Generalfeldmarschall ( listen (help·info)) (usually translated simply as field marshal Field Marshal is a military officer rank. Today, it is the highest rank in the armies in which it is used, one step above a general or colonel-general, or sometimes as General Field Marshal, and sometimes written only as Feldmarschall) was a rank in the armies of several German Germany (pronounced /ˈdʒɜrməni/ ), officially the Federal Republic of Germany (German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland, pronounced [ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant] ( listen)), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south states and the Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire (HRE; German: Heiliges Römisches Reich , Latin: Sacrum Romanum Imperium (SRI)) was a union of territories in Central Europe during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period under a Holy Roman Emperor. The first emperor of the Holy Roman Empire was Otto I, crowned in 962. The last was Francis II, who abdicated and dissolved; in the Austrian Empire The Austrian Empire was a modern era successor empire founded on a remnant of the Holy Roman Empire centered on what is today's Austria that officially lasted from 1804 to 1867. It was followed by combining the Royal House with that of Hungary creating the dual monarchy Austria-Hungary (also known as the Austro-Hungarian Empire (1867 to 1918),, the rank Feldmarschall was used. The rank was the equivalent to a Grand Admiral Grand Admiral is a historic naval rank, generally being the highest such rank present in any particular country. Its most notable use is in Germany — the German word is Großadmiral in the German Navy.
In the Prussian Army The Prussian Army was the army of the Kingdom of Prussia. It was vital to the development of Brandenburg-Prussia as a European power and later in the German Army The German Army (German: Deutsches Heer, [heːɐ̯ ] ) is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. Traditionally the German military forces have been composed of the Army, the Navy, and an Air Force after World War I. It was reinstalled in 1955 as the West German Army and as a part of the newly formed Bundeswehr the rank had several privileges, such as elevation to nobility, equal rank with ministers of the royal cabinet, right of direct report to the monarch, and a constant escort/protection. In 1854 the rank of Generaloberst (Colonel-General Colonel General is a senior military rank which is used in some of the world’s militaries. North Korea and Russia are two nations which have used the rank extensively throughout their histories. The rank is also closely associated with Germany, where Generaloberst has been the full General and a rank below Generalfeldmarschall) was created in order to promote Prince Wilhelm to senior rank without breaking the rule that only wartime field commanders could receive the rank of field marshal for a victory in a decisive battle or the capture of a fortification or major town. In 1870 Prince Friedrich Karl Prince Friedrich Carl Nicolaus of Prussia was the son of Prince Charles of Prussia (1801-1883) and his wife Princess Marie of Saxe-Weimar (1808-1877). Prince Frederick Charles was a grandson of King Frederick William III of Prussia and a nephew of Frederick William IV and William I. He was born at Schloss Klein in Berlin and Kronprinz Friedrich Wilhelm Frederick III was German Emperor and King of Prussia for 99 days in 1888 during the Year of the Three Emperors. Frederick William Nicholas Charles (German: Friedrich Wilhelm Nikolaus Karl), known informally as Fritz, was the only son of Emperor William I, and was raised in his family's tradition of military service. Although celebrated as a young, who had commanded armies during the Franco-Prussian War, became the first Prussian princes appointed field marshals.
In the armies and Luftwaffe Luftwaffe (German pronunciation: [ˈlʊftvafə] ) is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1933 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956 of Nazi Germany Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the colloquial English names for Germany between 1933 and 1945, while it was led by Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Worker's Party . The name Third Reich (Drittes Reich, ‘Third Reich’) refers to the state as the successor to the Holy Roman Empire of the Middle Ages and the German Empire of 187, the rank of Generalfeldmarschall was the highest military rank until July 1940, when it was made subordinate to the even higher rank of Reichsmarschall Reichsmarschall was the highest rank in the armed forces of Nazi Germany during World War II after the position of Supreme Commander held by Adolf Hitler (held solely by Hermann Göring Hermann Wilhelm Göring ( listen) (12 January 1893 – 15 October 1946) was a German politician, military leader and a leading member of the Nazi Party. Among many offices, he was Hitler's designated successor and commander of the Luftwaffe (German Air Force). With twenty-two confirmed kills as a fighter pilot, he was a veteran of the First World). The equivalent of a Generalfeldmarschall in the navy was Großadmiral (Grand Admiral Grand Admiral is a historic naval rank, generally being the highest such rank present in any particular country. Its most notable use is in Germany — the German word is Großadmiral). The rank of Generalfeldmarschall was abolished after the fall of the Third Reich.
Hitler promoted Friedrich Paulus Friedrich Wilhelm Ernst Paulus was an officer in the German military from 1910 to 1943, attaining the rank of Generalfeldmarschall (field marshal) during World War II. He is most known for commanding the Sixth Army's assault on Stalingrad during Operation Blue in 1942. The battle ended in disaster for Nazi Germany when approximately 270,000, commander of the 6th Army at Stalingrad, to the rank of Field Marshal shortly before his army's inevitable surrender in order to encourage him to continue to fight until death or commit suicide (no German field marshal at that point in history had ever been captured alive). Paulus surrendered anyway, responding to the promotion: "I have no intention of shooting myself for that Austrian corporal Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and also by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4. The word is probably derived from a medieval Italian phrase capo corporale, meaning "head of a body ". It may also derive from an appointment as an officer's bodyguard,."
Currently, the highest rank in the reconstituted Bundeswehr The Bundeswehr (German for "Federal Defense Force"; listen ) is the name of the unified armed forces of Germany and their civil administration and procurement authorities. The States of Germany are not allowed to maintain armed forces of their own, since the Constitution determines that matters of defense fall into the sole is General A general officer is an officer of high military rank. The term or equivalent is used by nearly every country in the world. General can be used as a generic term for all grades of general officer, or it can specifically refer to a single rank that is just called general. By permanent enactment of the Commander-in-Chief (Inhaber der Befehls- und Kommandogewalt) of the Bundeswehr, who is in peacetime, according to Art. 65 a GG, the Bundesminister der Verteidigung (Federal Minister of Defence), he has special command authority over all soldiers. The Generalinspekteur (Inspector General of the Bundeswehr), which is a post, heads the Führungsstab der Streitkräfte (Command Staff of the Armed Forces).
The Nationale Volksarmee (NVA) of the German Democratic Republic The German Democratic Republic was a self-declared socialist state (but often referred to in the West as a "communist state") in the Eastern Bloc created in the Soviet Zone of occupied Germany and the Soviet sector of occupied Berlin. The German Democratic Republic existed from 7 October 1949 until 3 October 1990, when its re-established (East Germany) created the rank of Marschall der DDR (marshal of the GDR) on 25 March March 25 is the 84th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. There are 281 days remaining until the end of the year 1982 1982 was a common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar). A general could be appointed to this rank by the Staatsrat The State Council of the German Democratic Republic was officially the highest organ of the German Democratic Republic, and for many years the collective president of the country (per Article 66 of the Constitution of East Germany), which was created by the law concerning the formation of the Council of State dated 12 September 1960 as a follow-up (the head-of-state council of the GDR) during wartime or for exceptional military achievement; no one ever held the rank, however.
See also
- List of German Field Marshals
- List of Austrian Field Marshals
- List of Field Marshals of the Holy Roman Empire
- Comparative military ranks of World War I The following table shows comparative officer ranks of the principal Allied and Central powers during World War I. For modern ranks refer to Comparative military ranks. See also: Comparative military ranks of World War II
- Comparative military ranks of World War II The following table shows comparative officer ranks of major Allied and Axis powers during World War II. For modern ranks refer to Comparative military ranks
- General (Germany)
External links
Categories: Military ranks of Germany | Field Marshals of Germany
Financial Times
Generalfeldmarschall von Kluge and the German forces are in bloody retreat. Kluge finally acknowledges that the "untold suffering" borne by the German ...
Anonymous
2008-10-07 15:34:00
In April 1941, the division was ordered East to join . Generalfeldmarschall. Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb's Army Group North. Leeb's Army Group was tasked with advancing on Leningrad and formed the northern wing of Operation Barbarossa. . ...
