History UsefulNotes / CommonMilitaryRanks

It was common for officers to be given a temporary rank higher than their normal ranks for various reasons. During wartime, this was called a brevet rank. In peacetime, this was called frocking. While many armies practiced this to some extent, this was particularly common in the US due to the small size of standing army that US maintained in peacetime for much of its history. The reason for this was that positions with high responsibility should be held by a person with sufficiently high rank so that that person has the authority to give the orders necessary to do their job. If someone with a regular rank of captain was called upon to command a division, he'd be brevetted to a major general to avoid the situation of having to try to give orders to people who outranked him.

This is, incidentally, why there's such confusion over the rank of a certain George Armstrong Custer, the US Army cavalryman who became famous during the Civil War and even more famous/infamous at the Little Big Horn in 1876. Armstrong graduated from the West Point only in June, 1861, after Civil War began (at the bottom of his class, incidentally). He turned out to be a capable wartime leader and was made a brevet major general in the regular army and a major general in the US Volunteers (more on the latter below) by 1865, while being promoted concurrently to the "permanent" rank of captain in the meantime. When the Civil War ended and the US Volunteers was dissolved, Custer reverted to his permanent rank of regular army captain. He made only lieutenant colonel by the time he died.

When breveting is practiced in peacetime, it is called "frocking." Certain positions, such as the commander of the Pacific Fleet or the Chief of Staff of the US Army, are designated as requiring four-star ranks, but actual four star generals and admirals were rare (due to the historical reluctance of US military to promote officers to regular 4-star ranks noted above). Generals appointed to such ranks were tacked on extra stars appropriate for the position. For example, when Douglass [=MacArthur=] was appointed to the position of Chief of Staff in 1930, his permanent rank was only a major general (and the youngest one in the army at the time), but he added 2 more stars for the duration of his term as the Chief of Staff. Admiral Kimmel, the commander of the Pacific Fleet at the time of Pearl Harbor, was only a permanent rear admiral, but he, too, was given two additional stars while he served as the fleet commander. This has remained the practice to this day; Major General and Rear Admiral are the highest permanent ranks in the US military; to go higher, one must be appointed to a position that requires a more senior rank. Once an officer finishes a tour in a 3- or 4-star job, they must either find another one, retire, or be forced to revert to 2-star. Most choose to retire if another assignment is not forthcoming, and they are allowed to keep their rank in retirement. One difference between modern US military and its historical counterpart is that the former is a far larger organization than the latter so there are a lot of 3- and 4-star postings and it is not usually necessary for a general to accept a lower rank just to stay in service, but this has not usually been the case in the past with the tradition of small peacetime armies.

Complicating the brevet rank system further is that, during major wars, US created military organizations nominally separate from the regular army to accommodate the "temporary" increases in the personnel. During the Civil War, this organization was called the US Volunteers (even those who were drafted into the army). During World War I, the name used was "the National Army." It became "the Army of the United States" during World War 2 and theoretically existed while the draft was maintained (although it became moribund after World War 2). People who obtained officer ranks in this expanded army organization did not enjoy the same legal standing as those who were regular army officers--if the war ended and the temporary army was disbanded, they no longer had positions in the military, unlike those who held commissions in the regular army. Regular army officers often wound up with 2 (or 3) ranks at the same time: they held their permanent ranks, but also were given higher ranks and responsibilities in the expanded temporary army, and were typically brevetted to the same rank in the regular army.

The career of General George Marshall illustrates the peculiarities of this system: in 1916, he was an army captain (even after 14 years in the army). When the National Army was created for US participation in World War I, he became a major and was swiftly promoted to a colonel by 1918 (in the National Army). When the National Army was dissolved in 1920, he reverted to captain (in the regular army). He made it to major general (two stars) by the time World War 2 began in Europe (September 1, 1939), but was frocked the same day to the four star rank as he was also appointed as the Army Chief of Staff. His five star rank during World War 2 was in the Army of the United States (while he remained a major general in the regular army officially). He became a regular army five star general only in 1946, after World War 2 ended.

When breveting is practiced in peacetime, it is called "frocking." Certain positions, such as the commander of the Pacific Fleet or the Chief of Staff of the US Army, are designated as requiring four-star ranks, but actual four star generals and admirals were rare (due to the historical reluctance of US military to promote officers to regular 4-star ranks noted above). Generals appointed to such ranks were tacked on extra stars appropriate for the position. For example, when Douglass [=MacArthur=] was appointed to the position of Chief of Staff in 1930, his permanent rank was only a major general (and the youngest one in the army at the time), but he added 2 more stars for the duration of his term as the Chief of Staff. Admiral Kimmel, the commander of the Pacific Fleet at the time of Pearl Harbor, was only a permanent rear admiral, but he, too, was given two additional stars while he served as the fleet commander. This has remained the practice to this day; Major General and Rear Admiral are the highest permanent ranks in the US military; to go higher, one must be appointed to a position that requires a more senior rank. Once an officer finishes a tour in a 3- or 4-star job, they must either find another one, retire, or be forced to revert to 2-star. Most choose to retire if another assignment is not forthcoming, and they are allowed to keep their rank in retirement. One difference between modern US military and its historical counterpart is that the former is far larger organization than the latter so there are a lot of 3- and 4-star postings and it is not usually necessary for a general to accept a lower rank just to stay in service, but this has not usually been the case in the past with the tradition of small peacetime armies.

The terminology used for military ranks (at least in the Western world) began with the appearance of standing armies at the end of Middle Ages and during the Renaissance. Typically, most countries had only one standing army, led by the general, the commander-in-chief, who was either the king himself or a close relative. He was assisted by a deputy, called the lieutenant general, usually a nobleman experienced in warfare, and an assistant called the sergeant major general (later called just "major general"), who was usually in charge of logistics and administration and not always a nobleman. These were positions, rather than "ranks": becoming the lieutenant general did not require that you had gone through various lower ranks. While the appearance of the rank system a few centuries later made this obsolete, variations of this persisted well into 20th century in some cases. For example, after Italian king Victor Emmanuel II appointed his son Humbert the regent after being discredited due to his involvement in the Mussolini regime during World War II, the title that Humbert was given was "the Lieutenant General of the Realm," not in the sense of a 3-star general that a "lieutenant general" became by mid-20th century, but in the old sense of "Deputy Commander-in-Chief."

This is, incidentally, why there's such confusion over the rank of a certain George Armstrong Custer, the US Army cavalryman who became famous during the Civil War and even more famous/infamous at the Little Big Horn in 1876. Armstrong graduated from the West Point only in June, 1861, after Civil War began (at the bottom of his class, incidentally). He turned out to be a capable wartime leader and was made a brevet major general in the regular army and a major general in the US Volunteers (more on the latter below) by 1865, while being promoted concurrently to the "permanent" rank of captain in the meantime. When the Civil War ended and the US Volunteers was dissolved, Custer reverted to his permanent rank of captain. He made only lieutenant colonel by the time he died.

The career of General George Marshall illustrates the peculiarities of this system: in 1916, he was an army captain (even after 14 years in the army). When the National Army was created for US participation in World War I, he became a major and was swiftly promoted to a colonel by 1918 (in the National Army). When the National Army was dissolved in 1920, he reverted to captain. He made it to major general (two stars) by the time World War 2 began in Europe (September 1, 1939), but was frocked the same day to the four star rank as he was also appointed as the Army Chief of Staff. His five star rank during World War 2 was in the Army of the United States (while he remained a major general in the regular army officially). He became a regular army five star general only in 1946, after World War 2 ended.

This is, incidentally, why there's such confusion over the rank of a certain George Armstrong Custer, the US Army cavalryman who became famous during the Civil War and even more famous/infamous at the Little Big Horn in 1876. Armstrong graduated from the West Point only in June, 1861, after Civil War began (at the bottom of his class, incidentally). He was made a brevet major general in the regular army and a major general in the US Volunteers (more on the latter below) by 1865, while being promoted concurrently to the "permanent" rank of captain in the meantime. When the Civil War ended and the US Volunteers was dissolved, Custer reverted to his permanent rank of captain. He made only lieutenant colonel by the time he died.

When breveting is practiced in peacetime, it is called "frocking." Certain positions, such as the commander of the Pacific Fleet or the Chief of Staff of the US Army, are designated as requiring four-star ranks, but actual four star generals and admirals were rare (due to the historical reluctance of US military to promote officers to regular 4-star ranks noted above). Generals appointed to such ranks were tacked on extra stars appropriate for the position. For example, when Douglass [=MacArthur=] was appointed to the position of Chief of Staff in 1930, his permanent rank was only a major general (and the youngest one in the army at the time), but he added 2 more stars for the duration of his term as the Chief of Staff. Admiral Kimmel, the commander of the Pacific Fleet at the time of Pearl Harbor, was only a permanent rear admiral, but he, too, was given two additional stars while he served as the fleet commander. This has remained the practice to this day; Major General and Rear Admiral are the highest permanent ranks in the US military; to go higher, one must be appointed to a position that requires a more senior rank. Once an officer finishes a tour in a 3- or 4-star job, they must either find another one, retire, or be forced to revert to 2-star. Most choose to retire if another assignment is not forthcoming, and they are allowed to keep their rank in retirement.

When breveting is practiced in peacetime, it is called "frocking." Certain positions, such as the commander of the Pacific Fleet or the Chief of Staff of the US Army, are designated as requiring four-star ranks, but actual four star generals and admirals were rare (due to the historical reluctance of US military to promote officers to permanent 4-star ranks noted above). Generals appointed to such ranks were tacked on extra stars appropriate for the position. For example, when Douglass [=MacArthur=] was appointed to the position of Chief of Staff in 1930, his permanent rank was only a major general (and the youngest one in the army at the time), but he added 2 more stars for the duration of his term as the Chief of Staff. Admiral Kimmel, the commander of the Pacific Fleet at the time of Pearl Harbor, was only a permanent rear admiral, but he, too, was given two additional stars while he served as the fleet commander. This has remained the practice to this day; Major General and Rear Admiral are the highest permanent ranks in the US military; to go higher, one must be appointed to a position that requires a more senior rank. Once an officer finishes a tour in a 3- or 4-star job, they must either find another one, retire, or be forced to revert to 2-star. Most choose to retire if another assignment is not forthcoming, and they are allowed to keep their rank in retirement.

This was also the reason why US Army was so hesitant to give anyone the rank of general for the first century of its history, as the rank had the connotation of "commander-in-chief" (and why George Washington, while he lived, never attained a rank higher than that of a lieutenant general, since the commander-in-chief of US Army and Navy is the president (John Adams when Washington was appointed to the rank)). Indeed, no one was even appointed to the permanent rank of a lieutenant general (as opposed to a brevet rank, a temporary high rank given to a normally lower ranked officer) in the US Army after Washington until Grant in 1864, towards the end of the Civil War. (Grant was later given the title of "General of the Army" with a 4-star insignia after the war, but it could be considered more of an honorary position, rather than rank).

The terminology used for military ranks (at least in the Western world) began with the appearance of standing armies at the end of Middle Ages and during the Renaissance. Typically, most countries had only one standing army, led by the general, the commander-in-chief, who was either the king himself or a close relative. He was assisted by a deputy, called the lieutenant general, usually a nobleman experienced in warfare, and an assistant called the sergeant major general (later called just "major general"), who was usually in charge of logistics and administration and not always a nobleman. These were positions, rather than "ranks": becoming the lieutenant general did not require that you had gone through various lower ranks. While the appearance of the rank system a few centuries later made this obsolete, variations of this persisted well into 20th century in some cases. For example, after Italian king Victor Emmanuel II appointed his son Humbert the regent after being discredited due to his involvement in the Mussolini regime during World War II, the title that Humbert was given was "the Lieutenant General of the Realm," not in the sense of a 3-star general that a "lieutenant general" became by mid-20th century, but in the old sense of "Deputy Commander-in-Chief." This was also the reason why US Army was so hesitant to give anyone the rank of general for the first century of its history, as the rank had the connotation of "commander-in-chief" (and why George Washington, while he lived, never attained a rank higher than that of a lieutenant general, since the commander-in-chief of US Army and Navy is the president (John Adams when Washington was appointed to the rank)). Indeed, no one was even appointed to the permanent rank of a lieutenant general (as opposed to a brevet rank, a temporary high rank given to a normally lower ranked officer) in the US Army after Washington until Grant in 1864, towards the end of the Civil War. (Grant was later given the title of "General of the Army" with a 4-star insignia after the war, but it could be considered more of an honorary position, rather than rank).

When breveting is practiced in peacetime, it is called "frocking." Certain positions, such as the commander of the Pacific Fleet or the Chief of Staff of the US Army, are designated as requiring four-star ranks, but actual four star generals and admirals were rare (due to the historical reluctance of US military to promote officers to permanent 4-star ranks noted above). Generals appointed to such ranks were tacked on extra stars appropriate for the position. For example, when Douglass MacArthur was appointed to the position of Chief of Staff in 1930, his permanent rank was only a major general (and the youngest one in the army at the time), but he added 2 more stars for the duration of his term as the Chief of Staff. Admiral Kimmel, the commander of the Pacific Fleet at the time of Pearl Harbor, was only a permanent rear admiral, but he, too, was given two additional stars while he served as the fleet commander. This has remained the practice to this day; Major General and Rear Admiral are the highest permanent ranks in the US military; to go higher, one must be appointed to a position that requires a more senior rank. Once an officer finishes a tour in a 3- or 4-star job, they must either find another one, retire, or be forced to revert to 2-star. Most choose to retire if another assignment is not forthcoming, and they are allowed to keep their rank in retirement.

It was common for officers to be given a temporary rank higher than their normal ranks for various reasons. During wartime, this was called a brevet rank. In peacetime, this was called frocking. While many armies practiced this to some extent, this was particularly common in the US due to the small size of standing army that US maintained in peacetime for much of its history. The reason for this was that positions with high responsibility should be held by a person with sufficiently high rank (e.g. a division should not be commanded by a captain, but by a major general), so, if someone with a regular rank of only captain might be called upon to command a division, he'd be brevetted to a major general. This is, incidentally, why there's such confusion over the rank of a certain George Armstrong Custer, the US Army cavalryman who became famous during the Civil War and even more famous/infamous at the Little Big Horn in 1876. Armstrong graduated from the West Point only in June, 1861, after Civil War began (at the bottom of his class, incidentally). He was made a brevet major general in the regular army and a major general in the US Volunteers (more on the latter below) by 1865, while promoted concurrently to a regular "permanent" rank of captain meantime. When the Civil War ended and the US Volunteers was dissolved, Custer reverted to his permanent rank of captain. He made only a lieutenant colonel by the time he died. When this was practiced in peacetime, it was called "frocking." Certain positions, such as the commander of the Pacific Fleet or the Chief of Staff of the US Army, were designated as requiring four-star ranks, but actual four star generals and admirals were rare (due to the reluctance of US military to promote officers to permanent 4-star ranks noted above). Generals appointed to such ranks were tacked on extra stars appropriate for the position. For example, when Douglass MacArthur was appointed to the position of Chief of Staff in 1930, his permanent rank was only a major general (and the youngest one in the army at the time), but he added 2 more stars for the duration of his term as the Chief of Staff. Admiral Kimmel, the commander of the Pacific Fleet at the time of Pearl Harbor, was only a permanent rear admiral, but he, too, was given two additional stars while he served as the fleet commander.

Complicating the brevet rank system further is that, during major wars, US created military organizations nominally separate from the regular army to accommodate the "temporary" increases in the personnel. During the Civil War, this organization was called the US Volunteers (even those who were drafted into the army). During World War I, the name used was "the National Army." It became "the Army of the United States" during World War 2 and theoretically existed while the draft was maintained (although it became moribund after World War 2). People who obtained officer ranks in this expanded army organization did not enjoy the same legal standing as those who were regular army officers--if the war ended and the temporary army was disbanded, they no longer had positions in the military, unlike those who held commissions in the regular army. Regular army officers often wound up with 2 (or 3) ranks at the same time: they held their permanent ranks, but also were given higher ranks and responsibilities in the expanded temporary army, and were typically brevetted to the same rank in the regular army. The career of General George Marshall illustrates the peculiarities of this system: in 1916, he was an army captain (even after 14 years in the army). When the National Army was created for US participation in World War I, he became a major and was swiftly promoted to a colonel by 1918 (in the National Army). When the National Army was dissolved in 1920, he reverted to captain. He made it to major general (two stars) by the time World War 2 began in Europe (September 1, 1939), but was frocked the same day to the four star rank as he was also appointed as the Army Chief of Staff. His five star rank during World War 2 was in the Army of the United States (while he remained a major general in the regular army officially). He became a regular army five star general only in 1946, after World War 2 ended.

Complicating the brevet rank system further is that, during major wars, US created military organizations nominally separate from the regular army to accommodate the "temporary" increases in the personnel. During the Civil War, this organization was called the US Volunteers (even those who were drafted into the army). During World War I, the name used was "the National Army." It became "the Army of the United States" during World War 2 and theoretically existed while the draft was maintained (although it became moribund after World War 2). People who obtained officer ranks in this expanded army organization did not enjoy the same legal standing as those who were regular army officers--if the war ended and the temporary army was disbanded, they no longer had positions in the military, unlike those who held commissions in the regular army. Regular army officers often wound up with 2 (or 3) ranks at the same time: they held their permanent ranks, but also were given higher ranks and responsibilities in the expanded temporary army, and were typically brevetted to the same rank in the regular army. The career of General George Marshall illustrates the peculiarities of this system: in 1916, he was an army captain (even after 14 years in the army). When the National Army was created for US participation in World War I, he was promoted to major and was swiftly promoted to a colonel by 1918 (in the National Army). When the National Army was dissolved in 1920, he reverted to captain. He made it to a major general by the time World War 2 began in Europe (September, 1939), but was frocked the same day to the four star rank as he was also appointed as the Army Chief of Staff. His five star rank during World War 2 was in the Army of the United States (while he remained a major general in the regular army officially). He became a regular army five star general only in 1946, after World War 2 ended.

Complicating the brevet rank system further is that, during major wars, US created military organizations nominally separate from the regular army to accommodate the "temporary" increases in the personnel. During the Civil War, this organization was called the US Volunteers (even those who were drafted into the army). During World War I, the name used was "the National Army." It became "the Army of the United States" during World War 2 and theoretically existed while the draft was maintained (although it became moribund after World War 2). People who obtained officer ranks in this expanded army organization did not enjoy the same legal standing as those who were regular army officers--if the war ended and the temporary army was disbanded, they no longer had positions in the military, unlike those who held commissions in the regular army. Regular army officers often wound up with 2 (or 3) ranks at the same time: they held their permanent ranks, but also were given higher ranks and responsibilities in the expanded temporary army, and were typically brevetted to the same rank in the regular army.

Complicating the brevet rank system further is that, during major wars, US created military organizations nominally separate from the regular army to accommodate the "temporary" increases in the personnel. During the Civil War, this organization was called the US Volunteers (even those who were drafted into the army). During World War I, the name used was "the National Army." It became "the Army of the United States" during World War 2 and theoretically existed while the draft was maintained (although it became moribund after World War 2). People who obtained officer ranks in this expanded army organization did not enjoy the same legal standing as those who were regular army officers--if the war ended and the temporary army was disbanded, they no longer had positions in the military, unlike those who held commissions in the regular army (although the latter likely had far too high brevet ranks that they would have to give up as well..)

Complicating the brevet rank system further is that, during major wars, US created military organizations nominally separate from the regular army to accommodate the "temporary" increases in the personnel. During the Civil War, this organization was called the US Volunteers (even those who were drafted into the army). During World War I, the name used was "the National Army." It became "the Army of United States" during World War 2 and theoretically existed while the draft was maintained (although it became moribund after World War 2). People who obtained officer ranks in this expanded army organization did not enjoy the same legal standing as those who were regular army officers--if the war ended and the temporary army was disbanded, they no longer had positions in the military, unlike those who held commissions in the regular army (although the latter likely had far too high brevet ranks that they would have to give up as well..)

Complicating the brevet rank system further is that, during major wars, US created military organizations nominally separate from the regular army to accommodate the "temporary" increases in the personnel. During the Civil War, this organization was called the US Volunteers (even those who were drafted into the army). During World War I, the name used was "the National Army." It became "the Army of United States" during World War 2 and theoretically existed while the draft was maintained (although it became moribund after World War 2). People who obtained officer ranks in this expanded army organization did not enjoy the same legal standing as those who were regular army officers--if the war ended and the temporary army was disbanded, they no longer had positions in the military, unlike those who held commissions in the regular army (although the latter likely held much higher brevet ranks in addition to the ranks in the expanded "temporary" army than their permanent ranks which they'd have to give up as well.)

It was common for officers to be given a temporary rank higher than their normal ranks for various reasons. During wartime, this was called a brevet rank. In peacetime, this was called frocking. While many armies practiced this to some extent, this was particularly common in the US due to the small size of standing army that US maintained in peacetime for much of its history. The reason for this was that positions with high responsibility should be held by a person with sufficiently high rank (e.g. a division should not be commanded by a captain, but by a major general), so, if someone with a regular rank of only captain might be called upon to command a division, he'd be brevetted to a major general. This is, incidentally, why there's such confusion over the rank of a certain George Armstrong Custer, the US Army cavalryman who became famous during the Civil War and even more famous/infamous at the Little Big Horn in 1876. Armstrong graduated from the West Point only in June, 1861, after Civil War began (at the bottom of his class, incidentally). He was made a brevet major general in the regular army and a major general in the US Volunteers (more on the latter below) by 1865, while promoted concurrently to a regular "permanent" rank of captain meantime. When the Civil War ended and the US Volunteers was dissolved, Custer reverted to his permanent rank of captain. He made only a lieutenant colonel by the time he died. When this was practiced in peacetime, it was called "frocking." Certain positions, such as the commander of the Pacific Fleet or the Chief of Staff of the US Army, were designated as requiring four-star ranks, but actual four star generals and admirals were rare (due to the reluctance of US military to promote officers to permanent 4-star ranks noted above). Generals appointed to such ranks were tacked on extra stars appropriate for the position. For example, when Douglass MacArthur was appointed to the position of Chief of Staff in 1930, his permanent rank was only a major general (and the youngest one in the army at the time), but he added 2 more stars for the duration of his term as the Chief of Staff. Admiral Kimmel, the commander of the Pacific Fleet at the time of Pearl Harbor, was only a permanent rear admiral, but he, too, was given two additional stars while he served as the fleet commander (a 4-star posting.)

It was common for officers to be given a temporary rank higher than their normal ranks for various reasons. During wartime, this was called a brevet rank. In peacetime, this was called frocking. While many armies practiced this to some extent, this was particularly common in the US due to the small size of standing army that US maintained in peacetime for much of its history. The reason for this was that positions with high responsibility should be held by a person with sufficiently high rank (e.g. a division should not be commanded by a captain, but by a major general), so, if someone with a regular rank of only captain might be called upon to command a division, he'd be brevetted to a major general. This is, incidentally, why there's such confusion over the rank of a certain George Armstrong Custer, the US Army cavalryman who became famous during the Civil War and even more famous/infamous at the Little Big Horn in 1876. Armstrong graduated from the West Point only in June, 1861, after Civil War began (at the bottom of his class, incidentally). He was made a brevet major general in the regular army and a major general in the US Volunteers (more on the latter below) by 1865, while promoted concurrently to a regular "permanent" rank of captain meantime. When the Civil War ended and the US Volunteers was dissolved, Custer reverted to his permanent rank of captain. He made only a lieutenant colonel by the time he died. When this was practiced in peacetime, it was called "frocking." Certain positions, such as the commander of the Pacific Fleet or the Chief of Staff of the US Army, were designated four-star ranks, but actual four star generals and admirals were rare (due to the reluctance of US military to promote officers to permanent 4-star ranks noted above). Generals appointed to such ranks were tacked on extra stars appropriate for the position. For example, when Douglass MacArthur was appointed to the position of Chief of Staff in 1930, his permanent rank was only a major general (and the youngest one in the army at the time), but he added 2 more stars for the duration of his term as the Chief of Staff. Admiral Kimmel, the commander of the Pacific Fleet at the time of Pearl Harbor, was only a permanent rear admiral, but he, too, was given two additional stars while he served as the fleet commander (a 4-star posting.)

The ranks for the whole army was replicated for the smaller units that made up the army, once called "columns" (and later called "regiments"). The commander was a "colonel," derived from Latin "columna," meaning, well, a "column" via Italian "colonello," meaning a column of soldiers. The deputy was called a "lieutenant colonel" and he was assisted by a "sergeant major," (later called just a "major.")

The terminology used for military ranks (at least in the Western world) began with the appearance of standing armies at the end of Middle Ages and during the Renaissance. Typically, most countries had only one standing army, led by the general, the commander-in-chief, who was either the king himself or a close relative. He was assisted by a deputy, called the lieutenant general, usually a nobleman experienced in warfare, and an assistant called the sergeant major general (later called just "major general"), who was usually in charge of logistics and administration and not always a nobleman. These were positions, rather than "ranks": becoming the lieutenant general did not require that you had gone through various lower ranks. While the appearance of the rank system a few centuries later made this obsolete, variations of this persisted well into 20th century in some cases. For example, after Italian king Victor Emmanuel II appointed his son Humbert the regent after being discredited due to his involvement in the Mussolini regime during World War II, the title that Humbert was given was "the Lieutenant General of the Realm," not in the sense of a 3-star general that a "lieutenant general" became by mid-20th century, but in the old sense of "Deputy Commander-in-Chief." This was also the reason why US Army was so hesitant to give anyone the rank of general, with the connotation of "commander-in-chief" (and why George Washington, while he lived, never attained a rank higher than that of a lieutenant general, since the commander-in-chief of US Army and Navy is the president (John Adams when he was appointed to the rank)). Indeed, no one was even appointed to the permanent rank of a lieutenant general (as opposed to a brevet rank, a temporary high rank given to a normally lower ranked officer) in the US Army after Washington until Grant in 1864, towards the end of the Civil War. (Grant was later given the title of "General of the Army" with a 4-star insignia after the war, but it could be considered more of an honorary position, rather than rank).

Smaller units followed the same pattern: the leader was called a "captain," assisted by a "lieutenant." By middle of 18th century, the old title "sergeant major" was resurrected in most armies, this time to refer to the chief assistant to the captain who was a senior enlisted man.

The terminology used for military ranks (at least in the Western world) began with the appearance of standing armies at the end of Middle Ages and during the Renaissance. Typically, most countries had only one standing army, led by the general, the commander-in-chief, who was either the king himself or a close relative. He was assisted by a deputy, called the lieutenant general, usually a nobleman experienced in warfare, and an assistant called the sergeant major general (later called just "major general"), who was usually in charge of logistics and administration and not always a nobleman. These were positions, rather than "ranks": becoming the lieutenant general did not require that you had gone through various lower ranks. While the appearance of the rank system a few centuries later made this obsolete, variations of this persisted well into 20th century in some cases. For example, after Italian king Victor Emmanuel II appointed his son Humbert the regent after being discredited due to his involvement in the Mussolini regime during World War II, the title that Humbert was given was "the Lieutenant General of the Realm," not in the sense of 3-star general that a "lieutenant general" rank became by mid-20th century, but in the old sense of "Deputy Commander-in-Chief." This was also the reason why US Army was so hesitant to give anyone the rank of general, with the connotation of "commander-in-chief" (and why George Washington, while he lived, never attained a rank higher than that of a lieutenant general, since the commander-in-chief of US Army and Navy is the president (John Adams when he was appointed to the rank)). Indeed, no one was even appointed to the permanent rank of a lieutenant general (as opposed to a brevet rank, a temporary high rank given to a normally lower ranked officer) in the US Army after Washington until Grant in 1864, towards the end of the Civil War. (Grant was later given the title of "General of the Army" with a 4-star insignia after the war, but it could be considered more of an honorary position, rather than rank).

The terminology used for military ranks (at least in the Western world) began with the appearance of standing armies at the end of Middle Ages and during the Renaissance. Typically, most countries had only one standing army, led by the general, the commander-in-chief, who was either the king himself or a close relative. He was assisted by a deputy, called the lieutenant general, usually a nobleman experienced in warfare, and an assistant called the sergeant major general (later called just "major general"), who was usually in charge of logistics and administration and not always a nobleman. These were positions, rather than "ranks": becoming the lieutenant general did not require that you had gone through the various lower ranks. While the appearance of the rank system a few centuries later made this obsolete, variations of this persisted well into 20th century in some cases. For example, after Italian king Victor Emmanuel II appointed his son Humbert the regent after being discredited due to his involvement in the Mussolini regime during World War II, the title that Humbert was given was "the Lieutenant General of the Realm," not in the sense of 3-star general that a "lieutenant general" rank became by mid-20th century, but in the old sense of "Deputy Commander-in-Chief." This was also the reason why US Army was so hesitant to give anyone the rank of general, with the connotation of "commander-in-chief" (and why George Washington, while he lived, never attained a rank higher than that of a lieutenant general, since the commander-in-chief of US Army and Navy is the president (John Adams when he was appointed to the rank)). Indeed, no one was even appointed to the permanent rank of a lieutenant general (as opposed to a brevet rank, a temporary high rank given to a normally lower ranked officer) in the US Army after Washington until Grant in 1864, towards the end of the Civil War. (Grant was later given the title of "General of the Army" with a 4-star insignia after the war, but it could be considered more of an honorary position, rather than rank).

The terminology used for military ranks (at least in the Western world) began with the appearance of standing armies at the end of Middle Ages and during the Renaissance. Typically, most countries had only one standing army, led by the general, the commander-in-chief, who was either the king himself or a close relative. He was assisted by a deputy, called the lieutenant general, usually a nobleman experienced in warfare, and an assistant called the sergeant major general (later called just "major general"), who was usually in charge of logistics and administration and not always a nobleman. These were positions, rather than "ranks": becoming the lieutenant general did not require that you had gone through the various lower ranks. While the appearance of the rank system a few centuries later made this obsolete, variations of this persisted well into 20th century in some cases. For example, after Italian king Victor Emmanuel II appointed his son Humbert the regent after being discredited due to his involvement in the Mussolini regime during World War II, the title that Humbert was given was "the Lieutenant General of the Realm," not in the sense of 3-star general that a "lieutenant general" rank became by mid-20th century, but in the old sense of "Deputy Commander-in-Chief." This was also the reason why US Army was so hesitant to give anyone the rank of general, with the connotation of "commander-in-chief" (and why George Washington, while he lived, never attained a rank higher than that of a lieutenant general, since the commander-in-chief of US Army and Navy is the president (John Adams when he was appointed to the rank)). Indeed, no one was even appointed to the permanent rank of a lieutenant general (as opposed to a brevet rank, a temporary high rank given to a normally lower ranked officer) in the US Army after Washington until Grant in 1864, towards the end of the Civil War. (Grant was later given the title of "General of the Army," with a 4-star insignia after the war, but it could be considered more of an honorary position, rather than rank).

The terminology used for military ranks (at least in the Western world) began with the appearance of standing armies at the end of Middle Ages and during the Renaissance. Typically, most countries had only one standing army, led by the general, the commander-in-chief, who was either the king himself or a close relative. He was assisted by a deputy, called the lieutenant general, usually a nobleman experienced in warfare, and an assistant called the sergeant major general (later called just "major general"), who was usually in charge of logistics and administration and not always a nobleman. These were positions, rather than "ranks": becoming the lieutenant general did not require that you had gone through the various lower ranks. While the appearance of the rank system a few centuries later made this obsolete, variations of this persisted well into 20th century in some cases. For example, after Italian king Victor Emmanuel II appointed his son Humbert the regent after being discredited due to his involvement in the Mussolini regime during World War II, the title that Humbert was given was "the Lieutenant General of the Realm," not in the sense of 3-star general that a "lieutenant general" rank became by mid-20th century, but in the old sense of "Deputy Commander-in-Chief." This was also the reason why US Army was so hesitant to give anyone the rank of general, with the connotation of "commander-in-chief" (and why George Washington, while he lived, never attained a rank higher than that of a lieutenant general, since the commander-in-chief of US Army and Navy is the president (John Adams when he was appointed to the rank). Indeed, no one was even appointed to the permanent rank of a lieutenant general (as opposed to a brevet rank, a temporary high rank given to a normally lower ranked officer) in the US Army after Washington until Grant in 1864, towards the end of the Civil War. (Grant was later given the title of "General of the Army," with a 4-star insignia after the war, but it could be considered more of an honorary position, rather than rank).

The terminology used for military ranks (at least in the Western world) began with the appearance of standing armies at the end of Middle Ages and during the Renaissance. Typically, most countries had only one standing army, led by the general, the commander-in-chief, who was either the king himself or a close relative. He was assisted by a deputy, called the lieutenant general, usually a nobleman experienced in warfare, and an assistant called the sergeant major general (later called just "major general"), who was usually in charge of logistics and administration and not always a nobleman. These were positions, rather than "ranks": becoming the lieutenant general did not require that you had gone through the various lower ranks. While the appearance of the rank system a few centuries later made this obsolete, variations of this persisted well into 20th century in some cases. For example, after Italian king Victor Emmanuel II appointed his son Humbert the regent after being discredited due to his involvement in the Mussolini regime during World War II, the title that Humbert was given was "the Lieutenant General of the Realm," not in the sense of 3-star general that a "lieutenant general" rank became by mid-20th century, but in the old sense of "Deputy Commander-in-Chief." This was also the reason why US Army was so hesitant to give anyone the rank of general, with the connotation of "commander-in-chief" (and why George Washington, while he lived, never attained a rank higher than that of a lieutenant general, since the commander-in-chief of US Army and Navy is the president (John Adams when he was appointed to the rank).

The terminology used for military ranks (at least in the Western world) began with the appearance of standing armies at the end of Middle Ages and during the Renaissance. Typically, most countries had only one standing army, led by the general, the commander-in-chief, who was either the king himself or a close relative. He was assisted by a deputy, called the lieutenant general, usually a nobleman experienced in warfare, and an assistant called the sergeant major general (later called just "major general"), who was usually in charge of logistics and administration and not always a nobleman. These were positions, rather than "ranks": becoming the lieutenant general did not require that you had gone through the various lower ranks. While the appearance of the rank system a few centuries later made this obsolete, variations of this persisted well into 20th century in some cases. For example, after Italian king Victor Emmanuel II appointed his son Humbert the regent after being discredited due to his involvement in the Mussolini regime during World War II, the title that Humbert was given was "the Lieutenant General of the Realm," not in the sense of 3-star general that a "lieutenant general" rank became by mid-20th century, but in the old sense of "Deputy Commander-in-Chief." This was also the reason why US Army was so hesitant to give anyone the rank of general, with the connotation of "commander-in-chief" (and why George Washington, while he lived, never attained a rank higher than that of a lieutenant general, since the commander-in-chief of US Army and Navy is the president.

The terminology used for military ranks (at least in the Western world) began with the appearance of standing armies at the end of Middle Ages and during the Renaissance. Typically, most countries had only one standing army, led by the general, the commander-in-chief, who was either the king himself or a close relative. He was assisted by a deputy, called the lieutenant general, usually a nobleman experienced in warfare, and an assistant called the sergeant major general (later called just "major general"), who was usually in charge of logistics and administration and not always a nobleman. These were positions, rather than "ranks": becoming the lieutenant general did not require that you had gone through the various lower ranks. While the appearance of the rank system a few centuries later made this obsolete, variations of this persisted well into 20th century in some cases. For example, after Italian king Victor Emmanuel II appointed his son Humbert the regent after being discredited due to his involvement in the Mussolini regime during World War II, the title that Humbert was given was "the Lieutenant General of the Realm," not in the sense of 3-star general that a "lieutenant general" rank is, but in the old sense of "Deputy Commander-in-Chief." This was also the reason why US Army was so hesitant to give anyone the rank of general, with the connotation of "commander-in-chief" (and why George Washington, while he lived, never attained a rank higher than that of a lieutenant general, since the commander-in-chief of US Army and Navy is the president.

The terminology used for military ranks (at least in the Western world) began with the appearance of standing armies at the end of Middle Ages and during the Renaissance. Typically, most countries had only one standing army, led by the general, the commander-in-chief, who was either the king himself or a close relative. He was assisted by a deputy, called the lieutenant general, usually a nobleman experienced in warfare, and an assistant called the sergeant major general (later called major general), who was usually in charge of logistics and administration and not always a nobleman. These were positions, rather than "ranks": becoming the lieutenant general did not require that you had gone through the various lower ranks. While the appearance of the rank system a few centuries later made this obsolete, variations of this persisted well into 20th century in some cases. For example, after Italian king Victor Emmanuel II appointed his son Humbert the regent after being discredited due to his involvement in the Mussolini regime during World War II, the title that Humbert was given was "the Lieutenant General of the Realm," not in the sense of 3-star general that a "lieutenant general" rank is, but in the old sense of "Deputy Commander-in-Chief." This was also the reason why US Army was so hesitant to give anyone the rank of general, with the connotation of "commander-in-chief" (and why George Washington, while he lived, never attained a rank higher than that of a lieutenant general, since the commander-in-chief of US Army and Navy is the president.