Field marshal

Promotion to the rank of field marshal in many countries historically required extraordinary military achievement by a general (a wartime victory).

The German Holy Roman Empire and the kingdom of France had officers named Feldmarschall and Maréchal de camp respectively as far back as the 1600s.

Sir Thomas Blamey was the second appointment to the rank, and was the first and so far only Australian-born and Australian Army substantive (not honorary) field marshal.

He was promoted to the rank on the insistence of Sir Robert Menzies, the Prime Minister of Australia, in June 1950.

On the 11 August 2020, Chadian president Idris Déby was promoted to the rank of Marshal for his efforts against terrorism in West Africa.

A very similar title is "司馬" (sima) in the Eastern Han dynasty, which literally means "master of horse", and later became a two-character surname too.

Since the People's Republic of China was established in 1949, it has promoted 10 military commanders to the rank of marshal, all in 1955 and abolished in 1965.

The formal ceremonial uniform matched that of its British counterpart, with the exception of headgear, which was a Bicorne adorned with a golden lion's mane.

In the French army of the Ancien Régime, the normal brigade command rank was field marshal (maréchal de camp).

[3] Khalifa Haftar was the first to "claim" receive this rank in Libya from the House of Representatives in 2016 after the liberation of oil ports in the Operation Swift Lightning.

Charles, Prince of Wales, as he was at the time, was officially appointed a Field Marshal in the New Zealand Army in November 2015.

President Quezon conferred the rank of field marshal on 24 August 1936 and MacArthur's duty included the supervision of the creation of the Philippines nation-state.

The rank of mareșal can only be bestowed to a general or admiral (Romanian: amiral), in time of war for exceptional military merits, by the President of Romania and confirmed by the Supreme Council of National Defense.

The closest equivalent of a five-star general in Serbia was Vojvoda (Serbia and Yugoslavia), a military rank that has many similarities compared to Generalfeldmarschall, Marshal of France and Field marshal (United Kingdom) but also differs in way of promotion, duration and style.

The law was passed on the suggestion of Lieutenant Colonel (later Divisional General) Miloš Vasić, who was minister of defense at the time.

[7] Later Yugoslav People's Army had the rank of Marshal of Yugoslavia used only by Josip Broz Tito as the supreme commander.

South African statesman and prime minister Jan Smuts was appointed a field marshal of the British Army on 24 May 1941.

[8] During the 2010s, the South Korean government tried to promote Paik Sun-yup to the rank of field marshal.

However, the field marshal was subordinate to the Lord High Constable of Sweden (Riksmarsken) and his closest man was the rikstygmästare [sv].

[12] Its insignia is unique amongst Arab states, as the majority of Arab militaries that has a Field Marshal rank, the insignias has the national coat of arms or a crown above two crossed batons or swords surrounded by yellow leaves below, Syria's Marshal rank adds an extra star to its General insignia ergo three stars above crossed swords below the coat of arms.

Its origins can be traced to the Ottoman Empire and to the military of Persia, where it was called "müşir"[13] and bestowed upon senior commanders upon order of the ruling sultan.

The rank of mareşal can only be bestowed by the National Assembly, to generals or admirals who have displayed distinguished merit in wartime.

Only two persons have been bestowed the rank in history of the Republic: Kemal Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkey, and his Chief of Staff Fevzi Çakmak, both for their successes in the Turkish War of Independence.

Amin joined the British colonial regiment, the King's African Rifles in 1946, serving in Somalia and Kenya.

Eventually, Amin held the rank of major general in the post-colonial Ugandan Army and became its commander before seizing power in the military coup of January 1971, deposing Milton Obote.

Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, was promoted to the rank of a field marshal (of multiple armies) in 1813.