Général is the French word for general. There are two main categories of generals: the general officers, which are the highest-ranking commanding officers in the armed forces, and the specialist officers with flag rank, which are high-level officers in the other uniformed services.
The appointment of maréchal de France, wearing seven stars, is purely honorary.
Maréchal de France.
History
The French army of the monarchy had several ranks of general officer:
Brigadier des armées du roi : a rank in a grey area of seniority, conferred on certain colonels who were in command of a brigade. These officers wore a colonel's uniform with a star on the shoulder straps. This rank was abolished in 1788.
Maréchal de camp : the first substantive rank of general. The maréchaux de camp wore a special uniform, blue and red, with a single bar of gold lace, and in the late 18th century also received two stars on the shoulder straps. With the abolition of the rank of brigadier des armées in 1788, it became the lowest general officer rank, but its insignia of two stars remained unchanged. The rank was redesignated Général de brigade in 1793 which retained the two star insignia. This explains why French generals' insignia starts with two stars.
Lieutenant général: the highest military rank. Lieutenants généraux wore the same uniform as the maréchaux de camp, but with two bars of gold lace, and in the late 18th century also received three stars on the shoulder straps.
Général: an appointment conferred on a lieutenant général who was commander-in-chief of a campaign.
During the French Revolution, the ranks of maréchal de camp and lieutenant general were renamed général de brigade and général de division, and the appointment of général was renamed général en chef. In 1793, the dignity of maréchal de France was abolished. Napoléon Bonaparte reinstated the dignity of maréchal de France, now named maréchal d'empire. In 1814, the ranks of général de brigade and général de division reverted to maréchal de camp and lieutenant général, but were changed back again in 1848. The Third Republic of the 1880s reorganised the ranks of général:
Général de brigade, wearing two stars.
Général de division, wearing three stars.
Général commandant de corps d'armée, an appointment conferred on certain généraux de division, wearing four stars. This appointment became the position and style of général de corps d'armée in 1936.
The experience of the First World War transformed the structure of the French Army. The superior council of war was abolished and an appointment of général commandant d'armée was created. This appointment became the position and style of général d'armée in 1936. The dignity of maréchal de France was reinstated and given to the commanders-in-chief of the conflict, such as Joseph Joffre, Ferdinand Foch and Philippe Pétain.
