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Chief of the Imperial General Staff (CIGS) was the title of the professional commander of the British Army
British Army

The British Army is the Army branch of the British Armed Forces. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdoms of Kingdom of England and Kingdom of Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707....
 from 1908 until 1964.

From the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660, the Sovereign was able to wrest considerable control of the armed forces from Parliament with the appointment of a "General in Chief Command" of the Army. This office evolved considerably both in title and duties. Until 1793 it was a non-statutory post called "General in Chief Command" and more frequently unofficially rendered as Commander-in-Chief of the Forces
Commander-in-Chief of the Forces

The Commander-in-Chief of the Forces, or just the Commander-in-Chief , was the professional head of the British Army from 1660 until 1904, when the office was replaced by the Chief of the General Staff , soon to become Chief of the Imperial General Staff ....
.






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Chief of the Imperial General Staff (CIGS) was the title of the professional commander of the British Army
British Army

The British Army is the Army branch of the British Armed Forces. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdoms of Kingdom of England and Kingdom of Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707....
 from 1908 until 1964.

From the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660, the Sovereign was able to wrest considerable control of the armed forces from Parliament with the appointment of a "General in Chief Command" of the Army. This office evolved considerably both in title and duties. Until 1793 it was a non-statutory post called "General in Chief Command" and more frequently unofficially rendered as Commander-in-Chief of the Forces
Commander-in-Chief of the Forces

The Commander-in-Chief of the Forces, or just the Commander-in-Chief , was the professional head of the British Army from 1660 until 1904, when the office was replaced by the Chief of the General Staff , soon to become Chief of the Imperial General Staff ....
. Its incumbents were given varying commissions such as "Captain General". The latter title was also sometimes a rank, which can be loosely considered as a precursor to the Field-Marshal.

1904-1909, the title was the Chief of the General Staff.

Since 1964, the title of the head of the Army has been Chief of the General Staff.

Chiefs of the Imperial General Staff

  • Field-Marshal Sir William Nicholson
    William Nicholson, 1st Baron Nicholson

    Field Marshal William Gustavus Nicholson, 1st Baron Nicholson Order of the Bath , was an officer of the British Army who, in a half-century of service, rose through the ranks in India and the Second Boer War to the rank of Field Marshal....
    , 1st Baron Nicholson, GCB, KJStJ 1909–1912
  • Field-Marshal Sir John French
    John French, 1st Earl of Ypres

    Field Marshal John Denton Pinkstone French, 1st Earl of Ypres Order of St Patrick, Order of the Bath, Order of Merit, Royal Victorian Order, Order of St Michael and St George, Aide de Camp, Privy Council of the United Kingdom...
    , 1st Earl of Ypres, KP, GCB, OM, GCVO, KCMG 1912–April 1914
  • General Sir Charles Douglas, GCB, ADC 6 April 1914-25 October 1914
  • Lieutenant-General Sir James Murray
    James Murray (general)

    General Sir James Murray, Order of the Bath , was a British officer serving as Chief of the Imperial General Staff during the first years of World War I....
    , KCB 30 October 1914–September 1915
  • General Sir Archibald Murray
    Archibald Murray

    General Sir Archibald James Murray Order of the Bath, Order of St Michael and St George, Royal Victorian Order, Distinguished Service Order was a British Army officer during World War I, most famous for his commanding the Egyptian Expeditionary Force from 1916 to 1917....
    , GCB, GCMG, CVO, DSO 26 September 1915–December 1915
  • General Sir William Robertson
    William Robertson

    Field Marshal Sir William Robert Robertson, 1st Baronet, Order of the Bath, Order of St Michael and St George, Royal Victorian Order, Distinguished Service Order was a British officer who served as Chief of the Imperial General Staff from 1916 to 1918 during the First World War....
    , 1st Bt, GCB, GCMG, GCVO, DSO 23 December 1915–February 1918
  • Field-Marshal Sir Henry Wilson
    Henry Hughes Wilson

    Field Marshal Sir Henry Hughes Wilson, 1st Baronet, Order of the Bath, Distinguished Service Order, was a British field marshal and Conservative Party politician....
    , 1st Bt, GCB, DSO 19 February 1918–19 February 1922
  • Field-Marshal Frederick Lambart, 10th Earl of Cavan
    Frederick Lambart, 10th Earl of Cavan

    Field Marshal Frederick Rudolph Lambart, 10th Earl of Cavan, Order of St. Patrick, Order of the Bath, Order of St Michael and St George, Royal Victorian Order, Order of the British Empire was brought back from retirement at 48 in 1914 and rose to become one of the British Army's more successful commanders during the World War I....
    , KP, GCB, GCMG, GCVO, GBE 19 February 1922-19 February 1926
  • Field-Marshal Sir George Milne, 1st Baron Milne of Salonika, GCB, GCMG, DSO, KStJ 19 February 1926–19 February 1933
  • Field Marshal Sir Archibald Montgomery-Massingberd GCB, GCVO, KCMG 1933–1936
  • Field Marshal Sir Cyril Deverell
    Cyril Deverell

    Field Marshal Sir Cyril John Deverell Order of the Bath Order of the British Empire Aide-de-Camp was a United Kingdom career military officer who served as Chief of the Imperial General Staff in 1936 and 1937....
     GCB, KBE, ADC 1936–1937
  • General John Vereker, 6th Viscount Gort
    John Vereker, 6th Viscount Gort

    Field Marshal John Standish Surtees Prendergast Vereker, 6th Viscount Gort Victoria Cross, Order of the Bath, Order of the British Empire, Distinguished Service Order, Royal Victorian Order, Military Cross was a United Kingdom soldier who served in both World War I and World War II, rising to the rank of field marshal and receiving the Vict...
     VC, GCB, CBE, DSO & Two Bars, MVO, MC 1937–1939
  • Field Marshal Sir Edmund Ironside
    Edmund Ironside, 1st Baron Ironside

    Field Marshal William Edmund Ironside, 1st Baron Ironside Order of the Bath, Order of St Michael and St George, Order of the British Empire, Distinguished Service Order was a British soldier who played a significant role as commander of British forces in Persian Empire in 1920-1921....
     GCB, CBE, CMG, DSO 1939–1940
  • Field Marshal Sir John Dill
    John Dill

    Field Marshal Sir John Greer Dill, Order of the Bath, Order of St Michael and St George, Distinguished Service Order was a United Kingdom commander in World War I and World War II who played a significant role in the formation of the "special relationship" between the United Kingdom and the United States....
     GCB, CMG, DSO 1940–1941
  • Field Marshal Sir Alan Brooke, 1st Viscount Alanbrooke KG, GCB, OM, GCVO, DSO 1941–1946
  • Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein
    Bernard Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein

    Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, Order of the Garter, Order of the Bath, Distinguished Service Order, Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, , often referred to as "Monty", was an Anglo-Irish British Army officer....
     KG, GCB, DSO, PC 1946–1948
  • Field Marshal Sir William Slim
    William Slim, 1st Viscount Slim

    Field Marshal William Joseph "Bill" Slim, 1st Viscount Slim, Order of the Garter, Order of the Bath, Order of St Michael and St George, Royal Victorian Order, Order of the British Empire, Distinguished Service Order, Military Cross, Venerable Order of St....
     GCB, GCMG, GBE, DSO, MC 1948–1952
  • Field Marshal Sir John Harding GCB, CBE, DSO, MC 1952–1955
  • Field Marshal Sir Gerald Templer
    Gerald Templer

    Field Marshal Sir Gerald Walter Robert Templer Order of the Garter, Order of the Bath, Order of St Michael and St George, Order of the British Empire was a United Kingdom military commander....
     KG, GCB, GCMG, KBE 1955–1958
  • Field Marshal Sir Francis Festing
    Francis Festing

    Field Marshal Sir Francis Wogan Festing Order of the Bath Order of the British Empire Distinguished Service Order , called ??? in Chinese language, was a field marshal of the British Army....
     GCB, KBE, DSO 1958–1961
  • General Sir Richard Hull
    Richard Amyatt Hull

    Field Marshal Sir Richard Amyatt Hull, Order of the Garter, Order of the Bath, Distinguished Service Order was the last Chief of the Imperial General Staff and the first Chief of the General Staff , and as such the professional head of the British Army....
     KG, GCB, DSO 1961–1964