Marshal of France
Marshal of France (French: Maréchal de France, plural Maréchaux de France) is a French military distinction, rather than a military rank, that is awarded to generals for exceptional achievements. The title has been awarded since 1185, though briefly abolished (1793–1804) and for a period dormant (1870–1916). It was one of the Great Officers of the Crown of France during the Ancien Régime and Bourbon Restoration, and one of the Grand Dignitaries of the Empire during the First French Empire (when the title was Marshal of the Empire, not Marshal of France).
Marshal of France
Maréchal de France
France
OF-10
1185
None
A Marshal of France displays seven stars on each shoulder strap. A marshal also receives a baton – a blue cylinder with stars, formerly fleurs-de-lis during the monarchy and eagles during the First French Empire. The baton bears the Latin inscription of Terror belli, decus pacis, which means "terror in war, ornament in peace".
Between the end of the 16th century and the middle of the 19th century, six Marshals of France were given the even more exalted rank of Marshal General of France: Biron, Lesdiguières, Turenne, Villars, Saxe, and Soult.
The distinction of Admiral of France is the equivalent in the French Navy.
History[edit]
The title derived from the office of marescallus Franciae created by King Philip II Augustus for Albéric Clément about 1190.
The title was abolished by the National Convention in 1793. It was restored as Marshal of the Empire during the First French Empire by Napoleon. Under the Bourbon Restoration, the title reverted to Marshal of France, and Napoleon III kept that designation.
After the fall of Napoleon III and the Second French Empire, the Third Republic did not use the title until the First World War, when it was recreated as a military distinction and not a rank.
Contrarily to ranks, which are awarded by the army, the distinction of Marshal of France is awarded by a special law voted by the French Parliament. For this reason, it is impossible to demote a Marshal. The most famous case is Philippe Pétain, who was awarded the distinction of Marshal of France for his generalship in World War I, and who was stripped of other positions and titles after his trial for high treason due to his involvement with collaborationist Vichy France: due to the principle of separation of powers, the court that judged him did not have the power to cancel the law that had made him a Marshal in the first place.
The last living Marshal of France was Alphonse Juin, promoted in 1952, who died in 1967. The latest Marshal of France was Marie-Pierre Kœnig, who was made a Marshal posthumously in 1984. Today, the title of Marshal of France can only be granted to a general officer who fought victoriously in war-time.
Lord of Montmorency and Marly, Marshal of France in 1191
Matthew II of Montmorency
(died 1195), Marshal of France in 1192
Guillaume de Bournel
(died 1204), Marshal of France in 1202
Nivelon d'Arras
called the "Little Marshal", Lord of Le Mez and of Argentan (1170–1214), Marshal of France in 1204
Henry I Clément
Lord of Le Mez and of Argentan (died 1262), Marshal of France in 1214
Jean III Clément
(dates unknown), Marshal of France in 1220
Guillaume de la Tournelle
(1265–1343), Marshal of France in 1339
Anseau de Joinville
Lord of Montmorency (1325–1381), Marshal of France in 1344
Charles I de Montmorency
Lord of Saint-Venant (died 1360), Marshal of France in 1344
Robert de Waurin
Lord of Offémont and of Mello (died 1352), Marshal of France in 1345
Guy II de Nesle
Lord of Châteauneuf (1316–1351), Marshal of France in 1347
Édouard I de Beaujeu
Marquis of Vigevano (1448–1518), Marshal of France in 1499
Gian Giacomo Trivulzio
Lord of Chaumont, of Meillan and of Charenton (1473–1511), Marshal of France in 1506
Charles II d'Amboise
Viscount of Lautrec (1485–1528), Marshal of France in 1511
Odet de Foix, Vicomte de Lautrec
Count of Lennox (1470–1544), Marshal of France in 1514
Robert Stewart, Lord of Aubigny
Lord of La Palice (died 1525), Marshal of France in 1515
Jacques II de Chabannes
Lord of Châtillon-sur-Loing (died 1522), Marshal of France in 1516
Gaspard I de Coligny
(died 1525), Marshal of France in 1518
Thomas de Foix-Lescun
Duke of Montmorency and Baron of Damville, Count of Beaumont-sur-Oise and of Dammartin, Viscount of Melun, first Baron of France and Grand Master, Constable of France etc. (1492–1567), Marshal of France in 1522
Anne de Montmorency
(1458–1531), Marshal of France in 1526
Théodor Trivulce
Duke of Bouillon, Lord of Sedan (1491–1537), Marshal of France in 1526
Robert III de La Marck
(1500–1552), Marshal of France in 1538
Claude d'Annebaut
(died 1538), Lord of Montjean, Marshal of France in 1538
René de Montjean
Seigneur of Le Biez (died 1553), Marshal of France in 1542
Oudard du Biez
Lord of Montpezat (1490–1544), Marshal of France in 1544
Antoine de Lettes-Desprez
Prince of Melphes (1480–1550), Marshal of France in 1544
Jean Caraccioli
(1555–1623), Marshal of France in 1592
Henri de La Tour d'Auvergne, Vicomte de Turenne, Duc de Bouillon
(1562–1602), Marshal of France in 1594
Charles de Gontaut, Duc de Biron
(1536–1614), Marshal of France in 1594
Claude de La Châtre
(1560–1603), Marshal of France in 1594
Jean de Montluc de Balagny
Duke of Brissac (1562–1621), Marshal of France in 1594
Charles II de Cossé
(1551–1614), Marshal of France in 1595
Jean III de Baumanoir, Marquis of Lavardin and Count of Nègrepelisse
(1567–1608), Marshal of France in 1595
Henri, Duke of Joyeuse
(1557–1629), Marshal of France in 1595
Urbain de Montmorency-Laval, Marquis of Sablé
(1548–1610), Marshal of France in 1597
Alphonse d'Ornano
(1537–1613), Marshal of France in 1597
Guillaume de Hautemer, Count of Grancey
(1543–1626), Marshal of France in 1608
François de Bonne, Duke of Lesdiguières
Prince of Neuchâtel and of Wagram, Duke of Valangin (1753–1815), Marshal of the Empire in 1804
Louis-Alexandre Berthier
Prince of the Empire, Grand Duke of Berg, King of Naples (1767–1815), Marshal of the Empire in 1804
Joachim Murat
Duke of Conégliano (1754–1842), Marshal of the Empire in 1804
Bon-Adrien Jeannot de Moncey
Count of the Empire (1762–1833), Marshal of the Empire in 1804
Jean-Baptiste Jourdan
Duke of Castiglione (1757–1816), Marshal of the Empire in 1804
Pierre Augereau
(1763–1844), Prince of Pontecorvo, King of Sweden and Norway under the name Charles XIV John (1818–1844), Marshal of the Empire in 1804
Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte
Count of the Empire (1763–1815), Marshal of the Empire in 1804
Guillaume Marie-Anne Brune
Duke of Dalmatie (1769–1851), Marshal of the Empire in 1804, Marshal General of France in 1847
Jean-de-Dieu Soult
(1768–1835), Marshal of the Empire in 1804
Édouard Mortier, Duke of Trévise
Duke of Auerstädt, Prince of Eckmühl (1770–1823), Marshal of the Empire in 1804
Louis-Nicolas Davout
Duke of Valmy (1737–1820), Marshal of the Empire in 1804 (honorary)
François Christophe de Kellermann
Duke of Danzig (1755–1820), Marshal of the Empire in 1804 (honorary)
François Joseph Lefebvre
Marquis of Grenade (1754–1818), Marshal of the Empire in 1804 (honorary)
Catherine-Dominique de Pérignon
Count of the Empire (1742–1819), Marshal of the Empire in 1804 (honorary)
Jean-Mathieu-Philibert Sérurier
Duke of Belluno (1764–1841), Marshal of the Empire in 1807
Claude Victor-Perrin
Duke of Tarento (1765–1840), Marshal of the Empire in 1809
Jacques MacDonald
Duke of Reggio (1767–1847), Marshal of the Empire in 1809
Nicolas Oudinot
Duke of Ragusa (1774–1852), Marshal of the Empire in 1809
Auguste de Marmont
Duke of Albufera (1770–1826), Marshal of the Empire in 1811
Louis-Gabriel Suchet
Marquis of Gouvion-Saint-Cyr (1764–1830), Marshal of the Empire in 1812
Laurent de Gouvion Saint-Cyr
(1766–1847), Marshal of the Empire in 1815
Emmanuel de Grouchy, Marquis of Grouchy
(1771–1804), Marshal of France in 1814 (posthumous)
Georges Cadoudal
(1763–1813), Marshal of France in 1814 (posthumous)
Jean Victor Marie Moreau
Duke of Coigny (1737–1821), Marshal of France in 1816
François-Henri de Franquetot de Coigny
Duke of Feltre (1765–1818), Marshal of France in 1816
Henri Jacques Guillaume Clarke
Marquis of Beurnonville (1752–1821), Marshal of France in 1816
Pierre Riel de Beurnonville
Marquis of Viomesnil (1734–1827), Marshal of France in 1816
Charles Joseph Hyacinthe du Houx de Viomesnil
Marquis of Lauriston (1768–1828), Marshal of France in 1823
Jacques Alexandre Law
Count Molitor (1770–1849), Marshal of France in 1823
Gabriel Jean Joseph Molitor
Count Gérard (1773–1852), Marshal of France in 1830
Étienne Maurice Gérard
Count Clauzel (1772–1842), Marshal of France in 1831
Bertrand Clauzel
Marquis of Grouchy (1766–1847), Marshal of France in 1831
Emmanuel de Grouchy
Count Lobau (1770–1838), Marshal of France in 1831
Georges Mouton
Count Valée (1773–1846), Marshal of France in 1837
Sylvain Charles Valée
Count Sébastiani (1772–1851), Marshal of France in 1840
Horace Sébastiani
Count d'Erlon (1765–1844), Marshal of France in 1843
Jean-Baptiste Drouet
Duke of Isly, (1784–1849), Marshal of France in 1843
Thomas Robert Bugeaud
Count Reille (1775–1860), Marshal of France in 1847
Honoré Charles Reille
Viscount de la Brunerie (1775–1851), Marshal of France in 1847
Guillaume Dode de la Brunerie
former King of Westphalia (1784–1860), Marshal of France in 1850
Jérôme Bonaparte
Count Exelmans (1775–1852), Marshal of France in 1851
Rémi Joseph Isidore Exelmans
Count Harispe (1768–1855), Marshal of France in 1851
Jean Isidore Harispe
Count Vaillant (1790–1872), Marshal of France in 1851
Jean-Baptiste Philibert Vaillant
(1798–1854), Marshal of France in 1852
Jacques Leroy de Saint-Arnaud
(1791–1865), Marshal of France in 1852
Bernard Pierre Magnan
Marquis of Castellane (1788–1862), Marshal of France in 1852
Boniface de Castellane
Count Baraguey d'Hilliers (1795–1878), Marshal of France in 1854
Achille Baraguey d'Hilliers
Duke of Malakoff (1794–1864), Marshal of France in 1855
Aimable Pélissier
Count Randon (1795–1871), Marshal of France in 1856
Jacques Louis Randon
(1809–1895), Marshal of France in 1856
François Certain de Canrobert
(1810–1861), Marshal of France in 1856
Pierre Bosquet
Duke of Magenta (1809–1893), Marshal of France in 1859
Patrice de MacMahon
(1794–1870), Marshal of France in 1859
Auguste Regnaud de Saint-Jean d'Angély
(1802–1869), Marshal of France in 1859
Adolphe Niel
Count of Ornano (1784–1863), Marshal of France in 1861
Philippe Antoine d'Ornano
(1804–1872), Marshal of France in 1863
Élie Frédéric Forey
(1811–1888), Marshal of France in 1864
François Achille Bazaine
(1809–1888), Marshal of France in 1870
Edmond Le Bœuf
(1852–1931), Marshal of France in 1916
Joseph Joffre
(1851–1929), Marshal of France in 1918
Ferdinand Foch
(1856–1951), Marshal of France in 1918
Philippe Pétain
(1889–1952), Marshal of France in 1952 (posthumous)
Jean de Lattre de Tassigny
(1902–1947), Marshal of France in 1952 (posthumous)
Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque
(1888–1967), Marshal of France in 1952
Alphonse Juin
(1898–1970), Marshal of France in 1984 (posthumous)
Marie-Pierre Kœnig
(1890–1970), president of the Provisional Government of the French Republic, in 1946.[6]
Charles de Gaulle
This distinction was refused by: