Army general (East Germany)

Army general (German: Armeegeneral), was the highest peacetime general officer rank in the so-called armed organs of the GDR (Bewaffnete Organe der DDR [de]), that is, the Ministry of National Defence, the Stasi, and the Ministry of the Interior. It is comparable to the four-star rank in many NATO armed forces. It was aligned with Soviet military doctrine and other armed forces of the Warsaw Pact.

Army general Armeegeneral
Collar patches / shoulder board
Country	German Democratic Republic
Service branch	National People's Army MfS MdI
Rank	Four-star
NATO rank code	OF-9
Formation	1 March 1956
Abolished	2 October 1990
Next higher rank	Marshal of the German Democratic Republic
Next lower rank	Generaloberst
Equivalent ranks	Flottenadmiral

The rank was reserved to minister level exclusively. Consequently, in the National People's Army service branches, Landstreitkräfte, Luftstreitkräfte/Luftverteidigung, Border troops, and Volksmarine there was no equivalent. However, if a Navy flag officer was designated or appointed Minister of National Defence he would be promoted to Flottenadmiral. When the armed organs of the GDR were disbanded in October 1990, the rank was abolished.

Rankholders

East German officers who achieved the rank were:

Name	Portrait	Position	Year of Rank
Willi Stoph		Minister of National Defence	1959
Heinz Hoffmann		Minister of National Defence	1961
Erich Mielke		Minister for State Security	1980
Friedrich Dickel		Minister of Interior	1984
Heinz Kessler		Minister of National Defence	1985

Insignia

Armeegeneral / Flottenadmiral (OF-9)
GDR MFS	GDR MOD			GDR Ministry of Interior
Armeegeneral		Flottenadmiral		Armeegeneral

Army general in other countries

The four-star rank OF-9 was widely used in other armed forces of socialist countries, such as:

• Bulgaria: Армейски генерал (Armeyski general)
• Czechoslovakia: Armádní generál / Armádny Generál^[1]
• Hungary: Hadseregtábornok
• Poland: Generał armii
• Romania: General de armată
• Soviet Union: Генерал армии (General armii)
• Yugoslavia: Генерал армије

Junior Rank Generaloberst

GDR Armeegeneral (Flottenadmiral)

Senior rank Marshal of the GDR (wartime only)

See also

• General (Germany)
• Military ranks of East Germany
• Corps colours (NPA)

References

1. "Ranks". Ministry of Defence & Armed Forces of the Czech Republic. 2018. Retrieved 20 September 2020.

Bibliography

• Keubke, Klaus-Ulrich; Kunz, Manfred (2005). Militärische Uniformen in der DDR 1949–1990 (in German). E.S. Mittler & Sohn. ISBN 978-3-8132-0915-0.
• Wollert, Günter (1984). NVA Kalender 1985 (in German). Militärverlag der DDR.