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
Rank flag
Shoulder and sleeve insignia
CountryFrance
Service branchFrench Army
Rank groupGeneral officer
NATO rank codeOF-10
Formation1185
Next higher rankNone
Next lower rankArmy general[lower-alpha 1]
Equivalent ranksAdmiral of France
Related articles
HistoryMarshal of the Empire

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.

Terror belli
...decus pacis
Modern-day baton, belonging to one of the four Marshals of France during World War II (Leclerc, de Lattre, Juin and Kœnig)

History

The title derived from the office of marescallus Franciae created by King Philip II Augustus of France for Albéric Clément (c. 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.

Direct Capetians

Philip II, 1180–1223
  • Albéric Clément, Lord of Le Mez (died 1191), Marshal of France in 1185
  • Matthew II of Montmorency, Lord of Montmorency and Marly, Marshal of France in 1191
  • Guillaume de Bournel, (died 1195), Marshal of France in 1192
  • Nivelon d'Arras (died 1204), Marshal of France in 1202
  • Henry I Clément, called the "Little Marshal", Lord of Le Mez and of Argentan (1170–1214), Marshal of France in 1204
  • Jean III Clément, Lord of Le Mez and of Argentan (died 1262), Marshal of France in 1214
  • Guillaume de la Tournelle (dates unknown), Marshal of France in 1220

Louis IX, 1226–1270
  • Ferry Pasté, Lord of Challeranges (died 1247), Marshal of France in 1240
  • Jean Guillaume de Beaumont (died 1257), Marshal of France in 1250
  • Henri de Cousances (died 1268), Marshal of France in 1255
  • Gauthier III, Lord of Nemours (died 1270), Marshal of France in 1257
  • Henri II Clément, Lord of Le Mez and Argentan (died 1265), Marshal of France in 1262
  • Héric de Beaujeu (died 1270), Marshal of France in 1265
  • Renaud de Précigny (died 1270), Marshal of France in 1265
  • Hugh of Mirepoix, Marshal of France in 1266[1]
  • Raoul II Sores (died 1282), Marshal of France in 1270
  • Lancelot de Saint-Maard (died 1278), Marshal of France in 1270

Philip III, 1270–1285
  • Ferry de Verneuil (died 1283), Marshal of France in 1272
  • Guillaume V du Bec Crespin (died 1283), Marshal of France in 1283
  • Jean II d'Harcourt, Viscount of Châtellerault, Lord of Harcourt (died 1302), Marshal of France in 1283
  • Raoul V Le Flamenc (died 1287), Marshal of France in 1285

Philip IV, 1285–1314

Louis X, 1314–1316

Philip V, 1316–1322
  • Mathieu de Trie (died 1344), Marshal of France in 1318
  • Jean des Barres (dates unknown), Marshal of France in 1318
  • Bernard VI de Moreuil, Lord of Moreuil (died 1350), Marshal of France in 1322

Charles IV, 1322–1328
  • Robert-Jean Bertran de Briquebec, Baron of Briquebec, Viscount of Roncheville (1285–1348), Marshal of France in 1325

Valois

Philip VI, 1328–1350
  • Anseau de Joinville (1265–1343), Marshal of France in 1339
  • Charles I de Montmorency, Lord of Montmorency (1325–1381), Marshal of France in 1344
  • Robert de Waurin, Lord of Saint-Venant (died 1360), Marshal of France in 1344
  • Guy II de Nesle, Lord of Offémont and of Mello (died 1352), Marshal of France in 1345
  • Édouard I de Beaujeu, Lord of Châteauneuf (1316–1351), Marshal of France in 1347

John II 1350–1364

Charles V, 1364–1380

Charles VI, 1380–1422
  • Jean II Le Meingre (1364–1421), Marshal of France in 1391
  • Jean II de Rieux, Lord of Rochefort and of Rieux (1342–1417), Marshal of France in 1397
  • Pierre de Rieux, Lord of Rochefort and of Rieux (1389–1439), Marshal of France in 1417
  • Claude de Beauvoir, Lord of Chastellux and Viscount of Avallon (1385–1453), Marshal of France in 1418
  • Jean de Villiers de L'Isle-Adam (1384–1437), Marshal of France in 1418
  • Jacques de Montberon, Lord of Engoumois (died 1422), Marshal of France in 1418
  • Gilbert Motier de La Fayette (1396–1464), Marshal of France in 1421
  • Antoine de Vergy (died 1439), Marshal of France in 1422
  • Jean de La Baume, Count of Montrevel-en-Bresse (died 1435), Marshal of France in 1422

Charles VII, 1422–1461
  • Amaury de Séverac, Lord of Beaucaire and of Chaude-Aigues (died 1427), Marshal of France in 1424
  • Jean de Brosse, Baron of Boussac and of Sainte-Sévère (1375–1433), Marshal of France in 1426
  • Gilles de Rais, Lord of Ingrande and of Champtocé (c. 1405 – 1440), Marshal of France in 1429
  • André de Laval-Montmorency, Lord of Lohéac and of Retz (1408–1486), Marshal of France in 1439
  • Philippe de Culant, Lord of Jaloignes, of La Croisette, of Saint-Armand and of Chalais (died 1454), Marshal of France in 1441
  • Jean Poton de Xaintrailles, Seneschal de Limousin (1390–1461), Marshal of France in 1454

Louis XI, 1461–1483

Charles VIII, 1483–1498

Valois-Orléans

Louis XII, 1498–1515

Valois-Angoulême

Francis I 1515–1547
  • Jacques II de Chabannes, Lord of La Palice (died 1525), Marshal of France in 1515
  • Gaspard I de Coligny, Lord of Châtillon-sur-Loing (died 1522), Marshal of France in 1516
  • Thomas de Foix-Lescun (died 1525), Marshal of France in 1518
  • Anne I de Montmorency, Duke of Montmorency and 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
  • Théodor Trivulce (1458–1531), Marshal of France in 1526
  • Robert III de La Marck, Duke of Bouillon, Lord of Sedan (1491–1537), Marshal of France in 1526
  • Claude d'Annebaut (1500–1552), Marshal of France in 1538
  • René de Montjean (died 1538), Lord of Montjean, Marshal of France in 1538
  • Oudard du Biez, Seigneur of Le Biez (died 1553), Marshal of France in 1542
  • Antoine de Lettes-Desprez, Lord of Montpezat (1490–1544), Marshal of France in 1544
  • Jean Caraccioli, Prince of Melphes (1480–1550), Marshal of France in 1544

Henry II 1547–1559

Francis II 1559–1560

Charles IX, 1560–1574

Henry III 1574–1589

Bourbons
Marshal's baton during the Bourbon monarchy

Henry IV 1589–1610

Louis XIII, 1610–1643
Charles de Schomberg

Louis XIV, 1643–1715
Sébastien de Vauban

Louis XV, 1715–1774
Maurice de Saxe

Louis XVI, 1774–1792
Philippe de Ségur

First Empire
Main article: Marshal of the Empire
Graphic representation of a Marshal's baton during the First French Empire

Napoleon I, 1804–1814, 1815

Throughout his reign, Napoleon created a total of twenty-six Marshals of the Empire:[5]

Michel Ney received his marshal's baton on 19 May 1804

The names of nineteen of these have been given to successive stretches of boulevards encircling Paris, which has thus been nicknamed the Boulevards des Maréchaux (Boulevards of the Marshals). Another three Marshals have been honored with a street elsewhere in the city. The four Marshals banned from memory are: Bernadotte and Marmont, considered as traitors; Pérignon, stricken off the list by Napoleon in 1815; and Grouchy, regarded as responsible for the defeat at Waterloo.

Restoration

Louis XVIII, 1815–1824
Jacques Lauriston

Charles X, 1824–1830

July Monarchy

Louis-Philippe 1830–1848
Sylvain Charles Valée

Second Republic

Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte, 1848–1852
Rémi Joseph Isidore Exelmans

Second Empire

Napoleon III, 1852–1870
Jacques Louis Randon

Third Republic
Ferdinand Foch

Raymond Poincaré, 1913–1920

Alexandre Millerand, 1920–1924

Fourth Republic

Vincent Auriol, 1947–1954

Fifth Republic

François Mitterrand, 1981–1995

Refused

This distinction was refused by :

See also

Notes
  1. A military rank.

References
  1. Steven Runciman, The Sicilian Vespers: A History of the Mediterranean World in the Later Thirteenth Century, (Cambridge University Press, 2000), 93.
  2. Frederic J. Baumgartner, Henry II: King of France 1547–1559, (Duke University Press, 1988), 56.
  3. Marek, Miroslav. "italy/cybo2.html". genealogy.euweb.cz.
  4. Encyclopædia Britannica, Vol 23, Ed. Hugh Chisholm, (1911), 719.
  5. R.P. Dunn-Pattison Napoleon's Marshals Methuen 1909 – Reprinted Empiricus Books 2001.
  6. Bering, Henrik (February 1, 2013). "The Audacity of de Gaulle". Hoover Institution. Retrieved 2023-06-27.
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