Divisional general is a
general officer
A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry.
In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...
rank who commands an
army division. The rank originates from the
French Revolutionary System, and is used by a number of countries. The rank is above a
brigade general, and normally below an
army corps general
An army corps general or corps general is a rank held by a general officer who commands an army corps. The rank originates from the French Revolutionary System, and is used by a number of countries. Normally, the rank is above the divisional gene ...
.
The rank is mostly used in countries where it is used as a modern alternative to a previous older rank of
major-general or
lieutenant-general
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank 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 battlefield, who was normall ...
.
Specific countries
Brazil
The Brazilian rank ''general-de-divisão'' translates literally as "general of division", and is used by the army. This rank is equivalent to lieutenant-general. The air force equivalent is ''major-brigadeiro''(literally "major-brigadier"). The navy equivalent is ''vice-almirante'' (literally, vice-admiral)
Chile
The Chilean rank ''general de división'' translates literally as "general of division", and is used by the army. This rank is equivalent to lieutenant-general. The air force equivalent is ''general de aviación'' (literally "aviation general"). These officers occupy positions such as Chief of the Joint Staff, Chief of the General Staff of the Army and commanders of high repartitions.
France
A
French Army
The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (, , ), is the principal Army, land warfare force of France, and the largest component of the French Armed Forces; it is responsible to the Government of France, alongside the French Navy, Fren ...
''général de division'' translates as a "general of division". The French Air and Space Force equivalent is ''général de division aérienne'' (literally "general of air division"). Rank insignia is that of 3 white stars on the
epaulette
Epaulette (; also spelled epaulet) is a type of ornamental shoulder piece or decoration used as insignia of rank by armed forces and other organizations. Flexible metal epaulettes (usually made from brass) are referred to as ''shoulder scale ...
, sleeve mark or shoulder board. After World War II, the corresponding rank of divisional general was changed to major general, and before that it corresponded to lieutenant general.
As well as commanding a division, a ''général de division'' may be appointed as ''
général de corps d'armée
An army corps general or corps general is a rank held by a general officer who commands an army corps. The rank originates from the General officer#French Revolutionary system, French Revolutionary System, and is used by a number of countries. Nor ...
'' (a "
corps general
An army corps general or corps general is a rank held by a general officer who commands an army corps. The rank originates from the French Revolutionary System, and is used by a number of countries. Normally, the rank is above the divisional ge ...
") commanding an army corps, or as a ''
général d'armée
is the French word for general. There are two main categories of generals: the general officers (), which are the highest-ranking commanding officers in the armed forces, and the specialist officers with flag rank (), which are high-level offic ...
'' (a "general of an army"), commanding a
field army
A field army (also known as numbered army or simply army) is a military formation in many armed forces, composed of two or more corps. It may be subordinate to an army group. Air army, Air armies are the equivalent formations in air forces, and ...
. These are not ranks, but appointments of the same rank. The insignia of a ''général de corps d'armée'' is four stars in a diamond formation, and that of a ''général d'armée'' is five stars in a cross-shaped arrangement. The arrangement for the air force is the same, but the ranks are called ''général de corps d'armée aérien'' ("general of an air corps") and ''général d'armée aérienne'' ("general of an air army") respectively.
Général de division ayant un commandement supérieur
(literally, "divisional general holding higher command") was an unofficial rank used in
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
. At the time, France had a two-rank system of general officers; as a temporary measure, to bring its system into alignment with the rank systems of general officers of other countries, a horizontal bar was attached to the top or bottom of the three stars on the
kepi
The kepi ( ) is a cap with a flat circular top and a peak, or visor. In English, the term is a loanword from , itself a re-spelled version of the , a diminutive form of , meaning . In Europe, the kepi is most commonly associated with French ...
and sleeves of the
horizontal-blue uniform. Such divisional generals enjoyed the status and treatment of
full general
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. ...
s.
Italy
The Italian army and Carabineer rank of ''generale di divisione'' translates as "divisional general". The air force equivalent is ''generale di divisione aerea'' (literally "general of air division").
The ordinary law n. 299, come into force on December 2, 2004, has restored the traditional ranks of Army Brigade General, Divisional General and
Army corps general
An army corps general or corps general is a rank held by a general officer who commands an army corps. The rank originates from the French Revolutionary System, and is used by a number of countries. Normally, the rank is above the divisional gene ...
, which had been changed in 1997. Some general divisions wear a third functional star with red border, which indicates they are enrolled in a ''special responsibility'' or as deputy officials of their proximate superiors.
Poland
The Polish equivalent is ''generał dywizji'' (literally, "general of division"). The symbols of this rank are the ''general's wavy line'' and two stars, featured on the ''
rogatywka
''Rogatywka'' (; sometimes translated as '' peaked cap'') is the Polish generic name for a peaked, four-pointed cap used by various Polish military formations throughout the ages. It is a distant relative of its 18th-century predecessor, th ...
'' (the Polish peaked, four-pointed cap), on the uniform's sleeves, and above the breast pocket of the field uniform.
Spain
The Spanish rank ''general de división'' translates literally as "general of division", and is used by the army, the air force and the
''Guardia Civil''.
Switzerland
The Swiss military use 4 languages, German, French,
Romansh and Italian. The names of the OF-7 rank are ''divisionär'' (German); ''divisionnaire'' (French); ''divisiunari'' (Romansh); ''divisionario'' (Italian). In all cases, these are abbreviated as "Div", and in all cases represent the head of a division, and hence can be translated as "divisional general".
Serbia and Yugoslavia
There was a proposition in 1898 by HM King
Alexander I Alexander I may refer to:
* Alexander I of Macedon, king of Macedon from 495 to 454 BC
* Alexander I of Epirus (370–331 BC), king of Epirus
* Alexander I Theopator Euergetes, surnamed Balas, ruler of the Seleucid Empire 150-145 BC
* Pope Alex ...
to introduce the rank of divisional general (''Дивизијски ђенерал'') to the
Royal Serbian Army
The Army of the Kingdom of Serbia ( sr-cyr, Војска Краљевине Србије, Vojska Kraljevine Srbije), known in English language, English as the Royal Serbian Army, was the army of the Kingdom of Serbia that existed between 1882 ...
, along with
brigade general and
army general
Army general or General of the army is the highest ranked general officer in many countries that use the French Revolutionary System. Army general is normally the highest rank used in peacetime.
In countries that adopt the general officer fou ...
.
The newly created
Royal Yugoslav Army
The Yugoslav Army ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, Jugoslovenska vojska, JV, Југословенска војска, ЈВ), commonly the Royal Yugoslav Army, was the principal Army, ground force of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. It existed from the establishment of ...
introduced the rank of divisional general in 1923 and confirmed by law in 1929, modeled after French army, as the second general rank, higher than
brigade general but lower than
army general
Army general or General of the army is the highest ranked general officer in many countries that use the French Revolutionary System. Army general is normally the highest rank used in peacetime.
In countries that adopt the general officer fou ...
. The rank had a similar role as the French ''général de division'' at time of introduction, able to command a corps, as there was no separate rank for corps command. This rank was also used during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
by the
Chetniks
The Chetniks,, ; formally the Chetnik Detachments of the Yugoslav Army, and also the Yugoslav Army in the Homeland; and informally colloquially the Ravna Gora Movement, was a Kingdom of Yugoslavia, Yugoslav royalist and Serbian nationalist m ...
. The most notable holders are Miroslav Trifunović and Ivan Prezelj. These ranks were replaced in 1945 by
Tito's
Yugoslav Partisans
The Yugoslav Partisans,Serbo-Croatian, Macedonian language, Macedonian, and Slovene language, Slovene: , officially the National Liberation Army and Partisan Detachments of Yugoslavia sh-Latn-Cyrl, Narodnooslobodilačka vojska i partizanski odr ...
with the introduction of
Soviet
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
-style ranks.
Divisional general's insignia
Argentina-Army-OF-8.svg,
(Argentine Army
The Argentine Army () is the Army, land force branch of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic and the senior military service of Argentina. Under the Argentine Constitution, the president of Argentina is the commander-in-chief of the Armed For ...
)
( Benin Army)
(Bolivian Army
The Bolivian Army () is the land force branch of the Armed Forces of Bolivia.
Figures on the size and composition of the Bolivian army vary considerably, with little official data available. It is estimated that the army has between 26,000 and 6 ...
)
(Brazilian Army
The Brazilian Army (; EB) is the branch of the Brazilian Armed Forces responsible, externally, for defending the country in eminently terrestrial operations and, internally, for guaranteeing law, order and the constitutional branches, subordina ...
)
( Burkina Faso Ground Forces)
( Cameroon Ground Forces)
17.CAGF-MG.svg,
( Central African Ground Forces)
Chad-Army-OF-7.svg,
(Chadian Ground Forces
The Chadian Ground Forces (, ) are the main and largest component of the Military of Chad, Chadian National Army. Historically Chad has had one of the strongest armies in the Sahara Desert, Sahara region, larger than the Malian Army, Malian or Cen ...
)
Chile-Army-OF-8.svg,
(Chilean Army
The Chilean Army () is the land arm of the Chilean Armed Forces. This 80,000-person army (9,200 of which are conscripts) is organized into six divisions, an army aviation brigade and a special operations brigade.
In recent years, and after sever ...
)
( Congolese Ground Forces)
(Cuban Revolutionary Army
The Cuban Revolutionary Army () serve as the ground forces of Cuba. Formed in 1868 during the Ten Years' War, it was originally known as the Cuban Constitutional Army. Following the Cuban Revolution, the revolutionary military forces was recon ...
)
(Ecuadorian Army
The Ecuadorian Army () is the land component of the Ecuadorian Armed Forces. Its 25,650 active soldiers are deployed in relation to its military doctrine. The contemporary Ecuadorian Army incorporates many jungle and special forces infantry un ...
)
(Salvadoran Army
The Salvadoran Army (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Ejército Salvadoreño'') is the land branch and largest of the Armed Forces of El Salvador.
History The Football War
The Football War (also called The Soccer War or 100-hours War) was a ter ...
)
(French Army
The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (, , ), is the principal Army, land warfare force of France, and the largest component of the French Armed Forces; it is responsible to the Government of France, alongside the French Navy, Fren ...
)
( Guatemalan Army)
( Guinea Ground Forces)
HON-army-OF-7.svg,
( Honduran Army)
()
(Italian Army
The Italian Army ( []) is the Army, land force branch of the Italian Armed Forces. The army's history dates back to the Italian unification in the 1850s and 1860s. The army fought in colonial engagements in China and Italo-Turkish War, Libya. It ...
)
( Ivory Coast Ground Forces)
( Madagascar Ground Forces)
( Malian Ground Forces)
(Mexican Army
The Mexican Army () is the combined Army, land and Air Force, 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 Defense o ...
)
(Moldovan Ground Forces
The Moldovan Ground Forces, known officially as Land Forces Command is the Army, land armed-forces branch of the Moldovan National Army, National Army of the Moldovan Armed Forces. The Moldovan Ground Forces date back to the dissolution of the Sovi ...
)
(Royal Moroccan Army
The Royal Moroccan Army ( ''Al-Quwwat al-Bariyah al-Malakiyah al-Maghribiyah'', ''tasrdast tagldant'') is the branch of the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations.
The Royal Moroccan Army is about 215,000 t ...
)
blank.svg,
( Niger Ground Forces)
(Paraguayan Army
The Paraguayan Army () is the ground force branch of the Armed Forces of Paraguay. It is organized into three corps and nine divisions, and several commands and direction. It has gone to war on many occasions, notably in the War of the Triple A ...
)
Peru-Army-OF-8.svg,
(Peruvian Army
The Peruvian Army (, abbreviated EP) is the branch of the Peruvian Armed Forces tasked with safeguarding the independence, sovereignty and integrity of national territory on land through military force. Additional missions include assistance in s ...
)
(Polish Land Forces
The Land Forces () are the land forces of the Polish Armed Forces. They currently contain some 110,000 active personnel and form many components of the European Union and NATO deployments around the world. Poland's recorded military history str ...
)
( Senegalese Ground Forces)
Spain-Army-OF-7.svg,
(Spanish Army
The Spanish Army () is the terrestrial army of the Spanish Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is one of the oldest Standing army, active armies – dating back to the late 15th century.
The Spanish Army has existed ...
)
(Swiss Army
The Swiss Armed Forces (; ; ; ; ) are the military and security force of Switzerland, consisting of land and air service branches. Under the country's militia system, regular soldiers constitute a small part of the military and the rest are ...
)
( Togolese Ground Forces)
(Tunisian Army
The Tunisian Land Army (, ) is the ground component of the Tunisian Armed Forces . The Land Forces Command is located in Bizerte. The TAF itself was created on June 30, 1956.
The Land Army is the largest service branch within the Tunisian Armed ...
)
( Venezuelan Army)
See also
*
Divisional admiral
References
;Bibliography
* {{cite book , last=Takai , first=Mitsuo , title=Consise guide to modern military terms in Japanese , date=2006 , publisher=Sanshūsha Co., ltd , isbn=4-384-04095-4
Military ranks
General de division
Military ranks of Poland