Colonel General

Colonel 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. The rank is also closely associated with Germany, as Colonel General was originally created as a German rank between a full General and a Generalfeldmarschall.

Russia

The rank of Colonel General (Russian: генерал-полковник, general-polkovnik) did not exist in Imperial Russia and was first established in the Red Army in 1940. It still exists in the contemporary Russian Army. Unlike the German Generaloberst (which it most probably calqued) the Soviet and Russian Colonel General rank is neither an exceptional nor a rare one. It is superior to Lieutenant General, but inferior to General of the Army. The rank has usually been given to district, front and army commanders, and also to Deputy Ministers of Defense, Deputy Heads of General Staff etc.

Related Topics:
Imperial Russia - Red Army - 1940 - Russian Army - Lieutenant General - General of the Army

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During World War II, about 150 officers were promoted to Colonel General.

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Before 1943, Soviet Colonel Generals wore four stars on their collar patches (petlitsy). Since 1943, they have worn three stars on their shoulder straps.

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In some post-Soviet CIS armies (for example in Belarus) there are no Generals of the Army or Marshals, and so Colonel General is the highest rank, usually held by the Minister of the Defense.

Related Topics:
CIS - Belarus - Marshal

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The corresponding naval rank is Admiral, which is also denoted by three stars.

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