There is a legend according to which Queen Elizabeth went up to the deck of the ship of the brave pirate and the famous navigator Francis Drake. The queen's dress was embroidered with diamonds, and Drake, blinded by the glare of the sun, covered his eyes with his hand. Since then, according to legend, the army began to salute.
But military ranks appeared much earlier, even in the armies of Ancient Egypt and Rome. So we will examine in the historical and spatial plane the development of the military hierarchy, and we will find out what the highest military ranks exist.
Some interesting facts
✅ Before starting, let's recall a few facts from the history of military ranks.
✅ For example, the word ensign came from the word "ensign", and originally ensigns were standard-bearers.
✅ But the marshal translates as "groom". In France today there is the word "maréchal" - a horseshoe blacksmith.
✅ As for the general, it means "chief." In many countries, mainly Hispanic, it corresponds to the rank of major, which means "senior" - commandant.
Ancient Rome
At the very beginning of the history of Rome, the whole army was called the Legion. Over time, reforms were carried out, and the army took on a more structured form.
The highest position was the legate who commanded the legion. Above the legates were the stands appointed by the Senate or the emperor. The third in rank was the prefect of the camp, who performed administrative duties.
The emperor was the commander in chief of the legions. And even if these are not titles, but positions, it was in Ancient Rome that the foundations of the military hierarchy were laid.
On our site thebiggest.ru there is a very interesting article about Ancient Rome. The most interesting facts about the ancient state.
Russian kingdom
A clear hierarchy in the Russian army began to take shape in the middle of the 16th century, when the Strelets regiments were formed.
Russian governor. Painting by artist Fedorov
Highest was Senior Lied, who led all the regiments of the city or individual county. Next came the Sovereign, or, as they often called, the Voivode - the head of the Streltsy detachment. The third highest rank was the head of the order, over time it became known as the regiment commander, that is, colonel.
Russia. The end of the XVII – XVIII century
At the end of the 17th century, regiments of the new system began to form in the Russian army, in which new posts and military ranks were introduced in the Russian army.
In the photo: First General Alexander Leslie.
The highest rank becomes the general. The first rank of general was awarded in 1654 to Alexander Leslie. By the beginning of the 18th century, 7 generals were already serving in Russia.
After the general came the lieutenant general. Closed the top three senior command staff, Major General and General Brigadier.
First Generalissimo Alexander Suvorov
In 1799, the title of Generalissimo in the Russian army was awarded to Alexander Suvorov for command of the combined armies of European countries. Note that this highest title was assigned in Europe and Asia mainly to monarchs.
The Russian Empire. Until 1917
The main military reform in Russia was carried out by Peter I, and with some changes, the army structure lasted until 1917.
The main difference from previous periods was the emergence of the fleet. The rank of admiral, who was the commander in chief of the entire navy, was introduced. The admiral followed him. The senior officers included the vice and rear admirals.
In 1699, the Russian army introduced the highest rank for the ground forces, Field Marshal. A year later, they introduced the rank of general from infantry, which included three "generalities" - the general of the cavalry, the general of the engineer troops and the general of artillery.
The USSR
In the Soviet period, dramatic changes were made in the army. In the Red, and then the Soviet Army, the highest military rank was Marshal.
The title Marshal of the Soviet Union was introduced by Decree in 1935. In the entire history of the Soviet army this title was awarded to 41 people.
In 1945, in honor of the Victory and merit in the leadership, the title of Generalissimo of the Soviet Union was awarded to Joseph Stalin. At present, this title is not provided for in the legislation of the Russian Federation.
In the fleet, everything remained almost unchanged. The fleet was commanded by the admiral.
Russian Federation
After the collapse of the USSR, it was necessary to carry out new reforms. The highest honorary title in Russia remained the title of Marshal.
The marshal, like the Soviet Union, is followed by the general. The highest rank in Russia is the army general, to whom the fleet admiral corresponds to the fleet.
The Commander-in-Chief, like the Minister of Defense, are not ranks, but military posts in Russia. Accordingly, they are now occupied by retired colonel Vladimir Putin and army general Sergei Shoigu.
Nostalgia: remember the slot machines of the times of the USSR.
USA
For comparison, consider the military arrangement of some world powers. Let's start with the USA.
As in Russia, the president of the United States is the commander in chief.
And the highest rank is General of the Army, in the Navy - Fleet Admiral.
Interestingly, since the time of George Washington, the US army hierarchy has not undergone major changes.
China
Consider also the largest army in the world - the People's Liberation Army of China. In 2009, a military reform was carried out in China, which somewhat streamlined the hierarchy in the PRC army.
But the reform was hardly affected by the high command staff. The generals remained the highest ranks, and the admiral commands the fleet. Due to the large territory, the military units of China are divided into seven territorial military districts.
To summarize ...
As you can see, the army is a strict hierarchy and discipline, and the highest military rank is the Generalissimo, introduced in the Holy Roman Empire.
The army performs a number of functions in the state, the main of which is the protection of citizens and the defense of sovereignty and independence. In conclusion, we say that the word "army" came from the Latin "armare", which means arming.
TheBiggest editors are waiting for interesting comments from you on the topic of the article. Perhaps you write to us about other high military ranks that we have not mentioned.
Article author: Valery Skiba