Field marshal (Denmark)

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

Field marshal Feltmarskalk
Country	Denmark
Service branch	Royal Danish Army
Rank group	General officer
Rank	Field marshal
Abolished	1842
Next higher rank	General field marshal
Next lower rank	Quartermaster general (until 1699) Lieutenant field marshal (1699–1801) General (1801–1842)

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

• Marshal of the Realm (Denmark)
• Ranks and insignia of Royal Danish Army