Field marshal (Denmark)

Field marshal
*Feltmarskalk*
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);

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

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]

References

Citations

^ Hedegaard 1979, p. 31.
^ Madsen 1904, pp. 216–217.
^ danmarkshistorien.dk 2017.
^ ^a ^b ^c Madsen 1904, p. 217.
^ Madsen 1904, p. 216.
^ Madsen 1904, pp. 217–218.
^ Madsen 1904, p. 218.
^ Bassing, E. (13 May 1969). "Daniel Rantzau". Det Krigsvidenskabelige Selskab (in Danish). Retrieved 19 March 2021.
^ Madsen 1904, p. 220.
^ Fridericia, J.A. (1901). "Schack, Hans". In Bricka, Carl Frederik (ed.). XV. Bind. Scalabrini - Skanke. Dansk biografisk Lexikon (in Danish). Kjøbenhavn: Gyldendalske Boghandels Forlag. p. 23. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
^ Hirsch, J.C.W. (1905). "Würtz, Poul". In Bricka, Carl Frederik (ed.). XIX. Bind. Vind - Oetken. Rettelser og Tilføjelser. Dansk biografisk Lexikon (in Danish). Kjøbenhavn: Gyldendalske Boghandels Forlag. p. 249. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
^ Sørensen, S. A. (1887). "Ahlefeldt, Claus". In Bricka, Carl Frederik (ed.). I. Bind. Aaberg - Beaumelle. Dansk biografisk Lexikon (in Danish). Kjøbenhavn: Gyldendalske Boghandels Forlag. p. 131. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
^ Harbou, H. W. (1894). "Johan Adolf af Pløen". In Bricka, Carl Frederik (ed.). VIII. Bind. Holst - Juul. Dansk biografisk Lexikon (in Danish). Kjøbenhavn: Gyldendalske Boghandels Forlag. p. 499. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
^ Harbou, H. W. (1900). "de la Rochefoucauld, Frédéric Charles". In Bricka, Carl Frederik (ed.). XIV. Bind. Resen - Saxtrup. Dansk biografisk Lexikon (in Danish). Kjøbenhavn: Gyldendalske Boghandels Forlag. p. 137. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
^ Munthe, C. O. (1900). "Wedel (Jarlsberg), Gustav Vilh.". In Bricka, Carl Frederik (ed.). XVIII. Bind. Ubbe - Wimpffen. Dansk biografisk Lexikon (in Danish). Kjøbenhavn: Gyldendalske Boghandels Forlag. p. 323. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
^ Dyrn, Ole. "Generalfeltmarskal, markgreve, Friederich Ernst af Brandenburg-Culmbach". Sct. Michaelis Kirke (in Danish). Retrieved 17 August 2024.
^ Bobé, Louis (1901). "v. d. Schulenburg, Werner". In Bricka, Carl Frederik (ed.). XV. Bind. Scalabrini - Skanke. Dansk biografisk Lexikon (in Danish). Kjøbenhavn: Gyldendalske Boghandels Forlag. p. 324. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
^ Huitfeldt-Kaas, H. J. (1887). "Arnoldt, Hans Jacob". In Bricka, Carl Frederik (ed.). I. Bind. Aaberg - Beaumelle. Dansk biografisk Lexikon (in Danish). Kjøbenhavn: Gyldendalske Boghandels Forlag. p. 341. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
^ von Munthe af Morgenstierne, Otto (1938). Feltmarskal Michael Numsen og hans Tid (PDF) (in Danish). Copenhagen: Levin & Munksgaard. p. 116. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
^ Mygind 1999, pp. 20, 50.
^ Mygind 1999, p. 55.
^ "V. Der Land-Militair-Etat". Königlich-Dänischer Hof-und Statts-Calender (PDF) (in German). Altona. 1812. p. 79. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
^ Mygind 1999, pp. 39, 72.
^ Hedegaard 1979, p. 39.
^ Mygind 1999, p. 72.

Sources

danmarkshistorien.dk (17 May 2017). "Rangforordningen, 25. maj 1671" (in Danish). danmarkshistorien.dk. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
Madsen, Emil (1904). "De nationale Tropper, samt Hærvæsenets Styrelse i det 16. Aarhundrede" [The National Troops, as well as the Administration of the Army in the 16th Century] (PDF). Historisk Tidsskrift (in Danish). 5 (7): 199–200. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
Mygind, A. (1999). Den landmilitære embedsetat og centraladministratio (1763 - 1848) (in Danish). Forsvarets Arkiver. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
Hedegaard, E. O. A. (1979). Den militære feltmarskalstavs historie: En våben- og krigshistorisk studie [The History of the Field Marshal's Baton: A Study of the History of Weapons] (in Danish). Forlaget ZAC.

[FOOTNOTEHedegaard197931-1] Hedegaard 1979, p. 31.

[FOOTNOTEMadsen1904216–217-2] Madsen 1904, pp. 216–217.

[FOOTNOTEdanmarkshistorien.dk2017-3] rkshistorien.dk 2017.

[FOOTNOTEMadsen1904217-4] Madsen 1904, p. 217.

[FOOTNOTEMadsen1904216-5] Madsen 1904, p. 216.

[FOOTNOTEMadsen1904217–218-6] Madsen 1904, pp. 217–218.

[FOOTNOTEMadsen1904218-7] Madsen 1904, p. 218.

[8] Bassing, E. (13 May 1969). "Daniel Rantzau". Det Krigsvidenskabelige Selskab (in Danish). Retrieved 19 March 2021.

[FOOTNOTEMadsen1904220-9] Madsen 1904, p. 220.

[10] Fridericia, J.A. (1901). "Schack, Hans". In Bricka, Carl Frederik (ed.). XV. Bind. Scalabrini - Skanke. Dansk biografisk Lexikon (in Danish). Kjøbenhavn: Gyldendalske Boghandels Forlag. p. 23. Retrieved 17 August 2024.

[11] Hirsch, J.C.W. (1905). "Würtz, Poul". In Bricka, Carl Frederik (ed.). XIX. Bind. Vind - Oetken. Rettelser og Tilføjelser. Dansk biografisk Lexikon (in Danish). Kjøbenhavn: Gyldendalske Boghandels Forlag. p. 249. Retrieved 17 August 2024.

[12] Sørensen, S. A. (1887). "Ahlefeldt, Claus". In Bricka, Carl Frederik (ed.). I. Bind. Aaberg - Beaumelle. Dansk biografisk Lexikon (in Danish). Kjøbenhavn: Gyldendalske Boghandels Forlag. p. 131. Retrieved 17 August 2024.

[13] Harbou, H. W. (1894). "Johan Adolf af Pløen". In Bricka, Carl Frederik (ed.). VIII. Bind. Holst - Juul. Dansk biografisk Lexikon (in Danish). Kjøbenhavn: Gyldendalske Boghandels Forlag. p. 499. Retrieved 17 August 2024.

[14] Harbou, H. W. (1900). "de la Rochefoucauld, Frédéric Charles". In Bricka, Carl Frederik (ed.). XIV. Bind. Resen - Saxtrup. Dansk biografisk Lexikon (in Danish). Kjøbenhavn: Gyldendalske Boghandels Forlag. p. 137. Retrieved 17 August 2024.

[15] Munthe, C. O. (1900). "Wedel (Jarlsberg), Gustav Vilh.". In Bricka, Carl Frederik (ed.). XVIII. Bind. Ubbe - Wimpffen. Dansk biografisk Lexikon (in Danish). Kjøbenhavn: Gyldendalske Boghandels Forlag. p. 323. Retrieved 17 August 2024.

[16] Dyrn, Ole. "Generalfeltmarskal, markgreve, Friederich Ernst af Brandenburg-Culmbach". Sct. Michaelis Kirke (in Danish). Retrieved 17 August 2024.

[17] Bobé, Louis (1901). "v. d. Schulenburg, Werner". In Bricka, Carl Frederik (ed.). XV. Bind. Scalabrini - Skanke. Dansk biografisk Lexikon (in Danish). Kjøbenhavn: Gyldendalske Boghandels Forlag. p. 324. Retrieved 17 August 2024.

[18] Huitfeldt-Kaas, H. J. (1887). "Arnoldt, Hans Jacob". In Bricka, Carl Frederik (ed.). I. Bind. Aaberg - Beaumelle. Dansk biografisk Lexikon (in Danish). Kjøbenhavn: Gyldendalske Boghandels Forlag. p. 341. Retrieved 17 August 2024.

[19] von Munthe af Morgenstierne, Otto (1938). Feltmarskal Michael Numsen og hans Tid (PDF) (in Danish). Copenhagen: Levin & Munksgaard. p. 116. Retrieved 17 August 2024.

[FOOTNOTEMygind199920,_50-20] Mygind 1999, pp. 20, 50.

[FOOTNOTEMygind199955-21] Mygind 1999, p. 55.

[22] "V. Der Land-Militair-Etat". Königlich-Dänischer Hof-und Statts-Calender (PDF) (in German). Altona. 1812. p. 79. Retrieved 17 August 2024.

[FOOTNOTEMygind199939,_72-23] Mygind 1999, pp. 39, 72.

[FOOTNOTEHedegaard197939-24] Hedegaard 1979, p. 39.

[FOOTNOTEMygind199972-25] Mygind 1999, p. 72.

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