Colonel general is a three or four-star rank in some armies, usually equivalent to that of a full general in other armies. North Korea and Russian Federation have used the rank in that fashion throughout their histories. The rank is also closely associated with Germany, where Generaloberst has formerly been a higher rank above full General but below Generalfeldmarschall.
The People's Liberation Army had a rank of Da Jiang from 1955 to 1965. Da Jiang corresponded to the Soviet rank of colonel general. The rank system of the People's Liberation Army was abolished in 1965 and restored in 1988. The 1988 system introduced a rank of Yi Ji Shang Jiang. No one had held such rank and it was abolished in 1994.
The rank of colonel general was created in the Czechoslovak army in 1950; it was dropped after the 1993 dissolution of the state.
Egypt
The Egyptian Army uses a rank that translates as "colonel general". It is equal to the rank of 4-star or "full" general. Colonel general is, however, junior to the rank of field marshal and is an honorary distinction usually held only by defense ministers.
France
In the French Army, under the Ancien régime, the officer in nominal command of all the regiments of a particular branch of service was known as the colonel general. This was not a rank, but an office of the Crown.
Georgia
The Republic of Georgia adopted Soviet designations after its independence in 1991 so that the rank of colonel-general exists, yet it is only used as highest possible rank in the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Germany
The equivalent German four-star ranks of the Wehrmacht were as follows:
Generaloberst
Generaladmiral
This is not to be confused with Generaloberst, the three-star rank of the National People's Army until 1990. However, the Bundeswehr does not use the rank. ;Rank insignia Generaloberst
In Hungary, the rank of colonel general was introduced to the Imperial and Royal Army in 1915. The rank replaced the ranks of gyalogsági tábornok, lovassági tábornok, and táborszernagy in the early 1940s. The rank title vezérezredes is still in use for the highest ranking general officers of the Hungarian Defence Forces and foreign four-star general officers' rank titles are usually translated as vezérezredes in Hungarian, including Commonwealth air forces' Air Chief Marshals.
Iraq
The equivalent rank for Colonel general in Iraq is called "Ferik Awwal", in Arabic "فريق أول", which is considered the highest rank in Iraqi Army nowadays.
North Korea
The North Korean rank of sangjang translates as "colonel general". Sangjang is senior to that of jungjang and junior to that of daejang. This rank is typically held by the commanding officer of units along the Korean DMZ and the North Korean security zone at Panmunjom. It is also the rank held by the KPA Pyongyang Defense Command's commanding general.
Russia
The rank of colonel general did not exist in Imperial Russia and was first established in the Red Army on 7 May 1940, as a replacement for the previously existing командарм второго ранга. During World War II, about 199 officers were promoted to colonel general. Before 1943, Soviet colonel generals wore four stars on their collar patches. Since 1943, they have worn three stars on their shoulder straps, so Charles Pettibone compares the rank to the US lieutenant general. The rank still exists in the contemporary Russian Army and Air Force. Unlike the German Generaloberst, the Soviet and Russian colonel general rank is neither an exceptional nor a rare one, as it is a normal step in the "ladder" between a two-star lieutenant general and a four-star army general. Other than that, the Soviet and Russian rank systems sometimes cause confusion in regard to equivalence of ranks, because the normal Western title for brigadier or brigadier general ceased to exist for the Russian Army in 1798. The combrig rank that corresponded to one-star general only existed in the Soviet Union during 1935–1940. Positions typically reserved for these ranks, such as brigade commanders, have always been occupied by colonels or, very rarely, major generals. The rank has usually been given to district, front and army commanders, and also to deputy ministers of defense, deputy heads of the general staff and so on. In some post-Soviet Commonwealth of Independent States armies, there are no generals of the army or marshals, and so colonel general is the highest rank, usually held by the minister of the defense. The corresponding naval rank is admiral, which is also denoted by three stars.
Sweden
Colonel general has also been a senior military rank in Sweden, used principally before the 19th century.
The title of colonel general was used before and during the English Civil War in both Royalist and Parliamentarian armies. In these cases, it often appears to have meant a senior colonel as opposed to a senior general.
In the United States, as commander of an army, the equivalent rank was general.
Vietnam
In Vietnam, the rank of colonel general is known as Thượng Tướng. It is a four-star rank in the Ground Force and Air Force. Thượng Tướng is senior to Trung Tướng and junior to Đại Tướng. It is used in the army and the air force. It is the equivalent to Đô Đốc in the Navy.
