Army General (France)

A "Général d'Armée" (Army General) is the highest active military rank of the French Army.

Officially, "Général d'armée" is not a rank ("grade" in French), but a position and style ("rang et appellation") bestowed on some "Généraux de division" (Divisional General, which is the highest substantive rank) in charge of important commands, such as chief of staff of the army ("Chef d'état-major de l'armée de terre") or chiefs of general staff ("Chef d'état-major des armées").

A "Général d'armée" displays five stars on a shoulder board, with a sixth star authorized for the Army General in command of the Paris sector. [These numbers of stars should not be compared with the ranks of generals of other NATO countries; the "Général d'armée" is a NATO "OF-9" rank, denoted in other NATO armies by 4 stars - see Army General.]

The Air Force equivalent is "Général d'armée aérienne" and the Navy equivalent is "Amiral".

Only a Marshal of France ("Maréchal de France") is higher; however, Marshal of France is not a rank, but a dignity of the State ("dignité dans l'État"), only today bestowed ceremonially. It is considered to be a position of distinction rather than an actual military rank. A seventh star may be displayed on the General of the Army insignia by a Marshal of France.

The title of Army General in France and elsewhere should not be confused with the rank of General of the Army, which is more senior, and corresponds to other countries' Marshal or Field Marshal. The rank of "General of the Army" "theoretically" corresponds to overall command of an entire national army with several armies in the field, while the title "Army General" only "theoretically" corresponds to the command of an individual army in the field.

ee also

*Army General
*Generalissimo
*Général
*General Officer
*Ranks and insignia of NATO armies officers

Notes