List of German field marshals
Field marshal (German: Generalfeldmarschall) was the highest military rank in Germany for seventy-five years.[1][a] Although the rank had existed since 1631 under a different name,[2] it was re-created in 1870 for Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia and Emperor Frederick III for the purpose of making them senior to other generals.[2] It became the most prestigious and powerful rank an officer could reach until it was abolished in 1945.[1]
In total more than 100 generals have become field marshals, between 1806 and 1945. The vast majority of the people promoted field marshal won major battles in wars of their century. Field marshals played a compelling and influential role in military matters,[3] were tax-exempt, members of the nobility,[3] equal to government officials,[3] under constant protection or escort,[3] and had the right to directly report to the royal family.[3]
Electorate and Kingdom of Saxony (1806–1918)
Name | Date of promotion | Birth and Death | Image | Reference |
---|---|---|---|---|
Hans Georg von Arnim-Boitzenburg | 21 June 1631 | 1583–1641 | [4] | |
Rudolf Graf von Marzin | 19 October 1638 | 1585–1645 | [5] | |
Joachim Rüdiger of Goltz | 28 August 1681 | Unknown | [6] | |
Heino Heinrich Graf von Flemming | 8 September 1688 | 1632–1706 | —
|
|
Jeremias of Chauvet | 10 May 1693 | Unknown | —
|
[7] |
Christoph August of Wackerbarth | 17 April 1730 | Unknown | [8] | |
Johann Adolf II, Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels | 26 November 1735 | 1685–1746 | [9] | |
Johann Georg, Chevalier de Saxe | 27 July 1763 | 1704–74 | [10] | |
Albert of Saxony | 14 June 1888 | 1828–1902 | [11] |
Brandenburg-Prussia and the Kingdom of Prussia (1701–1870)
German Empire (1871–1918)
Weimar Republic (1918–33)
After the loss of the First World War, Germany was transformed into what became known as the Weimar Republic, which was established according to rules formulated under the Treaty of Versailles.[76] These required the reduction of the German Army to 100,000 men,[77] a reduction of the German Navy,[77] and the abolition of the German Air Force.[77] As a result of the new military arrangements, there were no field marshals created during the Weimar Republic.
Nazi Germany (1933–45)
Name | Date of promotion | Birth and Death | Image | Reference |
---|---|---|---|---|
Werner von Blomberg | 20 April 1936 | 1878–1946 | [78] | |
Hermann Göring | 4 February 1938 | 1893–1946 | [79] | |
Fedor von Bock | 19 July 1940 | 1880–1945 | [80] | |
Walther von Brauchitsch | 19 July 1940 | 1881–1948 | [81] | |
Albert Kesselring | 19 July 1940 | 1885–1960 | [82] | |
Wilhelm Keitel | 19 July 1940 | 1882–1946 | [83] | |
Günther von Kluge | 19 July 1940 | 1882–1944 | [84] | |
Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb | 19 July 1940 | 1876–1956 | [85] | |
Wilhelm List | 19 July 1940 | 1880–1971 | [86] | |
Erhard Milch | 19 July 1940 | 1892–1972 | [87] | |
Walther von Reichenau | 19 July 1940 | 1884–1942 | [88] | |
Gerd von Rundstedt | 19 July 1940 | 1875–1953 | [89] | |
Hugo Sperrle | 19 July 1940 | 1885–1953 | [90] | |
Erwin von Witzleben | 19 July 1940 | 1881–1944 | [91] | |
Eduard von Böhm-Ermolli | 31 October 1940 | 1856–1941 | [92] | |
Erwin Rommel | 22 June 1942 | 1891–1944 | [93] | |
Georg von Küchler | 30 June 1942 | 1881–1968 | [94] | |
Erich von Manstein | 1 July 1942 | 1887–1973 | [94] | |
Friedrich Paulus | 31 January 1943 | 1890–1957 | [94] | |
Ernst Busch | 1 February 1943 | 1885–1945 | [95] | |
Paul Ludwig Ewald von Kleist | 1 February 1943 | 1881–1954 | [94] | |
Maximilian von Weichs | 1 February 1943 | 1881–1954 | [94] | |
Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen | 16 February 1943 | 1895–1945 | [94] | |
Walter Model | 1 March 1944 | 1891–1945 | File:Walter Model April 1943.jpg | [96] |
Ferdinand Schörner | 5 April 1945 | 1892–1973 | [97] | |
Robert Ritter von Greim | 25 April 1945 | 1892–1945 | [98] |
See also
Notes
- ^ In 1940 Hermann Göring was promoted to Reichsmarschall, a rank higher than that of field marshal and was the only one to hold this rank. This was done so as to make Göring superior to other field marshals and recognize him as the second man in Hitler's Reich.[99]
References
- ^ a b Hakim 1995, pp. 100, 105.
- ^ a b c d Wawro 1997, p. 310.
- ^ a b c d e Snyder 1976, p. 111.
- ^ Irmer 2005, pp. 5, 35.
- ^ Guthrie 2003, p. 48.
- ^ Roberts & Tucker 2005, p. 790.
- ^ Glozier & Onnekink 2007, p. 209.
- ^ Phillips 1871, p. 943.
- ^ Long 1844, p. 360.
- ^ Carlyle 2002, p. 709.
- ^ a b Riley 2014, p. 232.
- ^ a b c Citino 2005, p. 428.
- ^ Gruyter 2006, p. 355.
- ^ Paret & Morgan 2014, p. 391.
- ^ König 1789, p. 434.
- ^ Johannes 2004, p. 34.
- ^ a b MacDonogh 2001, p. 436.
- ^ Colby & Williams 1906, p. 620.
- ^ Tucker 2009, p. 239.
- ^ Ohm & Boehlke & Boehlke 1997, p. 6.
- ^ Lund 1999, p. 182.
- ^ Alexeevna 2007, p. 236.
- ^ Siebigk 1883, pp. 352, 356.
- ^ Siebigk 1883, pp. 364, 365.
- ^ a b c Anton Balthasar König, Henning Alexander von Kleist,Biographisches Lexikon aller Helden und Militärpersonen: T. G-L, A. Wever, 1789, pp. 275–276. Accessed 26 September 2015.
- ^ MacKillop & Murdoch 2003, p. 103.
- ^ Siebigk 1883, pp. 166, 167.
- ^ Ross 1997, p. 134, 135.
- ^ Ballard 2011, p. 54.
- ^ Debrett 1836, p. 151.
- ^ Stoker 2014, p. 52.
- ^ Bruce & Stanard 1958, p. 88.
- ^ Phillips 1871, p. 378.
- ^ Leggiere 2014, p. 535.
- ^ Siebigk 1883, p. 127.
- ^ Droysen 1851, p. 158.
- ^ Gneisenau & Marston 1815, pp. 1, 8.
- ^ Veve 1992, p. 30.
- ^ Muffling 1997, p. 174.
- ^ Parkinson 2000, p. 259.
- ^ Jensen & Rothstein 2000, p. 110.
- ^ Siborne 1895, p. 96.
- ^ Röhl 1996, p. 274.
- ^ Chisholm & Garvin 1926, p. 405.
- ^ Hughes 2009, p. 423.
- ^ Heal 2012, p. 206.
- ^ Maitland 1762, p. 24.
- ^ Large 2007, p. 2.
- ^ Marrs 2010, p. 25.
- ^ Darmstaedter 2008, p. 414.
- ^ Burke 2012, p. 17.
- ^ Hakim 1995, p. 65.
- ^ Murad 1968, p. 61.
- ^ Clarke 2000, p. 12.
- ^ Ross 1997, p. 452.
- ^ Hahnke 2012, p. 47.
- ^ Steinberg 2011, p. 407.
- ^ Browne 2013, p. 105.
- ^ Roberts & Tucker 2005, pp. 666, 667.
- ^ Ehlert 2014, pp. 1, 2.
- ^ Vatikiotis 2014, p. 1.
- ^ Hargreaves 2010, p. 20.
- ^ Roberts & Tucker 2005, p. 243.
- ^ Riley 2013, p. 471.
- ^ Sandler 2002, p. 523.
- ^ Pawly 2012, p. 63.
- ^ Rothenburg 1976, p. 143.
- ^ Tague 2011, p. 359.
- ^ Blumberg 1990, p. 238.
- ^ Roberts & Tucker 2005, p. 1007.
- ^ Roberts & Tucker 2005, p. 687.
- ^ Roberts & Tucker 2005, p. 82.
- ^ Wheatcroft & Keegan, 2014. p. 62.
- ^ Roberts & Tucker 2005, p. 390.
- ^ Pope & Wheal 2007, p. 476.
- ^ Kershaw 2008, p. 96.
- ^ a b c Kershaw 2008, pp. 80, 90, 92.
- ^ Tague 2011, p. 62.
- ^ Alford 2003, p. 67.
- ^ Wheeler-Bennett 1967, p. 497.
- ^ Biesinger 2006, p. 288.
- ^ Kesselring 1970, p. 64.
- ^ Goldensohn 2010, p. 157.
- ^ Biesinger 2006, p. 510.
- ^ Mineau 2004, p. 109.
- ^ Williamson 2006, p. 109.
- ^ Wright 2009, p. 110.
- ^ Tague 2011, p. 28.
- ^ Wood 2014, p. 35.
- ^ Frankel 2004, p. 14.
- ^ Mitcham 2006, p. 14.
- ^ Roberts & Tucker 2005, p. 216.
- ^ Breuer 2002, p. 131.
- ^ a b c d e f Matthews 2013, p. 349.
- ^ Tague 2011, p. 326.
- ^ Mitcham 2007, p. 200.
- ^ Pawly 2012, p. 289
- ^ Wistrich 1982, p. 84
- ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 198.
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{{cite book}}
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