Colonel General

In the German Empire , in the Reichswehr , in the Wehrmacht and in the Austro-Hungarian Army, the Colonel General was the second highest general rank with four stars. He would correspond to today's general in the Bundeswehr or the general in many NATO armed forces ( rank code OF-9 ). In the armed forces, organized according to the Soviet model , he is an officer from the rank group of the generals with three stars, comparable to the rank code OF-8 , comparable to the lieutenant general of the Bundeswehr .

Emergence

In the armies of the 16th and 17th centuries, in which the free mercenary dominated, the princely employer, due to his position as a politically decisive authority (warlord), also held the position of the military commander-in-chief of the troops in his name as the "supreme general".

Colonel-General was the designation of the highest regularly attainable rank of general first in the Prussian Army . It was introduced in 1854 for Prince Wilhelm of Prussia , because members of the royal family were traditionally not appointed field marshal . Initially, all colonels general were ranked on an equal footing with field marshals ( they wore crossed marshal's baton and three stars on their epaulettes ). It was only under Kaiser Wilhelm II that the differentiation between Colonel General with the rank of General Field Marshal (4 stars) and Colonel General (3 stars) was introduced. Later the rank was continued in the Reichswehr and in the army and air force of the German Wehrmacht . The rank of general admiral in the navy corresponded to the colonel general in the army and air force ; in the Reichsmarine there was nobody in this rank.

In most of today's armies, the former colonel general corresponds to the rank of general (OF-9), but in Slavic states the army general (OF-9), where the order is different from the old German system: major general - lieutenant general - colonel general (general polkovnik)  - Army General.

After adapting the generals to NATO standards, the German Bundeswehr has the rank sequence Brigadier General - Major General - Lieutenant General - General; the colonel general was dispensed with.

Bavarian Army

• December 27, 1911 - Carl von Horn (1847–1923), Minister of War
• 0August 1, 1914 - Otto Kreß von Kressenstein (1850–1929), Minister of War
• 0April 9, 1918 - Felix von Bothmer (1852–1937), military leader in World War I

Prussian Army

Grand Duke Friedrich I of Baden as Prussian. Colonel General (with the rank of GFM)

Presumably complete list without the colonels general who were promoted to field marshal :

• March 20, 1854 - Wilhelm von Prussia (1797–1888), with the rank of General Field Marshal
• June 16, 1871 - Albrecht of Prussia (1809–1872), with the rank of General Field Marshal
• 0September 2, 1873 - August von Württemberg (1813–1885), Commander in Chief in the Marche and Governor of Berlin
• June 25, 1888 - Friedrich von Baden (1826–1907), with the rank of General Field Marshal, Army officer
• September 19, 1888 - Alexander von Pape (1813–1895), with the rank of General Field Marshal, Commander-in-Chief in the Marches and Governor of Berlin
• December 21, 1889 - Carl Alexander von Sachsen (1818–1901)
• March 20, 1890 - Otto von Bismarck (1815–1898), with the rank of General Field Marshal à la suite of the army, former Reich Chancellor and Prussian Prime Minister
• October 18, 1901 - Leopold von Hohenzollern (1835–1905)
• March 22, 1902 - Adolph von Luxemburg (1817–1905)
• September 15, 1905 - Bernhard von Sachsen-Meiningen (1851–1928), with the rank of General Field Marshal, Army officer
• September 15, 1905 - Friedrich von Baden (1857–1928), with the rank of General Field Marshal, Army officer
• September 13, 1906 - Ernst von der Planitz (1836–1910), General Inspector of the General Inspectorate of the Cavalry
• September 28, 1907 - Ernst von Sachsen-Altenburg (1826–1908), with the rank of Field Marshal General of the Prussian Army
• September 18, 1908 - Hans von Plessen (1841–1929), with the rank of Field Marshal General, Adjutant General to the Emperor and Commander of the Grand Headquarters
• 0September 4, 1909 - Heinrich von Prussia (1862–1929), with the rank of General Field Marshal, Grand Admiral , General Inspector of the Navy, à la suite of the Prussian Army
• September 10, 1910 - Friedrich Leopold of Prussia (1865–1931), à la suite
• January 22, 1911 - Christian von Schleswig-Holstein (1831–1917), à la suite
• January 27, 1911 - Gustav von Kessel (1846–1918), adjutant general of the emperor, supreme commanding officer in the Marche region and governor of Berlin
• June 16, 1913 - Maximilian von Prittwitz and Gaffron (1848–1917), army commanders
• June 16, 1913 - Friedrich von Scholl (1846–1928), adjutant general to the Kaiser
• January 27, 1914 - Josias von Heeringen (1850–1926), army leader
• January 27, 1914 - Helmuth von Moltke (the younger) (1848–1916), head of the 1st OHL
• January 27, 1914 - Alexander von Kluck (1846–1934), army commander
• December 24, 1914 - Moritz von Bissing (1844–1917), Governor General for Belgium
• December 24, 1914 - Ludwig von Falkenhausen (1844–1936), army leader
• January 27, 1915 - Karl von Eine (1853–1934), army leader
• February 20, 1916 - Alexander von Linsingen (1850-1935), army leader
• January 27, 1917 - Günther von Kirchbach (1850–1925), Army Group Leader
• January 27, 1917 - Richard von Schubert (1850–1933), army leader
• January 27, 1918 - Hans von Beseler (1850–1921), army leader
• March 22, 1918 - Max von Boehn (1850–1921), army leader
• April 10, 1918 - Moriz von Lyncker (1853–1932), Chief of the Military Cabinet

Saxon Army

• December 21, 1889 - Carl Alexander Grand Duke of Saxony (1818–1901)
• September 15, 1905 - Bernhard Hereditary Prince of Saxony-Meiningen (1851–1928)
• September 28, 1907 - Ernst I Duke of Saxe-Altenburg (1826–1908)
• 0September 4, 1909 - Heinrich Prince of Prussia (1862–1929)
• December 17, 1910 - Max Freiherr von Hausen (1846–1922), Prime Minister, Army leader
• January 23, 1918 - Karl Ludwig d'Elsa (1849–1922), army commander
• January 23, 1918 - Hans von Kirchbach (1849–1928), army leader

Württemberg Army

• February 25, 1913 - Philipp Herzog von Württemberg (1838–1917), à la suite of the Württemberg army
• September 24, 1913 - Albrecht Duke of Württemberg (1865–1939), later also Prussian Field Marshal
• 1918 - Otto von Marchtaler (1854–1920), Minister of War

German Empire

Reichswehr

• 0January 1, 1926 - Hans von Seeckt (1866–1936), Chief of Army Command
• 0January 1, 1930 - Wilhelm Heye (1869–1947), Chief of Army Command
• January 31, 1934 - Kurt Freiherr von Hammerstein-Equord (1878–1943), Chief of Army Command

Wehrmacht

See also : Ranks of the Wehrmacht # Generals

Rank
lower: General of ...	Colonel General	higher: Field Marshal General

army

Colonel General Wehrmacht

Collar Tabs

Shoulder piece

Badge of rank army

Complete list excluding the colonels general who were promoted to field marshal :

1. April 1, 1936 - Werner von Fritsch (1880–1939)
2. 0November 1, 1938 - Ludwig Beck (1880–1944)
3. January 1, 1939 - Wilhelm Adam (1877–1949)
4. 0October 1, 1939 - Johannes Blaskowitz (1883–1948)
5. July 19, 1940 - Friedrich Dollmann (1882–1944)
6. July 19, 1940 - Heinz Guderian (1888–1954)
7. July 19, 1940 - Franz Halder (1884–1972)
8. July 19, 1940 - Hermann Hoth (1885–1971)
9. July 19, 1940 - Adolf Strauss (1879–1973)
10. July 19, 1940 - Nikolaus von Falkenhorst (1885–1968)
11. July 19, 1940 - Friedrich Fromm (1888–1945)
12. July 19, 1940 - Curt Haase (1881–1943)
13. July 19, 1940 - Erich Hoepner (1886–1944)
14. July 19, 1940 - Eugen Ritter von Schobert (1883–1941)
15. 0January 1, 1942 - Georg-Hans Reinhardt (1887–1963)
16. 0January 1, 1942 - Rudolf Schmidt (1886–1957)
17. 0April 1, 1942 - Richard Ruoff (1883–1967)
18. 0June 1, 1942 - Eduard Dietl (1890–1944)
19. 0July 3, 1942 - Georg Lindemann (1884–1963)
20. 0December 3, 1942 - Hans-Jürgen von Arnim (1889–1962)
21. 0January 1, 1943 - Gotthard Heinrici (1886–1971)
22. 0January 1, 1943 - Hans von Salmuth (1888–1962)
23. January 30, 1943 - Walter Heitz (1878–1944)
24. 0July 6, 1943 - Eberhard von Mackensen (1889–1969)
25. 0September 1, 1943 - Heinrich Gottfried von Vietinghoff-Scheel (1887–1952)
26. 0September 1, 1943 - Karl-Adolf Hollidt (1891–1985)
27. 0February 1, 1944 - Alfred Jodl (1890–1946)
28. 0February 1, 1944 - Erwin Jaenecke (1890–1960)
29. 0February 1, 1944 - Walter Weiß (1890–1967)
30. 0February 1, 1944 - Kurt Zeitzler (1895–1963)
31. 0April 1, 1944 - Josef Harpe (1887–1968)
32. 0April 1, 1944 - Hans-Valentin Hube (1890–1944)
33. 0April 1, 1944 - Lothar Rendulic (1887–1971)
34. 0July 1, 1944 - Johannes Frießner (1892–1971)
35. August 15, 1944 - Erhard Raus (1889–1956)
36. 0May 1, 1945 - Carl Hilpert (1888–1947)

air force

Shoulder piece of a Colonel General of the Air Force

Collar tab of a Colonel General of the Air Force

1. July 19, 1940 - Alfred Keller (1882–1974)
2. July 19, 1940 - Hans-Jürgen Stumpff (1889–1968)
3. July 19, 1940 - Ernst Udet (1896–1941)
4. July 19, 1940 - Ulrich Grauert (1889–1941)
5. July 19, 1940 - Hubert Weise (1884–1950)
6. 0May 3, 1941 - Alexander Löhr (1885–1947)
7. 0March 1, 1942 - Hans Jeschonnek (1899–1943)
8. 0November 1, 1942 - Günther Rüdel (1883–1950)
9. 0March 1, 1943 - Bruno Loerzer (1891–1960)
10. 0March 1, 1944 - Otto Deßloch (1889–1977)
11. July 13, 1944 - Kurt Student (1890–1978)
12. July 22, 1944 (posthumous) - Günther Korten (1898–1944)

Armed SS

Collar tab of an SS colonel group leader

SS Colonel Group Leader and Colonel General of the Waffen SS :

• April 20, 1942 - Sepp Dietrich (1892–1966)
• August 1, 1944 - Paul Hausser (1880–1972)

German police

SS Colonel Group Leader and Colonel General of the Police:

• April 20, 1942 - Kurt Daluege (1897–1946)

Austria-Hungary

→ Main article : List of Colonel Generals and Grand Admirals of Austria-Hungary

In 1915 the rank of Colonel General was introduced in the Austro-Hungarian Army , making it the second highest rank in the Austro-Hungarian generals .

Collar tab of a colonel general in the Austro-Hungarian army

1. Archduke Joseph Ferdinand of Austria-Tuscany (1872–1942)
2. Friedrich Graf von Beck-Rzikowsky (1830–1920)
3. Eduard Graf Paar (1837-1919)
4. Arthur Freiherr von Bolfras (1838–1922)
5. Friedrich Freiherr von Georgi (1852–1926)
6. Karl Freiherr von Pflanzer-Baltin (1855–1925)
7. Viktor Graf Dankl von Krasnik (1854–1941)
8. Karl Tersztyánszky von Nádas (1854–1921)
9. Adolf Freiherr von Rhemen zu Barensfeld (1855–1932)
10. Paul Freiherr Puhallo von Brlog (1856–1926)
11. Archduke Leopold Salvator of Austria-Tuscany (1863–1931)
12. Karl Graf von Kirchbach auf Lauterbach (1856–1939)
13. Karl Georg Count Huyn (1857–1938)
14. Hermann Kusmanek von Burgneustädten (1860–1934)
15. Karl Křitek (1861–1928)
16. Wenzel Freiherr von Wurm (1859–1921)
17. Samuel Baron von Hazai (1851–1942)
18. Leopold Freiherr von Hauer (1854–1933)
19. Viktor Graf von Scheuchenstuel (1857–1938)
20. Stephan Freiherr Sarkotić von Lovčen (1858–1939)
21. Josef Freiherr Roth von Limanowa-Łapanów (1859–1927)
22. Arthur Freiherr Arz von Straussenburg (1857–1935)
23. Hugo Martiny of Malastów (1860–1940)
24. Rudolf Freiherr Stöger-Steiner von Steinstätten (1861–1921)
25. Alois Prince Schönburg-Hartenstein (1858–1944)

As in the armed forces of the First Republic (Austria), there is no Colonel-General rank in the Second Republic (Austria) .

See also : Badges of rank of the Austro-Hungarian armed forces # Officers and officials

GDR

Colonel General
NVA Land Forces

Shoulder piece

arabesque

National Peoples Army

In the land and air forces of the National People's Army , or the border troops of the GDR , the colonel general was the third general rank of the rank group of generals based on the Soviet model .

According to the NATO rank code, the rank would have been comparable to OF-8 ( Lieutenant General ).

The equivalent of the Colonel General was the Admiral of the People's Navy .

See also : "Officer Corps" in the article: Ranks of the National People's Army

The following generals of the NVA achieved the rank of colonel general as their highest rank:

• Klaus-Dieter Baumgarten (1931–2008), promoted on October 7, 1988
• Horst Brünner (1929–2008), promoted March 1, 1987
• Werner Fleißner (1922–1985), promoted October 7, 1977
• Joachim Goldbach (1929–2008), promoted March 1, 1986
• Erich Peter (1919–1987), promoted July 14, 1979
• Fritz Peter (* 1927), promoted on October 7, 1989
• Wolfgang Reinhold (1923–2012), promoted on October 7, 1979
• Herbert Scheibe (1914–1991), promoted March 1, 1972
• Horst Stechbarth (1925-2016), promoted on March 1, 1976
• Fritz Streletz (* 1926), promoted on October 7, 1979
• Heinz Keßler (1920–2017), promoted on March 1, 1966
• Kurt Wagner (1904–1989), promoted March 1, 1966

Ministry for State Security (MfS)

Due to the military structure and the resulting use of the military ranks in the Ministry for State Security (MfS) and in the German People's Police (DVP) there was also the rank of Colonel General there.

Colonel-General of the MfS, who were not promoted even higher than Erich Mielke (1980):

• Bruno Beater (1914–1982)
• Werner Großmann (* 1929)
• Rudi Mittig (1925–1994)
• Markus Wolf (1923-2006)

Ministry of the Interior (MdI)

In addition to Army General Friedrich Dickel (since 1984), two other generals also achieved this rank in the German People's Police (MdI) :

• Karl Maron (1903–1975)
• Karl-Heinz Wagner (1928–2011)

Soviet Union

Shoulder piece of the field uniform of a Soviet colonel general of the army (infantry, motorized riflemen) 1943–1955

→ Main article : Soviet general ranks

In the Red Army of the Soviet Union , the general ranks were reinstated on May 7, 1940. Colonel General was the third highest rank in the group of generals. The order of the Soviet general ranks has been since 1940 and 1943:

• Major General, previously Brigade Commander
• Lieutenant General, Division Commander (Kom Div)
• Colonel-General, previously corps commander
• Army General, previously Army Commander 2nd rank
• Chief Marshal (from 1943), previously Army Commander 1st rank

Russian Federation

→ Main article : Ranks of the Russian armed forces

The armed forces of the Russian Federation took over the general rank of three-star general in 1991 from the armed forces of the Soviet Union with the designation Colonel General ( Russian генера́л-полко́вник / general-polkownik).

The Russian Colonel General corresponds to the NATO rank code OF-8.

France

In France, the rank of colonel general did not exist. The Colonel Général was not a rank, but a position.

→ Main article : Colonel général

See also

• NS ranks
• Corps commander

literature

• Ulrich Herr, Jens Nguyen: The German Generals as well as War Ministries and General Staffs from 1871 to 1914. Ansgar Reiss (Ed.): Catalogs of the Bavarian Army Museum Ingolstadt , Volume 10, Verlag Militaria, Vienna 2012, ISBN 978-3-902526-60-1 .
• Klaus Froh, Rüdiger Wenzke : The generals and admirals of the NVA. A biographical manual. 4th edition, Ch. Links, Berlin 2000, ISBN 3-86153-209-3 .
• Wolf Keiling (Ed.): Ranking list of the German Army 1944/45. Podzun-Pallas, Friedberg without year, ISBN 3-7909-0113-X .
• Hubert Zeinar : History of the Austrian General Staff . Böhlau, Vienna 2006, ISBN 978-3-205-77415-0 .

Web links

Wiktionary: Colonel General  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations

• Austro-Hungarian Land Forces 1848-1918: Colonel General from 1915 to 1918 (English) (accessed July 30, 2009)
• Antonio Schmidt-Brentano: The kk or kuk generals 1816-1918 . Ed .: Austrian State Archives. Vienna June 2007 ( pdf , oesta.gv.at - name index).
• Kuk Generalität & Generalstab / general officers & general staff. Section The Austrian Generals 1914 - December 20 , 1918 , 2nd Colonel General . In: mlorenz.at → Armed Power. Retrieved on November 14, 2011 (list incomplete; with illustrations of the adjustment). 
• Colonel-General of the Austro-Hungarian Army. In: weltkriege.at → Generality. Retrieved on November 15, 2011 (list incomplete; with illustration of the distinction in the original of the circular ordinance no. 55340). 

Individual evidence

1. ^ Kurt von Priesdorff : Soldatisches Führertum . Volume 6, Hanseatische Verlagsanstalt Hamburg, undated [Hamburg], undated [1938], DNB 367632810 , p. 417, no. 2039.