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Major General or Major-General is a military rank used in many countries. Military rank is a system of hierarchical relationships in Armed forces or civil institutions organized along military lines It is derived from the older rank of Sergeant Major General. Sergeant Major General is a now extinct Military rank that can trace its origins to the Middle Ages. A Major General is a high-ranking officer normally subordinate to a Lieutenant General and senior to a Brigadier General. Lieutenant General is a Military rank used in many countries The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the Brigadier General is the lowest ranking General Officer in some countries usually sitting between the ranks of Colonel and Major General. In countries that do not maintain the rank of Brigadier General, including much of Eastern Europe, Major General normally serves as the lowest General Officer rank. Eastern Europe is a general term that refers to the Geopolitical region encompassing the easternmost part of the European continent.
Gallery
 Australian Army Major General insignia |  Generalmajor of the Austro-Hungarian Army |  German Generalmajor Insignia |
 Pakistan Army Major General insignia |  Dress uniform and Service uniform of the Swedish Army. The Swedish Army ( Swedish: Armén) is the Army branch of the Swedish Armed Forces, the military of Sweden. Shoulder strap. |  British Army Major-General insignia |
 United States Major General insignia |
Australia
Austria
In the old Austro-Hungarian Army, the major general was called a Generalmajor. See Major General for other countries which use this rank Major General (abbreviated MAJGEN is a senior rank of the Australian Army, The Austro-Hungarian Army was the ground force of the Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy (1867 - 1918 Please see " General " for other countries which use this rank General (genəˈraːl is presently the highest rank [1] Today's Austrian Federal Army still uses the same term. (Collar insignias)
Canada
In the Canadian Forces, the rank of Major-General (MGen) (Major-général or Mgén in French) is an Army or Air Force rank equal to a Rear-Admiral of the Navy. The Canadian Forces (CF ( French: Forces canadiennes) are the unified Armed forces of Canada, governed by the National Defence French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people Land Force Command ( LFC) is responsible for army operations within the Canadian Forces. Mission AIRCOM is responsible for all aircraft operations in the Canadian Forces enforcing the security of Canada's airspace and providing aircraft for supporting the missions of Rear admiral is a Naval Commissioned officer rank above that of a Commodore and Captain, and below that of a Vice Admiral. "MARCOM" redirects here For the historical (1936–1950 U A Major-General is a General Officer, the equivalent of a Naval Flag Officer. A flag officer is a commissioned officer who is senior enough to be entitled to fly a Flag to represent where he exercises command A Major-General is senior to a Brigadier-General or Commodore, and junior to a Lieutenant-General or Vice-Admiral. Brigadier General is the lowest ranking General Officer in some countries usually sitting between the ranks of Colonel and Major General. Commodore is a Military rank used in many navies for officers whose position exceeds that of a navy captain, but is less than Please see " Lieutenant General " for other countries which use this rank In the Canadian Vice Admiral is a naval rank equivalent to Lieutenant General in seniority
The rank insignia for a Major-General is two gold maple leaves beneath crossed sword and baton, all surmounted by St. Edward's Crown. It is worn on the shoulder straps of the Service Dress tunic, and on slip-ons on other uniforms. The Service Dress tunic also features a wide strip of gold braid around the cuff. On the visor of the service cap are two rows of gold oak leaves.
 Dress uniform tunic |  Uniform shirts |  CADPAT uniform |  arid-region CADPAT uniform |
 Dress uniform tunic |  Uniform shirts |  CADPAT uniform |
Major-Generals are initially addressed by rank and name; thereafter by subordinates as "Sir" or "Ma'am", as applicable. Major-Generals are normally entitled to staff cars. A staff car is a vehicle used by a senior Military officer, and is part of their country's White fleet.
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Canadian Forces ranks and insignia
Estonia
In the Estonian military, the major general is called Kindralmajor. This is a table of the ranks and insignia of the Canadian Forces. The Estonian Defence Forces ( Eesti Kaitsevägi is the name of the unified armed forces of the Republic of Estonia. [2]
France
In the French military, Major général is not a rank but an appointment conferred on some generals, usually of Général de corps d'armée rank, acting as head of staff of a branch of service. A Général de corps d'armée (General of Army Corps is a senior rank in the French Army. This should not be confused with the chief of staff, who is usually a Général d'armée, and the true commander of each service. The chief of staff is the chief aide to the Commander of larger military Formations and Units It is sometimes the case that the chief of staff is more directly A Général d'Armée ( Army General) is the highest active military rank of the French Army. The position of major général can be considered the equivalent of a deputy chief of Staff. There are five Major Generals: the Major General of the Armies, head of the General Staff, the Major General of the Army, the Major General of the Navy, the Major General of the Gendarmerie and the Major General of the Air Force. The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre (Land Army is the land-based component of the French Armed Forces and its largest The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale ( National Navy) and often called La Royale ( The Royal Navy) is the maritime arm See Gendarmerie for similar forces in other countries In France, the National Gendarmerie (Gendarmerie Nationale is the national The French Air Force ( French: Armée de l'Air (ALA literally Air Army) is the Air force of the French Armed Forces.
Historically, the French army had some sergent-majors généraux, also called sergents de bataille, whose task was to prepare the disposition of the army on the field before a battle. Sergeant Major General is a now extinct Military rank that can trace its origins to the Middle Ages. These sergents-majors généraux became a new rank, the maréchal de camp (not the same as a Field Marshal, in the French Army from antiquity called a Maréchal de France), which was the equivalent of the rank of major general. However the term of major général was not forgotten and used to describe the appointment of armies chiefs of staff. One well-known French Major général was Marshal Berthier, Major General of Napoléon's Grande armée. Louis Alexandre Berthier, 1st Duc de Wagram, 1st Duc de Valengin, 1st Sovereign Prince de Neuchâtel ( February Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821 was a French military and political leader who had a significant impact on the History of Europe.
The French equivalent to the rank of Major General is Général de division.
Germany
The German Army and Luftwaffe refer to the rank as Generalmajor. The German Army (Deutsches Heer heɐ) is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. ( German 'luftvafe is a generic German term for an Air force. It was the lowest general officer rank used in German armies until the remilitarization of Germany in 1955 with West Germany's admission to NATO, when the rank of Brigadegeneral was introduced as the lowest rank for the Bundeswehr of West Germany and the former highest rank of Generaloberst was not used. Please see " General " for other countries which use this rank General (genəˈraːl is presently the highest rank The Bundeswehr ( German for "Federal Defence Force") is the name of the unified Armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany Colonel General is a senior Military rank which is used in some of the world’s militaries The change was likely made to avoid confusion over relative rank in NATO forces. The Nationale Volksarmee of East Germany continued the use Generalmajor as the lowest general officer rank until reunification. History The creation of the National People’s Army on March 1, 1956, six months after the formation of the West German Bundeswehr, followed years
Iran
In Iranian army and air force, a Major General is called a Sar-Lashkar. He is outranked by a Sepah-Bod (Lieutenant General) or an Artesh-Bod (General or General of the Army). Lieutenant General is a Military rank used in many countries The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the General of the Army is a military rank used in some countries to denote a senior military leader usually a General in command of a nation's Army. It is practically the highest rank in Iran at the moment. All senior officers of Iranian armed forces are Major Generals.
Israel
In the Israel Defence Forces, a Major General is called an Aluf and is the second highest rank, only outranked by Rav Aluf (Lieutenant General or General), who is also the Chief of Staff. The Israel Defense Forces ( IDF) (צְבָא הַהֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, lit Lieutenant General is a Military rank used in many countries The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the
Italy
In Italy exists the Army rank of Generale di Divisione. The Italian Army (Esercito Italiano is the ground defense force of the Military of Italy. In the army the Generale di Divisione is the commander of a division or as other duties in the various national or international staff, in the Carabinieri or Guardia di Finanaza. He/she is usually the commander of the units in a zone of the country.
Korea
The rank of Major General is known as Sojang (Hangul: 소장, Hanja: 少將) in South Korea. Comparative military ranks of Korea refer to the ranks and insignia maintained by the three primary military powers on the Korean Peninsula, those being the Republic Hanja is the Korean name for Chinese characters. More specifically it refers to those Chinese characters borrowed from Chinese and incorporated South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea and often referred to as Korea ( Korean: 대한민국 tɛː
The rank of Sojang is also used in North Korea, where it is the lowest general officer and flag officer rank, equivalent to a one star General and Admiral. North Korea is the commonly used short form name for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (or DPRK) a State located in East Asia, The North Korean equivalent to a two star General is Jungjang, which roughly translates as Lieutenant General.
New Zealand
In the New Zealand Army, Major-General is the rank held by the Chief of Army (formerly the Chief of General Staff). New Zealand Army ( Maori: Ngāti Tumatauenga, "Tribe of the God of war" is the land Armed force of the New Zealand military The more senior rank of Lieutenant-General is reserved for when an Army officer holds the position of Chief of Defence Force, who commands all New Zealand's armed forces. Lieutenant General is a Military rank used in many countries The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the This position is subject to rotation between the heads of the Air Force, Army, and Navy.
Pakistan
Major General in the Pakistan Army is equivalent to Rear Admiral in the Pakistan Navy and Air Vice Marshal in the Pakistan Air Force and is the lowest of the general officer ranks, ranking between Brigadier and Lieutenant General. The Pakistan Army ( Urdu:) is the largest branch of the Pakistan military, and is mainly responsible for protection of the state borders the security of administered Rear admiral is a Naval Commissioned officer rank above that of a Commodore and Captain, and below that of a Vice Admiral. Pakistan Navy ( Urdu: پاک بحریہ) is the naval branch of the Military of Pakistan. Air Vice-Marshal ( AVM) is an Air officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force. Pakistan Air Force ( Urdu: پاک فضائیہ, Pak Faza'ya) ( PAF) is the Aviation branch of the Pakistan armed forces This article refers to the military rank For the Doctor Who character known as the Brigadier see Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart. Lieutenant General is a Military rank used in many countries The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the The Pakistan Army has two female Major Generals, and is one of the few countries in the world that has promoted women to such a high post.
Sweden
In Sweden the rank of Generalmajor (Genmj) is used in the Army, the Amphibious Corps and the Airforce. The Swedish Army ( Swedish: Armén) is the Army branch of the Swedish Armed Forces, the military of Sweden. Amfibiekåren ( the Amphibious Corps) is the coastal defence arm of the Swedish Navy. The Swedish Air Force (Swedish Flygvapnet) is the Air force Branch of the Swedish Armed Forces. It is the equivalent to Konteramiral (Counter Admiral) in the navy. Counter Admiral is an Anglicisation of a Naval rank found in most navies of the world It is typically held by the Inspector Generals of the three service branches and the head of the Swedish Military Intelligence and Security Service. In a civilian or military administration an Inspector General is a high ranking official charged with the mission to inspect and report on some bodies in their field of competency Military Intelligence and Security Service (Militära underrättelse- och säkerhetstjänsten MUST is a division of the Swedish Armed Forces Central Command
Turkey
The Turkish Army and Turkish Air Force refer to the rank as Tümgeneral. The Turkish Navy equivalent is Tümamiral. The name is derived from tümen, the Turkish word for a military division (tümen itself is an older Turkish word meaning "10,000"). A division is a large Military unit or formation usually consisting of around ten to thirty thousand soldiers Thus, linguistically, it is similar to the French equivalent for a Major General, Général de division.
United Kingdom
In the British Army and Royal Marines, Major-General ranks below Lieutenant-General and above Brigadier, and is thus the lowest of the general officer ranks, although always considered equivalent to Major-General in other countries. Please see " Major General " for other countries which use this rank Major-General ( Maj Gen) is a senior rank in the The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. The Royal Marines ( RM) are the marine corps and amphibious Infantry of the United Kingdom and along with the Royal Navy This article refers to the military rank For the Doctor Who character known as the Brigadier see Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart. Divisions are usually commanded by Major-Generals and they also hold a variety of staff positions. A division is a large Military unit or formation usually consisting of around ten to thirty thousand soldiers The professional head of the Royal Marines currently holds the rank of Major-General.
From 1 April 1918 to 31 July 1919, the Royal Air Force maintained the rank of Major-General. Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne Year 1918 ( MCMXVIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 30 BC - Battle of Alexandria: Mark Antony achieves a minor victory over Octavian 's forces but most of his army subsequently Year 1919 ( MCMXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common It was superseded by the rank of Air Vice-Marshal on the following day.
Major-General is equivalent to Rear Admiral in the Royal Navy and Air Vice-Marshal in the Royal Air Force. Rear admiral is a Naval Commissioned officer rank above that of a Commodore and Captain, and below that of a Vice Admiral. Air Vice-Marshal ( AVM) is an Air officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force.
United States
In the United States army, a Major General commands a division. In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star General officer A division comprises 10,000 to 20,000 soldiers and is capable of fully independent field operation.
Fictional references
- Major-General Stanley is the "modern major general" from Gilbert and Sullivan's 1879 comic operetta, The Pirates of Penzance. Gilbert and Sullivan refers to the Victorian era partnership of Librettist W Operetta is a genre of light Opera, light in terms both of music and subject matter The Pirates of Penzance, or The Slave of Duty is a Comic opera in two acts with music by Arthur Sullivan and Libretto by W Stanley is a satire of the aristocratic, learned officers in the British Army of the day. Satire is often strictly defined as a literary genre or form; although in practice it is also found in the graphic and Performing arts In satire human He sings the immortal Major-General's Song ("I am the very model of a modern major-general, I've information vegetable, animal and mineral. The Major-General's Song is a Patter song from Gilbert and Sullivan 's 1879 Comic opera The Pirates of Penzance. . . ")
- In the science fiction television series Stargate SG-1, the commanding officer of Stargate Command from seasons 1 to 7 is Major General George Hammond (played by Don S. Davis). George S Hammond is a Fictional character in the television series Stargate SG-1, who was played by Don S Don Sinclair Davis ( August 4 1942 - June 29 2008) was an American Character actor, Theatre Professor From season 9, the position is taken up by Major General Hank Landry. Major General Henry "Hank" Landry is a fictional character in the science fiction television series Stargate SG-1 played by Beau Bridges.
- Bartholomew Bandy, the air ace from Donald Jack's Bandy Papers series, ends the First World War as a Major General at the age of only 26. Donald Lamont Jack ( December 6, 1924 - c June 2 2003) was a Canadian novelist and playwright World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All
- In the anime movie Robotech II: The Sentinels, the lead character, Rick Hunter, holds the rank of Major General. (anime in Japanese, Robotech is a Science fiction franchise that was launched by an 85-episode adaptation of three different Anime Television series.
- Con artist Private Harry Frigg, played by Academy Award-winning actor Paul Newman, is promoted overnight to Major General in the 1968 war comedy, The Secret War of Harry Frigg. A confidence trick or confidence game (also known as a bunko, con, flim flam, gaffle, grift, scam, scheme "The Oscar" redirects here for the film see The Oscar (film. Paul Leonard Newman (January 26 1925 &ndash September 26 2008 was an Academy Award The Secret War of Harry Frigg is a 1968 Comedy Film, directed by Jack Smight and starring Paul Newman.
- The third Judge Adovocate General of the show JAG (1995-2005) is a Major General: Major General Gordon "Biff" Cresswell USMC portrayed by David Andrews. JAG (the American Military Acronym for Judge Advocate General) is an American adventure / Legal drama Television David Andrews (born 15 March 1936 is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician and Barrister.
- The U. S. Army forces sent to occupy Brooklyn, New York in The Siege are commanded by Major General William Deveraux, portrayed by Bruce Willis. Brooklyn (named after the Dutch town Breukelen) is one of the five boroughs of New York City. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous The Siege is a 1998 film about a fictional situation where Terrorist cells have made several attacks on New York City. Walter Bruce Willis (March 19 1955 is an American actor and Singer-songwriter.
See also
- Comparative military ranks
- Rule of the Major-Generals (1655-1657) a period of direct military government during Oliver Cromwell's Protectorate
References
- Boatner, Mark M. This article is a list of various States Armed forces ranking designations The Rule of the Major-Generals from August 1655 &ndash January 1657 was a period of direct military government during Oliver Cromwell 's Protectorate. Oliver Cromwell (25 April 1599 Old Style &ndash 3 September 1658 Old Style) was an English military and political leader best known In British history, the Protectorate was the period 1653&ndash1659 during which the Commonwealth of England Scotland and Ireland was governed by a Lord III. The Civil War Dictionary. New York: David McKay, 1959. ISBN 0-679-50013-8
- Bowden, Scotty & Tarbox, Charlie. Armies on the Danube 1809. Arlington, TX: Empire Games Press, 1980.
- Foote, Shelby. The Civil War: A Narrative. Vol. 2 New York: Random House, 1986. ISBN 0-394-74621-X
Footnotes
- ^ Bowden & Tarbox, p 24. The authors write that FML (Field-Marshal-Lieutenant) is the same as Lieutenant-General and General-Feldwachtmeister the same as Major-General. But they list no equivalent rank to Brigadier-General. Nevertheless, the page cited is an excellent source of Austro-Hungarian ranks.
- ^ Estonian Army ranks
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