General en chef

General en chef ( English General-in-chief / French Général en chef ) was in a number of armed forces in different countries the designation for a prominent post or a special military use, but also the rank designation for a top rank of the rank group of officers or rank of the Generals .

German countries, Austria

In German-speaking armed forces, instead of the rank general en chef, the concept of rank designation with the addition of the armed forces ( general of the armed forces ) was chosen as the rank group OF8 / three-star general. Examples of this were general of the infantry , general of the artillery or general of the cavalry .

France

In the French armed forces, the designation of a Général en chef in the XVII – XVIII centuries was mainly chosen as an informal title for a general, provided that a (several) equal general were under his command. The rank designation was also used for a Marshal of France , provided that he was given command and command over an army in the form of a large association .

Since the revolution and the creation of the army corps, a general en chef has usually been at the head of this largest tactical association.

During the French Revolution, the title Général en chef was given to officers who held the rank or rank of Général de division and commanded an army.

The name was initially withdrawn in 1812, reintroduced during the restoration and finally abolished in 1848.

• Général en chef, France
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Russia

In the Imperial Russian Army , the rank of general en chef ( Russian генера́л-анше́ф / general-anchef ) was most likely derived from the French général en chef and, according to his own understanding, was a full- general rank , comparable to the quartermaster general or general of the armed forces . Thus the rank belonged to rank class II, which was directly subordinate to the top rank field marshal of rank class I.

The Russian general en chef was introduced in 1698 under Tsar Peter the Great . In 1798, the three equal ranks of general of the infantry , general of the cavalry and general of the artillery were derived from this.

Promotions to general en chef ceased from 1796, after which the rank expired. The general ranks of the branches of service, however, were retained.

Lower rank: Lieutenant Field Marshal (Фельдмаршал-лейтенант)

Chief General (Генерал-аншеф)

Higher rank: Field Marshal (Фельдмаршал)

• Chief General, Russia
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

United States

In the United States of America, the term “general-in-chief” was used as the official designation for the commander-in-chief of the US armed forces, who was usually also the longest-serving officer in the US Army (land forces). Probably the most famous personalities in the top employment of a US general in chief were this top employment was George Washington , Winfield Scott , Henry Halleck and Ulysses S. Grant .

literature

• Ludwig Julius Friedrich Höpfner: German Encyclopedia or General Real Dictionary of all arts and sciences . Volume 11 (Gal-Ger). Varrentrapp and Wenner, 1786, p. 687

... “General en boss is the one who is not under any higher general, either because he holds the highest position himself or because the otherwise higher position is not occupied. In French service ... In a broader sense, the highest general in a detached corps, although otherwise he is under higher positions in the whole army, is called, and in this same sense also the highest general who is with the army, although a higher one is in service but absent. In Russia …"

• Conversations Lexicon or Encyclopedic Concise Dictionary for educated classes . Volume 4 (G to Hysteria). Macklot, 1817, p. 131

... "Lieutenant General is the next after the General en Chief ..."