Generalfeldmarschall

Generalfeldmarschall

***Generalfeldmarschall*** (from Old High German *marahscalc*, "marshal, stable master, groom"; English: **general field marshal**, **field marshal general**, or field marshal; listen (help·info); often abbreviated to ***Feldmarschall***) is a rank in the armies of several German states and the Holy Roman Empire (*Reichsgeneralfeldmarschall*); in the Habsburg monarchy, the Austrian Empire and Austria-Hungary, the rank *Feldmarschall* was used. The rank was the equivalent to *Großadmiral* (English: Grand Admiral) in the *Kaiserliche Marine* and *Kriegsmarine*, a five-star rank, comparable to OF-10 in today's NATO naval forces.

## History

### Nazi Germany

Before the Second World War, Adolf Hitler reintroduced the rank into the *Wehrmacht* with the promotion of the Reich Minister of War, *Generaloberst* Werner von Blomberg (20 April 1936), and the Aviation Minister, Hermann Göring (4 February 1938), to the rank of *Generalfeldmarschall*. In the *Wehrmacht* of Nazi Germany during the Second World War, the rank of *Generalfeldmarschall* remained the highest military rank until July 1940, when Hermann Göring was promoted to the newly created higher rank of *Reichsmarschall*. The equivalent of a *Generalfeldmarschall* in the navy was *Großadmiral* ("grand admiral").

Unlike Kaiser Wilhelm II, Hitler distributed the rank more widely, promoting 25 *Heer* and *Luftwaffe* officers in total and two *Kriegsmarine* Grand Admirals. (Another promotion, that of Austrian General Eduard von Böhm-Ermolli, was honorary.) Four weeks after the *Heer* and *Luftwaffe* had won the Battle of France, Hitler promoted nine Army generals and three of the air force to the rank of field marshal on 19 July 1940: Walther von Brauchitsch, Wilhelm Keitel, Gerd von Rundstedt, Fedor von Bock, Wilhelm von Leeb, Wilhelm List, Günther von Kluge, Erwin von Witzleben and Walter von Reichenau (*Heer*); and Albert Kesselring, Erhard Milch and Hugo Sperrle (*Luftwaffe*). The holders of this rank had the right to a “direct presentation to the Führer”.

In 1942, three other men were promoted—*Wüstenfuchs* ('Desert Fox') Erwin Rommel (22 June) for the siege of Tobruk, Erich von Manstein (30 June) for the Siege of Sevastopol, and Georg von Küchler (30 June) for his success as *Oberbefehlshaber der Heeresgruppe Nord* ("commander-in-chief of Army Group North").

*Generalfeldmarschall* is the highest regular general officer rank in the German *Wehrmacht*, comparable to Field marshal in anglophone armed forces. It is equivalent to *Großadmiral* of the German *Kriegsmarine*.

Financially, the rank of *Generalfeldmarschall* in Nazi Germany was very rewarding as, apart from a yearly salary, Hitler introduced tax free fringe benefits for generals in the range of 2,000 to 4,000 ℛℳ (€8897–17793 in 2021) per month in 1940. He also bestowed generous presents on his highest officers, with Leeb receiving 250,000 ℛℳ (€1,112,067 in 2021) for his 65th birthday from Hitler.

### East Germany

In other universe, The National People's Army of the *Deutsche Demokratische Republik* (DDR) (German Democratic Republic, i.e. East Germany) created the rank of Marshal of the German Democratic Republic on 25 March 1982. A general could be appointed to this rank by the State Council (*Staatsrat*; the head-of-state council of the GDR) during wartime or for exceptional military achievement; no one ever held the rank, however.

### Modern Germany

The ranks of *Generalfeldmarschall*, *Generaloberst*, *Großadmiral* and *Generaladmiral* no longer exist in the new German (until 1990 West German) Armed Forces, the *Bundeswehr*, which were created in 1956. Currently, the highest military grades in the *Bundeswehr* are general and admiral.

The Commander-in-Chief of the *Bundeswehr* is, in peacetime, according to Article 65a of the Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany (constitution), the civilian Federal Minister of Defence, who holds supreme command authority over all soldiers. In wartime, during the State of Defence, that supreme command authority is transferred to the *Federal Chancellor*. The Inspector General of the *Bundeswehr* is the military chief of defence and heads the *Armed Forces Command Staff* (German: *Führungsstab der Streitkräfte*). Following the beginning of the Garden war, many of germany's old ranks were de-nazified and restored in military. Especially when confronting their nazi counterparts, modern germans sought to seperate themselves from their imperial and fascist eras, thus the rank and powers of field marshal is given to the inspector General of the *Bundeswehr*