''Maréchal de camp'' (sometimes incorrectly translated as
field marshal
Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army (in countries without the rank of Generalissimo), and as such, few persons a ...
) was 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 used by the
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 ...
until 1848.
The rank originated from the older rank of
sergeant major general (
French: ''sergent-major général''). Sergeant major general was third in command in an army, after the
general
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 ...
and the
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 norma ...
. One of his tasks was to dispose the troops on the battlefield. It was also known in the French army as the "battle sergeant" (fr: ''sergent de bataille''). In English-speaking countries, the rank of sergeant major general became known as simply
major general.
Background and history
The ''maréchal de camp'' rank was the junior of the two officer general ranks of the French Army, the senior being lieutenant general. The rank of
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 (rank), commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several t ...
was intermediate between those of
colonel
Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...
and ''maréchal de camp'', but was not considered a general officer rank. Nevertheless, when rank insignia were introduced in the 1770s, the brigadier insignia was one star on each epaulette, that of the ''maréchal de camp'' two stars. However the ''maréchal de camp'' was entitled a general's uniform, the ''brigadier des armées du roi'' still wore his regiment's uniform.
When the rank of brigadier was abolished in 1788, ''maréchals de camp'' assumed command of
brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military unit, military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute ...
s in the French Army, but kept their two-star insignia. In 1793, during the
French Revolution, the rank was renamed
brigade general (''général de brigade''), as the brigade was its normal command. With the
Bourbon Restoration in 1815, the rank of brigade general became once again ''maréchal de camp'', but was changed back again to brigade general after the
French Revolution of 1848
The French Revolution of 1848 (), also known as the February Revolution (), was a period of civil unrest in France, in February 1848, that led to the collapse of the July Monarchy and the foundation of the French Second Republic. It sparked t ...
.
See also
* ''
Mestre de camp''
References
Military ranks of France
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