si ...

) File:Blank.svg, General
( Singapore Army) File:Army-SVK-OF-09.svg,
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Ground Forces of the Slovak Republic The Slovak Ground Forces, also known as the Slovak Army, is the land specialized service branch of the Slovak Armed Forces. Structure Ground Forces Command * Ground Forces Command, in Trenčín (Commander: 2 Star General) ** Command Suppo ...

) File:SAA-OF-9.svg, General
( South African Army) File:Blank.svg, General
(

South Sudan Army The South Sudan People's Defence Forces (SSPDF), formerly the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA), is the army of the Republic of South Sudan. The SPLA was founded as a guerrilla movement against the government of Sudan in 1983 and was a ...

) File:Sri Lanka-army-OF-9.svg,

(

Sri Lanka Army ta, இலங்கை இராணுவம் , image = File:Sri Lanka Army Logo.png , image_size = 180px , caption = Emblem of the Sri Lanka Army , start_date ...

) File:Blank.svg, General
( Eswatini Army) File:SWE-General.svg,
( Swedish Army) File:CHE OF9 General.svg,
( Swiss Land Forces) File:17-Tanzania Army-GEN.svg,
(

Tanzanian Army Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands and ...

) File:Turkey-army-OF-9a.svg,
(

Turkish Land Forces The Turkish Land Forces ( tr, Türk Kara Kuvvetleri), or Turkish Army (Turkish: ), is the main branch of the Turkish Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The army was formed on November 8, 1920, after the collapse of the ...

) File:Uganda-Army-OF-9.svg, General
( Ugandan Land Forces) File:Погон генерала ЗСУ (2020).svg,

(

Ukrainian Ground Forces The Ukrainian Ground Forces ( uk, Сухопу́тні військá Збрóйних сил Украї́ни), also known as the Ukrainian Army, are the land forces of Ukraine and one of the five branches of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. They ...

) File:British Army OF-9.svg,

(

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

) File:US Army O10 (Army greens).svg,

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US Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

) File:Blank.svg, General
(

Zambian Army The Zambian Army, is the land military branch of the Zambian Defence Force. Like all branches of the Zambian military, citizens of the nation are required to register at 16 years old, and citizens can join at 16 years old with parental consent or ...

) File:Zimbabwe-Army-OF-9.svg,

(

Zimbabwe National Army The Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) is the primary branch of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces responsible for land-oriented military operations. It is the largest service branch under the Zimbabwean Joint Operations Command (JOC). The modern army has ...

)

Air force generals' insignia

16.ANAF-GEN.svg,
(

National Air Force of Angola The National Air Force of Angola or FANA ( pt, Força Aérea Nacional de Angola) is the air branch of the Armed Forces of Angola. With an inventory of more than 300 aircraft, FANA is (on paper) one of the largest and strongest air forces of A ...

) BE-Air Force-OF9.svg,
(

Belgian Air Component The Belgian Air Component ( nl, Luchtcomponent, french: Composante air) is the air arm of the Belgian Armed Forces, and until January 2002 it was officially known as the Belgian Air Force ( nl, Belgische Luchtmacht; french: Force aérienne belg ...

) 19.RBrAF-GEN.svg,
(

Royal Brunei Air Force The Royal Brunei Air Force (RBAirF) ( ms, Tentera Udara Diraja Brunei, abbreviation ''TUDB'') is the air force of the sultanate of Brunei. It is mainly based at the Rimba Air Force Base within the Brunei International Airport.Bulgarian Air Force) Canada-Air force-OF-9-collected.svg, General
(

Royal Canadian Air Force The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environm ...

) General del Aire FACH.png,
(

Chilean Air Force "With full speed to the stars" , colours = Indigo White , colours_label = , march = Alte Kameraden , mascot = , anniversaries = 21 March ...

) Colombia-AirForce-OF-9.svg,
(

Colombian Air Force , "We are the Force" , colours = , colours_label = , march = Colombian Air Force Hymn , mascot = Capitan Paz , anniversaries = 8 November , ...

) File:RDAF-OF-9 Sleeve.svg,
(

Royal Danish Air Force The Royal Danish Air Force ( da, Flyvevåbnet, lit=The Flying weapon) (RDAF) is the aerial warfare force of The Kingdom of Denmark and one of the four branches of the Danish Defence. Initially being components of the Army and the Navy, it was ...

) 17.Ecuadorian Air Force-GEN.svg,
(

Ecuadorian Air Force The Ecuadorian Air Force ( es, Fuerza Aérea Ecuatoriana, FAE) is the Air arm of the Military of Ecuador and responsible for the protection of the Ecuadorian airspace. Mission To develop the military air wing, in order to execute institutional ...

) Estonia-AirForce-OF-9.svg,
(

Estonian Air Force The Estonian Air Force ( et, Õhuvägi, ) is the aviation branch of the Estonian Defence Forces. The air force traces its history to 1918, and was re-established in its current form in 1991. As of 2016, the Estonian Air Force has a strength of ...

) Finland-AirForce-OF-9.svg,
(

Finnish Air Force , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , equipment = 159 , equipment_label ...

) Georgia Air Force OF-10.png,

(

Georgian Air Force The Aviation and Air Defence Command of the Defence Forces ( ka, თავდაცვის ძალების ავიაციისა და საჰაერო თავდაცვის სარდლობა, tr), (''formerly'' ...

) LD B 64 General.svg,
( German Air Force) blank.svg, General
(

Guinea Air Force The Guinean Armed Forces (french: Forces armées guinéennes) are the armed forces of Guinea. They are responsible for the territorial security of Guinea's border and the defence of the country against external attack and aggression. Guinea's ...

) 16. Kenyan Air Force GEN.svg, General
( Kenya Air Force) blank.svg, General
( Malawi Air Force) Malaysia-Air Force-OF-9.svg,
(

Royal Malaysian Air Force The Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF, ms, Tentera Udara Diraja Malaysia; TUDM; Jawi: ) was formed on 2 June 1958 as the Royal Federation of Malaya Air Force (; ). However, its roots can be traced back to the Malayan Auxiliary Air Force format ...

) Mongolian Army-GEN-service.svg,

(

Mongolian Air Force The Mongolian Air Force ( mn, Монгол Улсын Зэвсэгт Хүчний Агаарын цэрэг) is the aerial warfare service branch of the Mongolian Armed Forces. History Early years and WWII On 25 May 1925, a Junkers F.13 pilot ...

) Netherlands-AirForce-OF-9.svg,
( Royal Netherlands Air Force) Norway-air force-OF-9.svg,
(

Royal Norwegian Air Force The Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF) ( no, Luftforsvaret, , The Air Defence) is the air force of Norway. It was established as a separate arm of the Norwegian Armed Forces on 10 November 1944. The RNoAF's peacetime establishment is approximatel ...

) blank.svg,
(

Paraguayan Air Force The Armed forces of Paraguay ( es, Fuerzas Armadas de Paraguay) consist of the Paraguayan army, navy (including naval aviation and marine corps) and air force. The constitution of Paraguay establishes the president of Paraguay as the commander- ...

) Peru-AirForce-OF-9.svg,
(

Peruvian Air Force The Peruvian Air Force ( es, link=no, Fuerza Aérea del Perú, FAP) is the branch of the Peruvian Armed Forces tasked with defending the nation and its interests through the use of air power. Additional missions include assistance in safeguardin ...

) PAF GEN Svc.svg,
( Philippine Air Force) Rank insignia of generał of the Air Force of Poland.svg,
( Polish Air Force) Portugal-AirForce-OF-9.svg,
( Portuguese Air Force) Romania-AirForce-OF-9.svg,
(

Romanian Air Force The Romanian Air Force (RoAF) ( ro, Forțele Aeriene Române) is the air force branch of the Romanian Armed Forces. It has an air force headquarters, an operational command, five airbases and an air defense brigade. Reserve forces include one ai ...

) 16-Rwanda Air Force-GEN.svg, General
(

Rwandan Air Force The Rwandan Air Force (french: Force aérienne rwandaise) is the air branch of the Rwandan Defence Forces. History After achieving independence in 1962, the Air Force was formed with the aid of Belgium, the initial aircraft consisted of three ...

) 18-Serbian Air Force-GEN.svg,

(

Serbian Air Force and Air Defence The Serbian Air Force and Air Defence ( sr-Cyrl, Ратно ваздухопловство и противваздухопловна одбрана Војске Србије, Ratno vazduhoplovstvo i protivvazduhoplovna odbrana Vojske Srbije, Wa ...

) blank.svg, General
(

Republic of Singapore Air Force The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) is the aerial service branch of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) responsible for controlling and defending the airspace of the country, and providing air support to the Army and Navy. It was establi ...

) SVK-Air Force-OF-09.svg,
(

Slovak Air Force The Slovak Air Force, known since 2002 as the Air Force of the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic ( sk, Vzdušné sily Ozbrojených síl Slovenskej republiky), is the aviation and air defense branch of the Slovak Armed Forces. Operating 23 airc ...

) SAAF-OF-9.svg, General
(

South African Air Force "Through hardships to the stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , equipment ...

) blank.svg, General
(

South Sudan Air Force The South Sudan Air Force (SSAF), also previously known as the Sudan People's Air Force or Sudan People's Liberation Air Force, is the air force of the South Sudan People's Defense Forces (SSPDF) of South Sudan. The headquarters are located in ...

) SP-09 General del Aire.svg,
(

Spanish Air and Space Force , colours = , colours_label = , march = Spanish Air and Space Force Anthem , mascot = , anniversaries = 10 December , equipment ...

) Sweden-AirForce-OF-9.svg,
( Swedish Air Force) 17-Tanzania Air Force-GEN.svg, General
(

Tanzania Air Force Command The Tanzania Air Force Command ( sw, Kamandi ya Jeshi la Anga) is the aerial service branch of the Tanzania People's Defence Force (TPDF). The current commander of the Tanzania Air Force Command is Major General SB MANI , who replaced major gen ...

) Turkey-air-force-OF-9a.svg,
(

Turkish Air Force The Turkish Air Force ( tr, ) is the aerial warfare service branch of the Turkish Armed Forces. The Turkish Air Force can trace its origins back to June 1911 when it was founded by the Ottoman Empire, however, the air force as it is known to ...

) Uganda-AirForce-OF-9.svg, General
(

Ugandan Air Force Ugandan People's Defence Force Air Force, more commonly known as Ugandan Air Force, is the branch of the Uganda People's Defence Force that deals with the air warfare. It headquarters is located at Entebbe, Uganda. The current air force commander ...

) blank.svg,

(

Ukrainian Air Force The Ukrainian Air Force ( uk, Пові́тряні си́ли Збро́йних сил Украї́ни) is the air force of Ukraine and one of the five branches of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Its headquarters are in the city of Vinnytsia. W ...

) US Air Force O10 shoulderboard.svg,

(

US Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Sig ...

) blank.svg, General
(

Zambian Air Force The Zambian Air Force (ZAF) is the air force of Zambia and the air operations element of the Zambian Defence Force. Following the creation of the Republic of Zambia in 1964, the former Northern Rhodesia Air Force was renamed as the Zambian Air ...

)

Naval infantry generals' insignia

Generic-Navy-O12.svg,
(

Colombian Naval Infantry The Colombian Naval Infantry, also referred to as Colombian Marines ( es, Infantería de Marina Colombiana), is the marine force of the Colombian National Armada. The 53,123-member Colombian Marine Infantry is organized into a single division wit ...

) 22-TNI Navy-ADM.svg,
(

Indonesian Marine Corps '' ("Glorious on the Land and Sea") , colors = , colors_label = Beret color , march = Mars Korps Marinir , mascot = , equipment = ...

) Maldives Army OF-9.svg,
General
( Maldivian Marine Corps) Netherlands-Navy-OF-9.svg,
( Netherlands Marine Corps) Sweden-Navy-OF-9.svg,
( Swedish Amphibious Corps) British Royal Marines OF-9.svg,

( UK Royal Marines) US Marine 10 shoulderboard vertical.svg,

(

US Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through com ...

)

Air force and naval equivalents

Some countries (such as the United States) use the general officer ranks for both the

army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

and the

, as well as their

marine corps Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a military force trained to operate in littoral zones in support of naval operations. Historically, tasks undertaken by marines have included helping maintain discipline and order aboard the ship (refl ...

; other states only use the general officer ranks for the army, while in the air force they use

air officer An air officer is an air force officer of the rank of air commodore or higher. Such officers may be termed "officers of air rank". While the term originated in the Royal Air Force, air officers are also to be found in many Commonwealth nations ...

s 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 The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...

and many current and former Commonwealth air forces—e.g.

Royal Australian Air Force "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...

, Indian Air Force, Royal New Zealand Air Force,

Nigerian Air Force The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) is the air branch of the Nigerian Armed Forces. It is the youngest branch of the Nigerian Armed Forces. It is one of the largest in Africa, consisting of about 15,000 personnel and aircraft including eight Chinese ...

Pakistan Air Force , "Be it deserts or seas; all lie under our wings" (traditional) , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = ...

, etc. In most

navies A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It includ ...

flag officer A flag officer is a commissioned officer in a nation's armed forces senior enough to be entitled to fly a flag to mark the position from which the officer exercises command. The term is used differently in different countries: *In many countries ...

s 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 Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in History of England, English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 ...

naval rank "

general at sea A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED On ...

". 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.

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

General officer ranks and history

Common systems

Old European system

French (Revolutionary) system

Arab system

Other variations

Specific rank of general

General ranks by country

Army generals’ insignia

Air force generals' insignia

Naval infantry generals' insignia

Air force and naval equivalents

See also

Notes

References

External links