Field marshal (Denmark)

Field marshal
Feltmarskalk
Country Denmark
Service branch Royal Danish Army
Rank groupGeneral officer
RankField marshal
Abolished1842
Next higher rankGeneral field marshal
Next lower rank

Field marshal (Danish: Feltmarskalk; Danish pronunciation: [ˈfεlˀdˌmɑːˌɕalˀ]) was the highest rank of the Royal Danish Army until its abolition in 1842.

History

The origins of the rank can be traced back to the creation of the rank of field lord (Danish: feltherre) and field colonel (feltøverste, lit. 'field supreme'). These ranks were based on German origins.[1]

Initially, there were two ranks: feltmarskalk was the highest cavalry commander, and feltoberst was the highest commander of the infantry.[2] These were later merged to a single rank called feltmarskalk.

On 25 May 1671, the ranks were codified, by King Christian V, with the publication of the Danish order of precedence. Here General field marshal (Ober-Feldt-Marskalk) was the highest rank, with Feldt-Marschalks placed just below, and Quartermaster general below that.[3]

List of field marshals

Portrait Name
(born–died) 		Appointed Retired Ref.
Meindert van Ham
(c. 1470–1545) 		June 1536
(as Obrister Veldhaubtman) 		5 August 1536 (POW) [4]
Johan Rantzau
(1492–1565) 		1559
(as feltmarskalk) 		[5]
Günther XLI, Count of Schwarzburg-Arnstadt
(1529–1583) 		1563
(as feltøverste, transl. Field colonel) 		[4]
Hilmar von Quernheim [de]
(1508–1581) 		1563
(as feltmarskalk) 		15 December 1564 [4]
Otte Krumpen
(1473–1569) 		15 December 1564
(as feltoberst) 		19 July 1565 [6]
Daniel Rantzau
(1529–1569) 		19 July 1565
(as feltoberst, transl. Field colonel)
24 October 1567
(as general kaptajn og feltoberst, transl. Field colonel) 		11 November 1569 † [7][8]
Josias von Qualen [da]
(?–1586) 		12 November 1569
(as feltmarskalk) 		1581 [9]
Hans Schack
(1608–1676) 		11 February 1659 [10]
Paul Würtz
(1612–1676) 		July 1665 31 October 1665 [11]
Claus von Ahlefeldt
(1614–1674) 		1671 [12]
John Adolphus, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Plön
(1634–1704) 		20 January 1676
(as Overfeltmarskal) 		[13]
Frédéric Charles de La Rochefoucauld [da]
(1633–1690) 		May 1683
(as generalfeltmarskal) 		[14]
Gustav Wilhelm Wedel of Jarlsberg [da]
(1641–1717) 		1687 [15]
Frederick Ernest of Brandenburg-Kulmbach
(1703–1762) 		12 July 1745 1762 [16]
Werner von der Schulenburg [da]
(1679–1755) 		1748
(as feltmarskal) 		7 September 1755 † [17]
Hans Jacob Arnoldt [da]
(1669–1758) 		1749
(as feltmarskal) 		24 December 1758 † [18]
Michael Numsen [da]
(1686–1757) 		30 June 1756 7 September 1757 † [19]
Claude Louis, Comte de Saint-Germain
(1707–1778) 		1 December 1760 5 December 1767 [20]
Frederick Charles Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
(1729–1809) 		1764 1784 [21]
Christian August of Augustenburg
(1768–1810) 		25 July 1808 [22]
Prince Charles of Hesse-Kassel
(1744–1836) 		1815 17 August 1836 † [23]
Prince Frederik of Hesse
(1771–1845) 		17 August 1836 31 March 1842 [24][25]

See also

References

Citations

  1. ^ Hedegaard 1979, p. 31.
  2. ^ Madsen 1904, pp. 216–217.
  3. ^ danmarkshistorien.dk 2017.
  4. ^ a b c Madsen 1904, p. 217.
  5. ^ Madsen 1904, p. 216.
  6. ^ Madsen 1904, pp. 217–218.
  7. ^ Madsen 1904, p. 218.
  8. ^ Bassing, E. (13 May 1969). "Daniel Rantzau". Det Krigsvidenskabelige Selskab (in Danish). Retrieved 19 March 2021.
  9. ^ Madsen 1904, p. 220.
  10. ^ Fridericia, J.A. (1901). "Schack, Hans". In Bricka, Carl Frederik (ed.). XV. Bind. Scalabrini - Skanke. Dansk biografisk Lexikon (in Danish). Kjøbenhavn: Gyldendalske Boghandels Forlag. p. 23. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  11. ^ Hirsch, J.C.W. (1905). "Würtz, Poul". In Bricka, Carl Frederik (ed.). XIX. Bind. Vind - Oetken. Rettelser og Tilføjelser. Dansk biografisk Lexikon (in Danish). Kjøbenhavn: Gyldendalske Boghandels Forlag. p. 249. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  12. ^ Sørensen, S. A. (1887). "Ahlefeldt, Claus". In Bricka, Carl Frederik (ed.). I. Bind. Aaberg - Beaumelle. Dansk biografisk Lexikon (in Danish). Kjøbenhavn: Gyldendalske Boghandels Forlag. p. 131. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  13. ^ Harbou, H. W. (1894). "Johan Adolf af Pløen". In Bricka, Carl Frederik (ed.). VIII. Bind. Holst - Juul. Dansk biografisk Lexikon (in Danish). Kjøbenhavn: Gyldendalske Boghandels Forlag. p. 499. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  14. ^ Harbou, H. W. (1900). "de la Rochefoucauld, Frédéric Charles". In Bricka, Carl Frederik (ed.). XIV. Bind. Resen - Saxtrup. Dansk biografisk Lexikon (in Danish). Kjøbenhavn: Gyldendalske Boghandels Forlag. p. 137. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  15. ^ Munthe, C. O. (1900). "Wedel (Jarlsberg), Gustav Vilh.". In Bricka, Carl Frederik (ed.). XVIII. Bind. Ubbe - Wimpffen. Dansk biografisk Lexikon (in Danish). Kjøbenhavn: Gyldendalske Boghandels Forlag. p. 323. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  16. ^ Dyrn, Ole. "Generalfeltmarskal, markgreve, Friederich Ernst af Brandenburg-Culmbach". Sct. Michaelis Kirke (in Danish). Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  17. ^ Bobé, Louis (1901). "v. d. Schulenburg, Werner". In Bricka, Carl Frederik (ed.). XV. Bind. Scalabrini - Skanke. Dansk biografisk Lexikon (in Danish). Kjøbenhavn: Gyldendalske Boghandels Forlag. p. 324. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  18. ^ Huitfeldt-Kaas, H. J. (1887). "Arnoldt, Hans Jacob". In Bricka, Carl Frederik (ed.). I. Bind. Aaberg - Beaumelle. Dansk biografisk Lexikon (in Danish). Kjøbenhavn: Gyldendalske Boghandels Forlag. p. 341. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  19. ^ von Munthe af Morgenstierne, Otto (1938). Feltmarskal Michael Numsen og hans Tid (PDF) (in Danish). Copenhagen: Levin & Munksgaard. p. 116. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  20. ^ Mygind 1999, pp. 20, 50.
  21. ^ Mygind 1999, p. 55.
  22. ^ "V. Der Land-Militair-Etat". Königlich-Dänischer Hof-und Statts-Calender (PDF) (in German). Altona. 1812. p. 79. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  23. ^ Mygind 1999, pp. 39, 72.
  24. ^ Hedegaard 1979, p. 39.
  25. ^ Mygind 1999, p. 72.

Sources