Some believe that this rank would only have been granted in wartime and was created as a result of changes in Warsaw Pact military planning.

Prior to this change all East German forces were under the direct control of the Soviet military command.

In November 1989, the acting Minister for National Defense, Admiral Theodor Hoffmann, abolished this rank.

[citation needed] Drawings were also made of a Soviet-style "Marshal's star" to be worn on a red neck ribbon but this item was never produced.

This consisted of a 90 x 60 mm rectangular badge of stone-grey cloth for mounting on the upper uniform sleeve.