General Admiral was a Danish, Dutch, German, Russian, Portuguese, Spanish and Swedish naval
rankMilitary rank is a system of hierarchical relationships in armed forces or civil institutions organized along military lines. Usually, uniforms denote the bearer's rank by particular insignia affixed to the uniforms...
. Its historic origin is a title high military or naval dignitaries of early modern Europe sometimes held, for example the (nominal)
Commander-in-ChiefA commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the...
of the
Dutch RepublicThe Republic of the Seven United Netherlands was a European republic between 1581 and 1795, in about the same location as the modern Kingdom of the Netherlands,...
's navy (usually the
Prince of OrangePrince of Orange is a title of nobility, originally associated with the Principality of Orange, now in southern France.It is carried by members of the House of Orange-Nassau, as heirs to the crown of the Netherlands, and is also seen carried by the pretenders by members of the House of Hohenzollern...
).
In the German
KriegsmarineThe Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy between 1935 and 1945, during the Nazi regime, superseding the Reichsmarine, and the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht.-Command structure:Adolf Hitler was the commander-in-chief...
of the Second World War,
Generaladmiral was a rank senior to an
AdmiralAdmiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above Vice Admiral and below Admiral of the Fleet/Fleet Admiral. It is usually abbreviated to "Adm." or "ADM"...
, but junior to a
Grand AdmiralGrand Admiral is a historic naval rank, generally being the highest such rank present in any particular country. Its most notable use is in Germany — the German word is Großadmiral.-France:...
.
General Admiral was a Danish, Dutch, German, Russian, Portuguese, Spanish and Swedish naval
rankMilitary rank is a system of hierarchical relationships in armed forces or civil institutions organized along military lines. Usually, uniforms denote the bearer's rank by particular insignia affixed to the uniforms...
. Its historic origin is a title high military or naval dignitaries of early modern Europe sometimes held, for example the (nominal)
Commander-in-ChiefA commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the...
of the
Dutch RepublicThe Republic of the Seven United Netherlands was a European republic between 1581 and 1795, in about the same location as the modern Kingdom of the Netherlands,...
's navy (usually the
Prince of OrangePrince of Orange is a title of nobility, originally associated with the Principality of Orange, now in southern France.It is carried by members of the House of Orange-Nassau, as heirs to the crown of the Netherlands, and is also seen carried by the pretenders by members of the House of Hohenzollern...
).
Third Reich
In the German
KriegsmarineThe Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy between 1935 and 1945, during the Nazi regime, superseding the Reichsmarine, and the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht.-Command structure:Adolf Hitler was the commander-in-chief...
of the Second World War,
Generaladmiral was a rank senior to an
AdmiralAdmiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above Vice Admiral and below Admiral of the Fleet/Fleet Admiral. It is usually abbreviated to "Adm." or "ADM"...
, but junior to a
Grand AdmiralGrand Admiral is a historic naval rank, generally being the highest such rank present in any particular country. Its most notable use is in Germany — the German word is Großadmiral.-France:...
.
Generaladmiral was a four-star Admiral rank, as in the traditional German ranking system until
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
an Admiral is equivalent to a British or American Vice Admiral.
The sleeve insignia for a Generaladmiral was the same as that of a regular Admiral, being a thick rank stripe below three regular stripes ("
Kolbenringe" in German naval parlance). Generaladmirals wore a third pip on their shoulder boards to differentiate them from regular Admirals. The German Army and Air Force equivalent of
Generaladmiral was the rank
Colonel GeneralColonel General is a senior military rank which is used in some of the world’s militaries. North Korea and Russia are two nations which have used the rank extensively throughout their histories...
(
Generaloberst).
In 1943, a directive was issued that should the
Oberbefehlshaber der Kriegsmarine (Commander of the Navy) hold the rank of
Generaladmiral, he would wear the sleeve insignia of a grand admiral, but the shoulder boards of a
Generaladmiral.
A similar practice was used in the German Army, allowing Colonel Generals to wear four pips on the shoulder board when engaged in duties befitting a
field marshalField Marshal is a military officer rank. Today, it is the highest rank in the armies in which it is used, one step above a general or colonel-general.-Usage and hierarchical position:...
.
The rank of
Generaladmiral was first given to the future
Grand AdmiralGrand Admiral is a historic naval rank, generally being the highest such rank present in any particular country. Its most notable use is in Germany — the German word is Großadmiral.-France:...
Erich RaederErich Johann Albert Raeder was a naval leader in Germany before and during World War II. Raeder attained the highest possible naval rank—that of Großadmiral —in 1939, becoming the first person to hold that rank since Alfred von Tirpitz...
on 20 April 1936.
Other holders of the rank were:
| • |
Conrad Albrecht Conrad Albrecht was a German admiral during World War II.-Military career:Albrecht entered the Kaiserliche Marine in 1899 as a sea-cadet and served as a Korvettenkapitän and commander of a torpedo boat flotilla in Flanders during World War I...
, |
1 April 1939, |
| • |
Alfred Saalwächter Alfred Saalwächter was a German U-boat commander during World War I and General Admiral during World War II.-Early life:...
, |
1 January 1940, |
| • |
Rolf Carls Rolf Carls was a Generaladmiral with the Kriegsmarine during World War II and a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.-Awards:* Iron Cross 2nd and 1st Class* Spanish Cross in Gold with Swords...
, |
19 July 1940, |
| • |
Hermann Boehm, |
1 April 1941, |
| • |
Karl Witzell, |
1 April 1941, |
| • |
Otto Schultze, |
31 August 1942, |
| • |
Wilhelm MarschallWilhelm Marschall was a German admiral during World War II.-Biography:Marschall was born in Augsburg, Kingdom of Bavaria, in 1886. In 1906 he entered the Kaiserliche Marine as a Seekadett. During World War I he served as a Wachoffizier on the SMS Kronprinz...
, |
1 February 1943, |
| • |
Otto Schniewind Otto Schniewind was a General Admiral with the Kriegsmarine during World War II and a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross....
, |
1 March 1944, |
| • |
Walter Warzecha Walter Wilhelm Julius Warzecha was a German and Nazi naval commander and high-ranking officer of the Kriegsmarine. Serving in the rank of General-Admiral he succeeded General-Admiral Hans-Georg von Friedeburg as the last Oberbefehlshaber der Kriegsmarine between the end of World War II and the...
, |
1 March 1944, |
| • |
Oskar KummetzOskar Kummetz was a Generaladmiral with the Kriegsmarine during World War II. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for his actions in the Battle of Drøbak Sound.-Awards:...
, |
16 September 1944, |
| • |
Hans-Georg von FriedeburgHans-Georg von Friedeburg was the deputy commander of the U-Boat Forces of Nazi Germany and the last Commanding Admiral of the Kriegsmarine....
, |
1 May 1945. |
It is interesting to note that
Karl DönitzKarl Dönitz was a German naval Commander who served in the Imperial German Navy during World War I, and during World War II commanded first the German submarine fleet, and then the entire German Navy .In the final days of the war, Dönitz was named by Adolf Hitler as his successor, and after the...
was promoted to Grand Admiral without becoming a
Generaladmiral first.
Russian Empire
General-admiral was the highest rank of the Russian Navy as established by the Table of Ranks and equivalent to
Field MarshalField Marshal is a military officer rank. Today, it is the highest rank in the armies in which it is used, one step above a general or colonel-general.-Usage and hierarchical position:...
.
This was purely honorific rank and for the most time of its existence, it was awarded to the only person in active duty, usually for a head of Naval Department, typically a descendant of
RomanovThe House of Romanov was the second and last imperial dynasty of Russia, which ruled the country from 1613 to 1917. From 1762 until the February Revolution of 1917, the Russian Empire was ruled for five generations by a line of the House of Oldenburg descended from the marriage of a Romanov grand...
Royal familyA royal family is the extended family of a king or queen regnant. The term "imperial family" more appropriately describes the extended family of an emperor or empress regnant, while the terms "ducal family", "grand ducal family" or "princely family" are more appropriate in reference to the...
.
There were only nine holders of this rank:
- Count
A count is a nobleman in European countries; his wife is a countess. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The British equivalent is an earl...
Franz LefortFranz Lefort was a Russian military figure of Swiss origin, general admiral , and close associate of Peter the Great....
(1695)
- Count Fedor Golovin
Count Feodor Alekseyevich Golovin was the last Russian boyar and the first Russian chancellor, field marshal, general admiral . Until his death he was the most influential of Peter the Great's associates.Golovin stemmed from the family of Russian treasurers of Byzantine descent...
(first Russian chancellor) (1700)
- Count Fyodor Matveyevich Apraksin
Count Fyodor Matveyevich Apraksin was one of the first Russian admirals who governed Estonia and Karelia from 1712 to 1723, general admiral , presided over the Russian Admiralty since 1718 and commanded the Baltic Fleet since 1723.-Early shipbuilding activities:The Apraksin...
(1708)
- Count Andrei Ivanovich Osterman (Heinrich Johann Friedrich Ostermann) (1740; dismissed 1741)
- Prince
Kniaz’, knyaz or knez is a Slavic title found in most Slavic languages, denoting a royal nobility rank. It is usually translated into English as either Prince or less commonly as Duke....
Mikhail GolitsynThe Galitzines, more correctly the Golitsyns , are one of the largest and noblest princely houses of Russia. Among many alternate spellings are Galitzin, Galytzin, and Galitsin...
(1756)
- Grand Duke (Emperor since 1796 ) Pavel Petrovich
Paul was the Emperor of Russia between 1796 and 1801.-Childhood:Paul was born in the Palace of Empress Elisabeth in St Petersburg. He was the son of Elizabeth's heir, her nephew, the Grand Duke Peter, later Emperor Peter III, and his wife, the Grand Duchess Catherine, later Empress Catherine II...
(1762)
- Count Ivan Chernyshyov (Field Marshal and Field Marshal of Navy = General-admiral) (1796)
- Grand Duke Constantine Nikolayevich
Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich of Russia was the second son of Tsar Nicholas I of Russia.During the reign of his brother Alexander II, Konstantin was an admiral of the Russian fleet and reformed the Russian Navy. He was also an instrumental figure in the emancipation of the serfs...
(1831).
- Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich
Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich of Russia was the sixth child and the fourth son of Alexander II of Russia and his first wife Maria Alexandrovna . Destined to a naval career, Alexei Alexandrovich started his military training at the age of 7...
(1883).
- Alexander de Giers (1860,1917). He was a relative of Nikolay de Giers (1820,1895).
General Admiral rank was abolished with the fall of the Empire and was not revived when rank distinctions were reintroduced during 1935-40.
Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet UnionThe rank of Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union was the highest naval rank of the Soviet Union....
can be considered as a modern equivalent.
Kingdom of Spain
Almirante General is a rank in the
Spanish NavyThe Spanish Navy is the maritime arm of the Spanish Military, one of the oldest active naval forces in the world. The Armada is responsible for notable achievements in world history such the first world circumnavigation, and the discovery of a maritime path from the Far East to America across the...
that is above an admiral, but subordinate to a
captain generalCaptain General is a high military rank and a gubernatorial title.-History:This term Captain General started to appear in the 14th century, with the meaning of commander in Chief of an army in the field, probably the first usage of the term General in military settings...
.
Kingdom of Portugal
Almirante-general was the highest rank in the
Portuguese NavyThe Portuguese Navy is the naval branch of the Portuguese Armed Forces which, in cooperation and integrated with the other branches of the Portuguese military, is charged with the military defence of Portugal.The Portuguese Navy also participates in missions related with international compromises...
, form 1892 until 1910. This rank was held only by the King of Portugal as the constitutional commander-in-chief of the Navy. It was the naval equivalent to the rank of
marechal-general also held by the King as commander-in-chief of the
Portuguese ArmyThe Portuguese Army is the ground branch of the Portuguese Armed Forces which, in co-operation with other branches of the Portuguese military, is charged with the defence of Portugal...
.