Gensui (Imperial Japanese Army)


Rikugun-gensui, formal rank designations: Gensui-rikugun-taishō was the highest title in the pre-war Imperial Japanese military.
The title originated from the Chinese title yuanshuai（元帥）.
The term gensui, which was used for both the Imperial Japanese Army and the Imperial Japanese Navy, was at first a rank held by Saigō Takamori as the Commander of the Armies in 1872. However, in May 1873 Saigō was "demoted" to general, with gensui thereafter no longer a rank as such, but a largely honorific title awarded for extremely meritorious service to the Emperor - thus similar in concept to the French title of Marshal of France. Equivalent to a five-star rank, it is similar to Field Marshal in the UK British Army and General of the Army in the United States Army.
While gensui would retain their actual ranks of general or admiral, they were entitled to wear an additional enamelled breast badge, depicting paulownia leaves between crossed army colors and a naval ensign under the Imperial Seal of Japan. They were also entitled to wear a special samurai sword of a modern design on ceremonial occasions.
In the Meiji period, the title was awarded to five generals and three admirals. In the Taishō period it was awarded to six generals and six admirals, and in the Shōwa period it was awarded to six generals and four admirals. The higher title of dai-gensui was comparable to the title of generalissimo and was held only by the Emperor himself.
Note that several were promoted the same year they died; these were posthumous promotions.
MarshalNameFrom
XJuly 19, 1872Saigō TakamoriKagoshima
1January 20, 1898Prince Yamagata AritomoYamaguchi
2January 20, 1898Prince Komatsu AkihitoImperial Family
3January 20, 1898Prince Ōyama IwaoKagoshima
4January 31, 1906Marquis Nozu MichitsuraKagoshima
5October 24, 1911Count Oku YasukataFukuoka
6January 9, 1914Count Hasegawa YoshimichiYamaguchi
7January 9, 1914Prince Fushimi SadanaruImperial Family
8January 9, 1914Baron Kawamura KageakiKagoshima
9June 24, 1916Count Terauchi MasatakeYamaguchi
10December 12, 1919Prince Kan'in KotohitoImperial Family
11April 27, 1921Baron Uehara YusakuMiyazaki
12January 27, 1929Prince Kuni KuniyoshiImperial Family
13August 8, 1932Prince Nashimoto MorimasaImperial Family
14May 3, 1933Baron Nobuyoshi MutoSaga
15June 21, 1943Count Hisaichi TerauchiTokyo
16June 21, 1943Hajime SugiyamaFukuoka
17June 2, 1944Shunroku HataFukushima

The title was also bestowed on King George V of the United Kingdom on October 28, 1918.