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 officers in the other uniformed services.
General officers Army
History The French army of the monarchy had several ranks of general officer: ("brigadier of the armies of the King"): a rank in a grey area of seniority, conferred on certain colonels who were in command of a brigade (cf. the grey area of the naval "commodore" rank given to certain captains, the equivalent of army full colonels, who had been in command of a group of ships and over the captains of the group's other ships). These officers wore a colonel's uniform with a star on the shoulder straps. This rank was abolished in 1788. ("field marshal"(major general)): the first substantive rank of general. The wore a special uniform, blue and red, with a single bar of gold lace, and in the late 18th century also received two stars on the shoulder straps. With the abolition of the rank of in 1788, it became the lowest general officer rank, but its insignia of two stars remained unchanged. The rank was redesignated Général de brigade in 1793 which retained the two star insignia. This explains why French generals' insignia starts with two stars. : the highest military rank. wore the same uniform as the , but with two bars of gold lace, and in the late 18th century also received three stars on the shoulder straps. : an appointment conferred on a who was commander-in-chief of a campaign. : not a military rank, but a dignity of the Crown.
During the French Revolution, the ranks of and were renamed and , and the appointment of was renamed . In 1793, the dignity of was abolished.
Napoléon Bonaparte reinstated the dignity of , now named . In 1814, the ranks of and reverted to and , but were changed back again in 1848.
The Third Republic of the 1880s reorganised the ranks of : , wearing two stars. , wearing three stars.
World War I (divisional general holding higher command), wearing three star and a holizontal bar above or below it. Considering the personnel balance with general officers of other countries during World War I. measures were taken to give commanders of an army corps and higher units the status and treatment corresponding to the Four-star rank.
Established in 1921 (général commanding an army corps), an appointment conferred on certain , wearing four stars. This appointment became the position and style () of in 1936. Général membre du conseil supérieur de la guerre (general - member of the superior council of war, a body of the Ministry of War which had the functions of a general staff), wearing five stars. The experience of the First World War transformed the structure of the French Army. The superior council of war was abolished and an appointment of (general commanding an army) was created. This appointment became the position and style () of in 1936. The dignity of was reinstated and given to the commanders-in-chief of the conflict, such as Joseph Joffre, Ferdinand Foch and Philippe Pétain.
Ranks as of 2013 In France, army generals are named after the type of unit they command. NATOrank Rank insignia Name Description Shoulder Sleeve Camouflage French English translation OF-9 Army general In command of an army. OF-8 Army corps general In command of an army corps. OF-7 Divisional general In command of a division. OF-6 Brigadier general In command of a brigade, or of a in the Gendarmerie.
Air force
NATOrank Rank insignia Name Description Shoulder Sleeve French English translation OF-9 Army air general In command of an air force. OF-8 Air corps general In command of an air force corps. OF-7 Divisional air general In command of a division. OF-6 Air brigade general In command of a brigade, or of a in the Gendarmerie.
Specialist officers Armament () () () ()
Maritime Administration () ()
Military Administration () () ()
Military engineering () () ()
Notes
References