Marshal General of France, originally "Marshal General of the King's camps and armies" (french: maréchal général des camps et armées du roi), was a title given to signify that the recipient had authority over all of the French armies, in the days when a

Marshal of France Marshal of France (french: Maréchal de France, plural ') is a French military distinction, rather than a military rank, that is awarded to generals for exceptional achievements. The title has been awarded since 1185, though briefly abolished ( ...

usually governed only one army. This dignity was bestowed only on Marshals of France, usually when the dignity of

Constable of France The Constable of France (french: Connétable de France, from Latin for 'count of the stables') was lieutenant to the King of France, the first of the original five Great Officers of the Crown (along with seneschal, chamberlain, butler, and ...

was unavailable or, after 1626, suppressed.

List of titleholders

There have only been six holders of this title in the history of France: Five in the pre-revolutionary

kingdom of France The Kingdom of France ( fro, Reaume de France; frm, Royaulme de France; french: link=yes, Royaume de France) is the historiographical name or umbrella term given to various political entities of France in the medieval and early modern period. ...

: * Charles de Gontaut, duc de Biron (1562–1602): ** Admiral of France, 1592 ** Admiral and Marshal, 26 January 1594 ** unclear when promoted to Marshal General ** executed in 1602 *

François de Bonne, duc de Lesdiguières François () is a French masculine given name and surname, equivalent to the English name Francis. People with the given name * Francis I of France, King of France (), known as "the Father and Restorer of Letters" * Francis II of France, King ...

(1543–1626): ** Marshal, 27 September 1609 ** Marshal General, 30 March 1621 **

, 6 July 1622 *

Henri de La Tour d'Auvergne, vicomte de Turenne Henri de La Tour d'Auvergne, vicomte de Turenne (11 September 161127 July 1675), commonly known as Turenne , was a French general and one of only six Marshals to have been promoted Marshal General of France. The most illustrious member of th ...

(1611–1675): ** Marshal, 16 November 1643 ** Marshal General, 4 April 1660 *

Claude-Louis-Hector de Villars Claude Louis Hector de Villars, Prince de Martigues, Marquis then Duc de Villars, Vicomte de Melun (, 8 May 1653 – 17 June 1734) was a French military commander and an illustrious general of Louis XIV of France. He was one of only six Marshals ...

(1653–1734): ** Marshal, 20 October 1702 ** Marshal General, 18 October 1733 * Maurice, comte de Saxe (1696–1750): ** Marshal, 26 March 1744 ** Marshal General, 12 January 1747 One during the

July Monarchy The July Monarchy (french: Monarchie de Juillet), officially the Kingdom of France (french: Royaume de France), was a liberal constitutional monarchy in France under , starting on 26 July 1830, with the July Revolution of 1830, and ending 23 ...

under the House of Orléans' sole, constitutional king, Louis Philippe: * Jean-de-Dieu Soult (1769–1851): ** Marshal of the Empire, 19 May 1804 ** Marshal General, 15 September 1847

Sources

* Quid.fr (French language online encyclopedia) * web.genealogie: les militaires (also online) * ''

Harper Encyclopedia of Military Biography ''The Harper Encyclopedia of Military Biography'' () was written by Trevor N. Dupuy, Curt Johnson and David Bongard, and was issued in 1992 by HarperCollins Publishers. It contains more than three thousand short biographies of military figures f ...

'', edited by

Trevor N. Dupuy Trevor Nevitt Dupuy (May 3, 1916 – June 5, 1995) was a colonel in the United States Army and a noted military historian. Early life Born in Staten Island, New York, the son of accomplished illustrator and artist, Laura Nevitt Dupuy, and noted ...

et al. (most dates are from the latter) {{Highest Military Ranks Military ranks of France