# The senior generals of Various countries **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 16, 2014, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-senior-generals-of-various-countries/681451 "2014-02-16T01:21:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2014, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-senior-generals-of-various-countries/681451/1 "2014-02-16T01:21:15Z")
Continuing from my previous thread. If George Washington is the senior general of the US armed forces, who are his counterparts? I could imagine Mao Tse Tung for China and Kim Il Sung for North Korea. What about the other countries? ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2014, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-senior-generals-of-various-countries/681451/2 "2014-02-16T01:24:12Z")
Define “senior general”. What do you mean? ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2014, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-senior-generals-of-various-countries/681451/3 "2014-02-16T01:27:36Z")
By Congressional decree, Washington will forevermore be the highest-ranking American soldier. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2014, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-senior-generals-of-various-countries/681451/4 "2014-02-16T01:30:38Z")
> [@the\_diego](#): > > By Congressional decree, Washington will forevermore be the highest-ranking American soldier. Still not clear–I suggest you re-phrase the question. ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2014, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-senior-generals-of-various-countries/681451/5 "2014-02-16T01:36:25Z")
In a narrow sense, who was the highest-ranking soldier in other countries? To parallel Washington’s honorific, who is held as the most senior military commander in other countries; whether by popular tradition or by official edict? ---
**Author:** ![Cayuga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Cayuga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cayuga)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2014, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-senior-generals-of-various-countries/681451/6 "2014-02-16T02:30:38Z")
Who says anyone is? ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2014, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-senior-generals-of-various-countries/681451/7 "2014-02-16T02:35:46Z")
I doubt there are many countries where such a peculiar concept exists. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2014, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-senior-generals-of-various-countries/681451/8 "2014-02-16T02:43:19Z")
Only one Australian has held the rank of field marshal – [Sir Thomas Blamey](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Blamey) – so he is the most senior Australian military officer of all time. ---
**Author:** ![dofe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ba0ec/32.png) [@dofe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dofe)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2014, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-senior-generals-of-various-countries/681451/9 "2014-02-16T02:47:53Z")
The notion that a country’s founding father should have a military rank that can never be surpassed has always made me roll my eyes a bit. Just one of those resolutions passed by congress that (IMO) serves no real purpose except as political theater. As far as equivalents in other countries . . . Kim Il-Sung of North Korea was given the rank of Dae Wonsu (grand marshal), theoretically a seven-star general, on his 80th birthday. But this can’t be compared directly to the Washington situation because Kim Jong Il was awarded the same rank posthumously. ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2014, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-senior-generals-of-various-countries/681451/10 "2014-02-16T02:50:23Z")
Corsica has Napoleon. ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2014, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-senior-generals-of-various-countries/681451/11 "2014-02-16T02:56:06Z")
Who for the present Italian republic, if any? I doubt if it’s Julius Caesar. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2014, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-senior-generals-of-various-countries/681451/12 "2014-02-16T03:00:12Z")
Washington got his rank 177 years after he died. Pershing got the same in his lifetime. George Dewey was the Navy equivalent. Henry H. Arnold was the highest ranking Navy guy, but it is considered below the above. I doubt most people really know about them, though. Kim Il Sung et al. put the crown on their own head, so that’s not really the same thing at all. I’d say Mao has a possible shot for the title depending on how you define it. Is it who has the most portraits in military offices? ETA: Gaddafi may have been a dictator, but I’ve always loved that he was a Colonel to his death, instead of making up a position like “UltraMegaSuperGeneral.” I think he named himself that, though. ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2014, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-senior-generals-of-various-countries/681451/13 "2014-02-16T03:25:34Z")
Colonel was the highest rank in Libya at the time of Kadaffi’s ascension. ---
**Author:** ![yarblek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/71e660/32.png) [@yarblek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yarblek)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2014, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-senior-generals-of-various-countries/681451/14 "2014-02-16T03:30:06Z")
[C. G. E. Mannerheim](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Gustaf_Emil_Mannerheim) was Marshal of Finland (and the only one so far). ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2014, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-senior-generals-of-various-countries/681451/15 "2014-02-16T03:39:08Z")
The United States created the ranks of General of the Army and General of the Air Force in order to make certain American officers equal in rank to European Field Marshals. Then they came up with General of the Armies, which is even higher. Only Pershing and Washington (in 1776) were ever awarded that rank. Dewey was Admiral of the Navy. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2014, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-senior-generals-of-various-countries/681451/16 "2014-02-16T05:10:43Z")
> [@the\_diego](#): > > In a narrow sense, who was the highest-ranking soldier in other countries? To parallel Washington’s honorific, who is held as the most senior military commander in other countries; whether by popular tradition or by official edict? Canada does not have any equivalent. ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2014, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-senior-generals-of-various-countries/681451/17 "2014-02-16T07:52:37Z")
So the USA admits it has dead people in its ranks ? ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2014, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-senior-generals-of-various-countries/681451/18 "2014-02-16T08:02:02Z")
Well, the highest rank in the Israeli army is the Lieutenant General (3-star equivalent). It’s the rank given the \*RAMATKAL \*(Chief of General Staff), and as such, there can only be one at any time. Retired Lt. Generals are temporarily demoted to Major General if they are ever called back to service. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2014, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-senior-generals-of-various-countries/681451/19 "2014-02-16T08:10:59Z")
What a strange concept. Still, outside of the “absolute monarch” era I’d suggest perhaps Wellington for the UK. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2014, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-senior-generals-of-various-countries/681451/20 "2014-02-16T09:08:58Z")
> [@the\_diego](#): > > Colonel was the highest rank in Libya at the time of Kadaffi’s ascension. I’m pretty sure that’s because he had all the generals killed. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-senior-generals-of-various-countries/681451.md?page=2)