Comparative officer ranks of World War I

For more detailed rank information, see relevant national rank pages.

The following table shows comparative officer ranks of several Allied and Central powers during World War I.

Table

Rank group	General / flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers								Officer cadet
Austro-Hungarian Army ^[a]^[1]^[2]
	Feldmarschall Tábornagy		Generaloberst Vezérezredes		General der Waffengattung Tábornok		Feldmarschall-Leutnant Altábornagy		Generalmajor Vezérőrnagy		Oberst Ezredes		Oberstleutnant Alezredes		Major Őrnagy		Hauptmann / Rittmeister Százados / Kapitány		Oberleutnant Főhadnagy			Leutnant Hadnagy
Austro-Hungarian Navy ^[a]^[3]^[4]
	Großadmiral Főtengernagy				Admiral Tengernagy		Vizeadmiral Altengernagy		Kontreadmiral Ellentengernagy		Linienschiffkapitän Sorhajókapitány		Fregattenkapitän Fregattkapitány		Korvettenkapitän Korvettkapitány		Linienschiffsleutnant Sorhajóhadnagy		Fregattenleutnant Fregatthadnagy			Korvettenleutnant Korvetthadnagy			Seekadett
Rank group	General / flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers								Officer cadet
British Army ^[5]^[6]
	Field marshal		General		Lieutenant-general		Major-general		Brigadier-general		Colonel		Lieutenant-colonel		Major		Captain		Lieutenant			Second lieutenant
Royal Navy ^[7]^[8]
	Admiral of the Fleet		Admiral		Vice-admiral		Rear-admiral		Commodore 1st class^[9]		Commodore 2nd class		Captain		Commander		Lieutenant commander		Lieutenant			Sub-lieutenant			Chief commissioned warrant officer						Commissioned warrant officer/ Midshipman
Rank group	General / flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers								Officer cadet
French Army ^[10]^[11]^[12]^[13]
	Maréchal de France^[b]		Général de division ayant un commandement supérieur (général)^[c]				Général de division		Général de brigade		Colonel		Lieutenant-Colonel		Commandant		Capitaine		Lieutenant			Sous-Lieutenant			Aspirant
French Navy ^[15]^[16]^[17]
	Amiral de France^[b]		Vice-amiral commandant (amiralissime)^[18]				Vice-amiral		Contre-amiral		Capitaine de vaisseau		Capitaine de frégate		Capitaine de corvette		Lieutenant de vaisseau		Enseigne de vaisseau de 1^re classe			Enseigne de vaisseau de 2^e classe			Aspirant
Rank group	General / flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers								Officer cadet
Imperial German Army^[19]^[20]
	Generalfeldmarschall	Generaloberst mit dem Rang als Generalfeldmarschall	Generaloberst		General der Waffengattung		Generalleutnant		Generalmajor		Oberst		Oberstleutnant		Major		Hauptmann / Rittmeister		Oberleutnant			Leutnant
Imperial German Navy ^[21]^[22]
	Großadmiral				Admiral		Vizeadmiral		Konteradmiral		Kommodore	Kapitän zur See	Fregattenkapitän		Korvettenkapitän		Kapitänleutnant		Oberleutnant zur See			Leutnant zur See			Seekadett
Rank group	General / flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers								Officer cadet
Royal Italian Army ^[23]^[24]
			Generale d'esercito		Tenente generale^[d]		Maggior generale^[e]		Brigadier generale		Colonnello		Tenente colonnello		Maggiore		Primo capitano	Capitano	Tenente			Sottotenente
Royal Italian Navy^[25]^[26]
			Ammiraglio		Vice ammiraglio		Contrammiraglio		Sottoammiraglio		Capitano di vascello		Capitano di frigata		Capitano di corvetta		Tenente di vascello		Sottotenent di vascello			Guardiamarina			Aspirante guardiamarina
Rank group	General / flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers								Officer cadet
Imperial Japanese Army ^[27]^[28]
	大元帥陸軍大将 Daigensui-Rikugun-Taishō	元帥陸軍大将 Gensui-Rikugun-Taishō	陸軍大将 Rikugun-Taishō		陸軍中将 Rikugun-Chūjō		陸軍少将 Rikugun-Shōshō				陸軍大佐 Rikugun-Taisa		陸軍中佐 Rikugun-Chūsa		陸軍少佐 Rikugun-Shōsa		陸軍大尉 Rikugun-Tai-i		陸軍中尉 Rikugun-Chūi		陸軍少尉 Rikugun-Shōi		准尉 Jun-i
Imperial Japanese Navy ^[29]^[30]
	大元帥海軍大将 Daigensui-Kaigun-Taishō	元帥海軍大将 Gensui-kaigun-Taishō	海軍大将 Kaigun-Taishō		海軍中将 Kaigun-Chūjō		海軍少将 Kaigun-Shōshō				海軍大佐 Kaigun-Daisa		海軍中佐 Kaigun-Chūsa		海軍少佐 Kaigun-Shōsa		海軍大尉 Kaigun-Dai-i		海軍中尉 Kaigun-Chūi		海軍少尉 Kaigun-Shōi		兵曹長 Hēsōchō
Rank group	General / flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers								Officer cadet
Ottoman Army ^[31]
	Müşir		Birinci Ferik		Ferik		Mirliva				Miralay		Kaymakam		Binbaşı		Kolağası	Yüzbaşı	Mülazım-ı evvel			Mülazım-ı sani
Ottoman Navy ^[32]
	Müşir Amiral		Birinci Ferik Amiral		Ferik Amiral		Liva Amiral				Kalyon Kaptanı		Fırkateyn Kaptanı		Korvet Kaptanı		Yüzbaşı		Mülazım
Rank group	General / flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers								Officer cadet
Portuguese Army ^[33]
	Marechal^[f]		General^[g]						Brigadeiro		Coronel		Tenente-coronel		Major		Capitão		Tenente			Alferes			Aspirante
Portuguese Navy ^[33]
	Almirante^[f]		Vice-almirante						Contra-almirante		Capitão de mar e guerra		Capitão de fragata		Capitão-tenente		Primeiro-tenente		Segundo-tenente			Guarda-marinha			Aspirante
Rank group	General / flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers								Officer cadet
Imperial Russian Army^[h] ^[34]^[35]
	Генерал-фельдмаршал General-fel'dmarshal		Генерал рода войск General roda voysk		Генерал-лейтенант General-leytenant		Генерал-майор General-mayor				Полковник Polkovnik		Подполковник Podpolkovnik				Капитан Kapitan^[i]	Штабс-капитан Shtabs-kapitan^[j]	Поручик Poruchik		Подпоручик Podporuchik^[k]		Прапорщик Praporshik
Imperial Russian Navy
	Генерал-адмирал General-admiral		Адмирал Admiral		Вице-адмирал Vitse-admiral		Контр-адмирал Kontr-admiral				Капитан I ранга Kapitan 1-go ranga		Капитан II ранга Kapitan 2-go ranga				Старший лейтенант Starshiy-leytenant		Лейтенант Leytenant			Мичман Michman
Provisional Russian Navy (from 1917) ^[36]^[37]
			Адмирал Admiral		Вице-адмирал Vitse-admiral		Контр-адмирал Kontr-admiral				Капитан I ранга Kapitan 1-go ranga		Капитан II ранга Kapitan 2-go ranga				Старший лейтенант Starshiy-leytenant		Лейтенант Leytenant			Мичман Michman
Rank group	General / flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers								Officer cadet
Royal Serbian Army ^[38]
	Bojni Vojvoda^[l]		General^[m]								Pukovnik		Potpukovnik		Major		Kapetan 1. klase	Kapetan 2. klase	Poručnik			Potporučnik			Pitomac
Rank group	General / flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers								Officer cadet
United States Army ^[39]
	General of the Armies^[n]		General		Lieutenant General		Major General		Brigadier General		Colonel		Lieutenant Colonel		Major		Captain		First Lieutenant			Second Lieutenant
United States Navy ^[40]																									Various
	Admiral of the Navy^[n]		Admiral		Vice Admiral		Rear Admiral		Commodore		Captain		Commander		Lieutenant Commander		Lieutenant		Lieutenant (junior grade)			Ensign			Midshipman
Rank group	General / flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers								Officer cadet

See also

• Comparative officer ranks of World War II
• Rank insignia of the Imperial Russian Army 1917

Notes

1. Austro-Hungarian ranks are shown in both German and Hungarian, as would have been contemporary practice.
2. Maréchal de France and Amiral de France were as much a dignity of state as a military title. Thus British Field Marshals consulted with French Generals in 1914. The elevation of Joffre to Maréchal in 1916 actually marked a diminution of his powers of command. There was no Amiral de France alive during World War I.
3. Unofficial rank insignia.^[14]
4. There were four grades of Tenente generale: capo di stato maggiore esercito, in comando d'armata, in comando di corpo d'armata and in comando di divisione.
5. There were two grades of Maggior generale: in comando di divisione and in comando di brigata.
6. Almirante and Marechal were only honorary ranks, not held by anyone during World War I.
7. The Portuguese Army had the particularity of having only a single rank of General Officer. A Portuguese General could be assigned to command from a brigade to the entire Army.
8. Army/cavalry ranks shown. The cossack cavalry had distinct ranks.
9. Cavalry rank: Rotmistr (Russian: Ротмистр)
10. Cavalry rank: Shtabs-rotmistr (Russian: Штабс-ротмистр)
11. Cavalry rank: Kornet (Russian: Корнет)
12. Field Marshal of Serbia (Voivode) was the highest rank in the army of the Kingdom of Serbia. Radomir Putnik held title from beginning of the war since he was promoted in 1912.
13. Like the Portuguese Army, the Serbian Army had only a single rank of General Officer. A Serbian General could be assigned to command from a division to the entire Army.
14. The US rank Admiral of the Navy was a unique rank created for Admiral George Dewey after the Spanish–American War; it has never been held by any other person and debate still goes on over whether it was a "five-star" or "six-star" rank. General of the Armies is similarly ambiguous; it was granted to General Pershing at the end of the war, and previously had been held (or a rank of the same name had been held) by Generals Grant and Sherman after the Civil War, but its equivalency to modern ranks is disputed.

References

1. Bunkley 1918, pp. 187–189.
2. Williams 1918, p. 264.
3. Bunkley 1918, pp. 190–192.
4. Williams 1918, p. 268.
5. Bunkley 1918, p. 145.
6. Williams 1918, pp. 228–229.
7. Bunkley 1918, p. 151.
8. Williams 1918, pp. 218–220.
9. "Royal Navy Ranks and Badges, World War 1".
10. Jouineau 2009, p. 7.
11. Almanach Hachette 1917, p. 77.
12. Bunkley 1918, p. 161.
13. Williams 1918, p. 237.
14. Champeaux 2014, pp. 123–124.
15. Funcken & Funcken 1966, pp. 144–145.
16. Bunkley 1918, p. 167.
17. Williams 1918, p. 242.
18. Le Hunsec 2012, pp. 91–107.
19. Bunkley 1918, pp. 171–172.
20. Williams 1918, p. 282.
21. Bunkley 1918, pp. 174–175.
22. Williams 1918, p. 274.
23. Bunkley 1918, pp. 177–180.
24. Williams 1918, p. 246.
25. Bunkley 1918, pp. 181–183.
26. Williams 1918, p. 249.
27. Bunkley 1918, pp. 196–198.
28. Williams 1918, p. 260.
29. Bunkley 1918, p. 201.
30. Williams 1918, p. 262.
31. "1909 TILL 1918 OTTOMAN RANK INSIGNIA". ottoman-uniforms.com. Ottoman Uniforms. Retrieved 1 July 2018.
32. "1916 TILL 1918 OTTOMAN NAVY". ottoman-uniforms.com. Ottoman Uniforms. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
33. Over the Front. "Portuguese Ranks". Over the Front. Retrieved 1 July 2018.
34. Bunkley 1918, p. 203.
35. Williams 1918, p. 254.
36. Bunkley 1918, pp. 204–205.
37. Williams 1918, p. 256.
38. Over the Front. "Serbian Ranks". Over the Front. Retrieved 1 July 2018.
39. Williams 1918, pp. 82–83.
40. Williams 1918, pp. 118–119.

• Almanach Hachette. Hachette (via genealomaniac.fr). 1917.
• Bunkley, Joel William (1918). Military And Naval Recognition Book: A Handbook On The Organization, Uniforms And Insignia Of Rank Of The World's Armed Forces (2nd ed.). New York: D. Van Nostrand Company. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
• Champeaux, Antoine (2014). "Général de corps d'armée". Corps (in French). 12 (1): 123. doi:10.3917/corp1.012.0123. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
• Funcken, Liliane; Funcken, Fred (1966). L'uniforme et les armes des soldats de la guerre 1914-1918: Cavalerie-Artillerie-Génie-Marine [The uniform and arms of the soldiers of the 1914-1918 war: Cavalry-Artillery-Engineering-Marine] (in French). Vol. 2. Casterman. ASIN B0096OCAEK.
• Le Hunsec, Mathieu (12 March 2012). "L'amiral, cet inconnu" [The Admiral, the Unknown]. Revue historique des armées (in French) (266): 91–107. ISSN 0035-3299.
• Jouineau, André (2009). L'armée française de la Grande Guerre: 1915-1918 [The French Army of the Great War]. Officiers et soldats no. 12. Vol. II. Histoire & Collections. ISBN 978-2-35250-411-5. OCLC 470949883.
• Williams, Dion (1918). "XI: Uniforms and Insignia of Foreign Armies and Navies". Army and Navy Uniforms and Insignia. New York, N.Y.: Frederick A. Stokes Company. pp. 216–292. Retrieved 5 July 2022.