It’s a quirk of European ranking systems. It was created to allow them to align with the top level generals of European allies during WW2. Didn’t need them before and haven’t needed them since.
That's right. The US system top rank "General" was 4 star. UK (and other EU systems) had field marshal that outranked Generals. So the US added a 5 star "General of the Army" in 1944 to solve any issues with command hierarchy.
There is another rank "General of the Armies" which was created post-WW1 bestowed on Pershing for his service. They also posthumously promoted Grant in 2024 and George Washington in 1976 with the caveat that Washington's rank has "precedence over all other grades of the Army, past or present." This doesn't have any specific star insignia IIRC.
Yes, and in France (although it hasn't been active in a long time). It was basically just trying to avoid a situation where Montgomery or De Gaulle could pull rank on the four US generals (although this did not happen anyway, they were fighting together long before the rank was created in December '44).
The US can only promote to a 5-star during wartime, and hasn't declared war since WWII. Omar Bradley is an exception because when he was made Chairman of the Joint Cheifs of Staff, Douglas MacArthur would have been his subordinate and outranked him
Its not a vote the way we vote for representatives. In the military, you earn it, kind of like a promotion at your job. General is also a rank during active enlistment, and specifically four star generals are only allowed to be 4 star during active enlistment , as it's attached to your office.
You can retire with the rank of General, but apparently not 4 stars.
Yeah I was pulling it from Wikipedia and it seems a little confusing the way it's worded. Like they can't use it in retirement but then they can? It's weird, idk.
Congress enacted legislation authorizing the grade of General of the Army on July 25, 1866, and on that date the new grade was conferred on Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant . The grade was recognized and continued in various acts until the Act of July 15, 1870, which contained the requirement that "the offices of general and lieutenant general shall continue until a vacancy shall exist in the same, and no longer, and when such vacancy shall occur in either of said offices shall become inoperative, and shall, by virtue of this act, from thence forward be held to be repealed."
William T. Sherman, Grant's successor as Commanding General of the Army, was appointed as General of the Army on March 4, 1869, and upon his retirement in February 1884 was placed on the retired list as General of the Army. Under the provisions of the Act of March 3, 1885, authorizing the appointment of a "general of the Army on the retired list," this grade was also conferred on General Grant shortly before his death on July 23, 1885. The title ceased to exist as a grade of military rank at Sherman's death on February 14, 1891.
The insignia wasn't 5 stars for the three Civil War generals but they're still Generals of the Army and thus 5-star retroactively, no? Or is it a case of General of the Army not being the same thing as General of the Army?
According to Wikipedia yes, There's also been 5 five star admirals (Fleet AAdmirals) Dewey after Spanish-American war, and Leahy, King, Nimitz, and Halsey Jr during/after WWII
Arnold also became the only 5 star Air Force General when the Air Force was separated out from the Army post WWII.
Technically after the war; the last 5-star was Bradley, promoted in 1950 when he became Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, so he wouldn’t be outranked by MacArthur, who was still on active service.
You're not wrong. Eisenhower was our last 5 star and he was an admiral if I remember correctly (if you're a WWII military buff, feel free to correct this if I got it wrong.)
• George C. Marshall (Appointed 12-16-1944)
• Douglas MacArthur (Appointed 12-18-1944)
• Dwight D. Eisenhower (Appointed 12-20-1944)
• Henry H. "Hap" Arnold (Appointed 12-21-1944; later designated General of the Air Force)
• Omar N. Bradley (Appointed 9-20-1950)
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u/kosherhalfsourpickle 12h ago
I could be wrong, but there haven't been 5 star generals since World War II.