The following table shows comparative officer ranks of several Allied and Central powers during World War I.

Table

Rank group General / flag officers Senior officers Junior officers Officer cadet
 Austro-Hungarian Army
[a][1][2]
Feldmarschall
Tábornagy 		Generaloberst
Vezérezredes 		General der Waffengattung
Tábornok 		Feldmarschall-Leutnant
Altábornagy 		Generalmajor
Vezérőrnagy 		Oberst
Ezredes 		Oberstleutnant
Alezredes 		Major
Őrnagy 		Hauptmann / Rittmeister
Százados / Kapitány 		Oberleutnant
Főhadnagy 		Leutnant
Hadnagy
 Austro-Hungarian Navy
[a][3][4]
Großadmiral
Főtengernagy 		Admiral
Tengernagy 		Vizeadmiral
Altengernagy 		Kontreadmiral
Ellentengernagy 		Linienschiffkapitän
Sorhajókapitány 		Fregattenkapitän
Fregattkapitány 		Korvettenkapitän
Korvettkapitány 		Linienschiffsleutnant
Sorhajóhadnagy 		Fregattenleutnant
Fregatthadnagy 		Korvettenleutnant
Korvetthadnagy 		Seekadett
Rank group General / flag officers Senior officers Junior officers Officer cadet
 British Army
[5][6]
Field marshal General Lieutenant-general Major-general Brigadier-general Colonel Lieutenant-colonel Major Captain Lieutenant Second lieutenant
 Royal Navy
[7][8]
Admiral of the Fleet Admiral Vice-admiral Rear-admiral Commodore 1st class[9] Commodore 2nd class Captain Commander Lieutenant commander Lieutenant Sub-lieutenant Chief commissioned warrant officer Commissioned warrant officer/ Midshipman
Rank group General / flag officers Senior officers Junior officers Officer cadet
 French Army
[10][11][12][13]
Maréchal de France[b] Général de division ayant un commandement supérieur
(général)[c] 		Général de division Général de brigade Colonel Lieutenant-Colonel Commandant Capitaine Lieutenant Sous-Lieutenant Aspirant
 French Navy
[15][16][17]
Amiral de France[b] Vice-amiral commandant
(amiralissime)[18] 		Vice-amiral Contre-amiral Capitaine de vaisseau Capitaine de frégate Capitaine de corvette Lieutenant de vaisseau Enseigne de vaisseau de 1re classe Enseigne de vaisseau de 2e classe Aspirant
Rank group General / flag officers Senior officers Junior officers Officer cadet
 Imperial German Army[19][20]
Generalfeldmarschall Generaloberst mit dem Rang als Generalfeldmarschall Generaloberst General der Waffengattung Generalleutnant Generalmajor Oberst Oberstleutnant Major Hauptmann / Rittmeister Oberleutnant Leutnant
 Imperial German Navy
[21][22]
Großadmiral Admiral Vizeadmiral Konteradmiral Kommodore Kapitän zur See Fregattenkapitän Korvettenkapitän Kapitänleutnant Oberleutnant zur See Leutnant zur See Seekadett
Rank group General / flag officers Senior officers Junior officers Officer cadet
 Royal Italian Army
[23][24]
Generale d'esercito Tenente generale[d] Maggior generale[e] Brigadier generale Colonnello Tenente colonnello Maggiore Primo capitano Capitano Tenente Sottotenente
 Royal Italian Navy[25][26]
Ammiraglio Vice ammiraglio Contrammiraglio Sottoammiraglio Capitano di vascello Capitano di frigata Capitano di corvetta Tenente di vascello Sottotenent di vascello Guardiamarina Aspirante guardiamarina
Rank group General / flag officers Senior officers Junior officers Officer cadet
 Imperial Japanese Army
[27][28]
大元帥陸軍大将
Daigensui-Rikugun-Taishō 		元帥陸軍大将
Gensui-Rikugun-Taishō 		陸軍大将
Rikugun-Taishō 		陸軍中将
Rikugun-Chūjō 		陸軍少将
Rikugun-Shōshō 		陸軍大佐
Rikugun-Taisa 		陸軍中佐
Rikugun-Chūsa 		陸軍少佐
Rikugun-Shōsa 		陸軍大尉
Rikugun-Tai-i 		陸軍中尉
Rikugun-Chūi 		陸軍少尉
Rikugun-Shōi 		准尉
Jun-i
 Imperial Japanese Navy
[29][30]
大元帥海軍大将
Daigensui-Kaigun-Taishō 		元帥海軍大将
Gensui-kaigun-Taishō 		海軍大将
Kaigun-Taishō 		海軍中将
Kaigun-Chūjō 		海軍少将
Kaigun-Shōshō 		海軍大佐
Kaigun-Daisa 		海軍中佐
Kaigun-Chūsa 		海軍少佐
Kaigun-Shōsa 		海軍大尉
Kaigun-Dai-i 		海軍中尉
Kaigun-Chūi 		海軍少尉
Kaigun-Shōi 		兵曹長
Hēsōchō
Rank group General / flag officers Senior officers Junior officers Officer cadet
 Ottoman Army[31]
Müşir Ferik-i evvel Ferik-i sânî Mirliva Miralay Kaymakam Binbaşı Yüzbaşı Mülâzım-ı evvel Mülâzım-ı sânî
 Ottoman Navy[31]
Müşir amiral Amiral Vice amiral Liva amiral Komodor Kalyon kaptanı Fırkateyn kaptanı Korvet kaptanı Birinci sınıf yüzbaşı Yüzbaşı Mülâzım-ı evvel Mülâzım-ı sânî Mühendis
Rank group General / flag officers Senior officers Junior officers Officer cadet
 Portuguese Army
[32]
Marechal[f] General[g] Brigadeiro Coronel Tenente-coronel Major Capitão Tenente Alferes Aspirante
 Portuguese Navy
[32]
Almirante[f] Vice-almirante Contra-almirante Capitão de mar e guerra Capitão de fragata Capitão-tenente Primeiro-tenente Segundo-tenente Guarda-marinha Aspirante
Rank group General / flag officers Senior officers Junior officers Officer cadet
 Imperial Russian Army[h]
[33][34]
Генерал-фельдмаршал
General-fel'dmarshal 		Генерал рода войск
General roda voysk 		Генерал-лейтенант
General-leytenant 		Генерал-майор
General-mayor 		Полковник
Polkovnik 		Подполковник
Podpolkovnik 		Капитан
Kapitan[i] 		Штабс-капитан
Shtabs-kapitan[j] 		Поручик
Poruchik 		Подпоручик
Podporuchik[k] 		Прапорщик
Praporshik
 Imperial Russian Navy
Генерал-адмирал
General-admiral 		Адмирал
Admiral 		Вице-адмирал
Vitse-admiral 		Контр-адмирал
Kontr-admiral 		Капитан I ранга
Kapitan 1-go ranga 		Капитан II ранга
Kapitan 2-go ranga 		Старший лейтенант
Starshiy-leytenant 		Лейтенант
Leytenant 		Мичман
Michman
Provisional Russian Navy
(from 1917)
[35][36]
Адмирал
Admiral 		Вице-адмирал
Vitse-admiral 		Контр-адмирал
Kontr-admiral 		Капитан I ранга
Kapitan 1-go ranga 		Капитан II ранга
Kapitan 2-go ranga 		Старший лейтенант
Starshiy-leytenant 		Лейтенант
Leytenant 		Мичман
Michman
Rank group General / flag officers Senior officers Junior officers Officer cadet
 Royal Serbian Army
[37]
Bojni Vojvoda[l] General[m] Pukovnik Potpukovnik Major Kapetan 1. klase Kapetan 2. klase Poručnik Potporučnik Pitomac
Rank group General / flag officers Senior officers Junior officers Officer cadet
 United States Army
[38]
General of the Armies[n] General Lieutenant General Major General Brigadier General Colonel Lieutenant Colonel Major Captain First Lieutenant Second Lieutenant
 United States Navy
[39] 		Various
Admiral of the Navy[n] Admiral Vice Admiral Rear Admiral Commodore Captain Commander Lieutenant Commander Lieutenant Lieutenant (junior grade) Ensign Midshipman
Rank group General / flag officers Senior officers Junior officers Officer cadet

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b Austro-Hungarian ranks are shown in both German and Hungarian, as would have been contemporary practice.
  2. ^ a b Maréchal de France and Amiral de France were as much a dignity of state as a military title. Thus British Field Marshals consulted with French Generals in 1914. The elevation of Joffre to Maréchal in 1916 actually marked a diminution of his powers of command. There was no Amiral de France alive during World War I.
  3. ^ Unofficial rank insignia.[14]
  4. ^ There were four grades of Tenente generale: capo di stato maggiore esercito, in comando d'armata, in comando di corpo d'armata and in comando di divisione.
  5. ^ There were two grades of Maggior generale: in comando di divisione and in comando di brigata.
  6. ^ a b Almirante and Marechal were only honorary ranks, not held by anyone during World War I.
  7. ^ The Portuguese Army had the particularity of having only a single rank of General Officer. A Portuguese General could be assigned to command from a brigade to the entire Army.
  8. ^ Army/cavalry ranks shown. The cossack cavalry had distinct ranks.
  9. ^ Cavalry rank: Rotmistr (Russian: Ротмистр)
  10. ^ Cavalry rank: Shtabs-rotmistr (Russian: Штабс-ротмистр)
  11. ^ Cavalry rank: Kornet (Russian: Корнет)
  12. ^ Field Marshal of Serbia (Voivode) was the highest rank in the army of the Kingdom of Serbia. Radomir Putnik held title from beginning of the war since he was promoted in 1912.
  13. ^ Like the Portuguese Army, the Serbian Army had only a single rank of General Officer. A Serbian General could be assigned to command from a division to the entire Army.
  14. ^ a b The US rank Admiral of the Navy was a unique rank created for Admiral George Dewey after the Spanish–American War; it has never been held by any other person and debate still goes on over whether it was a "five-star" or "six-star" rank. General of the Armies is similarly ambiguous; it was granted to General Pershing at the end of the war, and previously had been held (or a rank of the same name had been held) by Generals Grant and Sherman after the Civil War, but its equivalency to modern ranks is disputed.

References

  1. ^ Bunkley 1918, pp. 187–189.
  2. ^ Williams 1918, p. 264.
  3. ^ Bunkley 1918, pp. 190–192.
  4. ^ Williams 1918, p. 268.
  5. ^ Bunkley 1918, p. 145.
  6. ^ Williams 1918, pp. 228–229.
  7. ^ Bunkley 1918, p. 151.
  8. ^ Williams 1918, pp. 218–220.
  9. ^ "Royal Navy Ranks and Badges, World War 1".
  10. ^ Jouineau 2009, p. 7.
  11. ^ Almanach Hachette 1917, p. 77.
  12. ^ Bunkley 1918, p. 161.
  13. ^ Williams 1918, p. 237.
  14. ^ Champeaux 2014, pp. 123–124.
  15. ^ Funcken & Funcken 1966, pp. 144–145.
  16. ^ Bunkley 1918, p. 167.
  17. ^ Williams 1918, p. 242.
  18. ^ Le Hunsec 2012, pp. 91–107.
  19. ^ Bunkley 1918, pp. 171–172.
  20. ^ Williams 1918, p. 282.
  21. ^ Bunkley 1918, pp. 174–175.
  22. ^ Williams 1918, p. 274.
  23. ^ Bunkley 1918, pp. 177–180.
  24. ^ Williams 1918, p. 246.
  25. ^ Bunkley 1918, pp. 181–183.
  26. ^ Williams 1918, p. 249.
  27. ^ Bunkley 1918, pp. 196–198.
  28. ^ Williams 1918, p. 260.
  29. ^ Bunkley 1918, p. 201.
  30. ^ Williams 1918, p. 262.
  31. ^ a b Geçer 2022.
  32. ^ a b Over the Front. "Portuguese Ranks". Over the Front. Retrieved 1 July 2018.
  33. ^ Bunkley 1918, p. 203.
  34. ^ Williams 1918, p. 254.
  35. ^ Bunkley 1918, pp. 204–205.
  36. ^ Williams 1918, p. 256.
  37. ^ Over the Front. "Serbian Ranks". Over the Front. Retrieved 1 July 2018.
  38. ^ Williams 1918, pp. 82–83.
  39. ^ Williams 1918, pp. 118–119.
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