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

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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

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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

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References

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Citations

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  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

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