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This article lists the military ranks and the rank insignia used in the French Imperial Army. Officers and the most senior non-commissioned rank had rank insignia in the form of epaulettes, sergeants and corporals in the form of stripes or chevrons on the sleeves.
Gold (yellow) or silver (white) stripes and epaulettes were used in accordance with the metal of the uniform buttons of the regiment. Officers of regiments with gold buttons used gold epaulettes, those with silver buttons wore silver epaulettes. The epaulettes of majors were of contrary metal; gold buttons, silver epaulets etc. Generals and field officers used bullion fringes. Gold and silver were also often used in accordance to the Regiments designation as a Ligne (line) regiment would frequent gold while a Legere (light) regiment would frequent silver.
| Rank group | General / flag officers | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Insignia [1] [2] [3] |  |  |  |
| Maréchal de France | Général de division | Général de brigade | |
| Rank group | Senior officers | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Insignia [1] [2] [3] |  |  |  | ||
| Infantry and artillery | Colonel | Colonel en second | Major | Major en second | Chef de bataillon |
| Cavalry and train [4] | Chef d'escadron | ||||
| Rank group | Junior officers | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Insignia [1] [2] [3] |  |  |  |  |
| Insignia (1812) |  |  | ||
| Infantry, artillery Cavalry and train | Capitaine adjudant major | Capitaine | Lieutenant | Sous-lieutenant |
The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel.
| Rank group | NCOs | Caporals | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Insignia [1] [2] [3] |  | |  |  |  |  |
| Infantry and artillery | Adjudant sous-officier | Adjudant sous-officier version of 1808 | Sergent-major | Sergent | Caporal-fourrier | Caporal |
| Cavalry and train [4] | Maréchal des logis-chef | Maréchal des logis | Brigadier-fourrier | Brigadier | ||
| Physician [5] | Surgeons [5] | Pharmacists [5] |
|---|---|---|
| Médecin en chef | Chirurgien en chef | - |
| Médecin major | Chirurgien major | Pharmacien major |
| Médecin aide major | Chirurgien aide major | Pharmacien aide major |
| - | Chirurgien sous aide major | Pharmacien sous aide major |
Sergeants, corporals and privates were issued good conduct and long service badges, galons d'ancienneté in the form of chevron on the upper left arm of the uniform coat; one chevron for ten years' service, two for 15 years' service, three for 20 years' service. The chevrons were officially of red cloth for all ranks, except caporal-fourriers who were issued chevrons in yellow or white cloth (depending on the metal colour), as a replacement for the stripe that denoted his rank. In reality, however, the sergeants used chevrons in yellow or white. [6]
| | |  |  |
| Sergent-major with 15 years' service | Sergent with 15 years' service | Caporal-fourrier with ten years' service | Caporal with ten years' service |
Sergeant (Sgt) is a rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The alternative spelling, serjeant, is used in The Rifles and other units that draw their heritage from the British light infantry. Its origin is the Latin serviens, 'one who serves', through the Old French term serjant.
Corporal is a military rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The rank is usually the lowest ranking non-commissioned officer. In some militaries, the rank of corporal nominally corresponds to commanding a section or squad of soldiers.
Sergeant major is a senior non-commissioned rank or appointment in many militaries around the world. Sergeants Major serve as the senior enlisted advisor to the commander.
Epaulette is a type of ornamental shoulder piece or decoration used as insignia of rank by armed forces and other organizations. Flexible metal epaulettes are referred to as shoulder scales.
This is a table of the ranks and insignia of the Canadian Armed Forces. As the Canadian Armed Forces is officially bilingual, the French language ranks are presented following the English.
The chart below shows the current enlisted rank insignia of the United States Army, with seniority, and pay grade, increasing from right to left. The enlisted ranks of corporal (E-4) and higher are considered non-commissioned officers (NCOs). The rank of specialist is also in pay grade E-4, but does not hold non-commissioned officer status; it is common that a soldier may never hold the rank of corporal, and instead be promoted from specialist to sergeant, attaining junior NCO status at that time.
Listed in the table below are the insignia—emblems of authority—of the British Army. Badges for field officers were introduced in 1810 and the insignia was moved to the epaulettes in 1880. On ceremonial or parade uniforms these ranks continue to be worn on the epaulettes, either as cloth slides or as metal clips, although on the modern 'working dress' they are usually worn as a cloth slide on the chest. Although these insignia apply across the British Army there is variation in the precise design and colours used and it can take some time to become familiar with them all.
"Other ranks" (ORs) is the term used to refer to all ranks below officers in the British Army and the Royal Marines. It includes warrant officers, non-commissioned officers ("NCOs") and ordinary soldiers with the rank of private or regimental equivalent. Officers may, in speaking, distinguish themselves from those "in the ranks".
Rank insignia in the French Army are worn on the sleeve or on shoulder marks of uniforms, and range up to the highest rank of Marshal of France, a state honour denoted with a seven-star insignia that was last conferred posthumously on Marie Pierre Koenig in 1984.
The ranks and insignia used by Russian Ground Forces are inherited from the military ranks of the Soviet Union, although the insignia and uniform has been altered slightly.
Before Unification as the Canadian Armed Forces in 1968, the Canadian military had three distinct services: the Royal Canadian Navy, the Royal Canadian Air Force, and the Canadian Army. All three services had a Regular (full-time) component and a reserve (part-time) component. The rank structure for these services were based on the services of the British military, the Royal Navy, the Royal Air Force, and the British Army. The change to a "Canadian" rank structure meant that many of the traditional (British) rank titles and insignia were removed or changed.
The military ranks of the Soviet Union were those introduced after the October Revolution of 1917. At that time the Imperial Russian Table of Ranks was abolished, as were the privileges of the pre-Soviet Russian nobility.
The ranks in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reflect an individual's level in the military.
The uniforms of La Grande Armée, the army of Napoleon I, are described in this article.
United States Army commissioned officers rank insignia in use today.
The Italian Army ranks are the ranks used by the Italian Army, the insignia for which are worn on epaulettes of shirts. Ranks in the Italian Army indicate both their officers' status and seniority, as dedicated members of the Italian militia. As of 2024, the lowest rank is "soldato semplice" and the highest rank is "generale". There are a total of 32 ranks in seven categories. These categories include: temporary service volunteers, permanent service volunteers, sergeants, marshals (NCOs), junior officers, senior officers, and generals.
The military uniforms of the Union Army in the American Civil War were widely varied and, due to limitations on supply of wool and other materials, based on availability and cost of materials. The ideal uniform was prescribed as a dark blue coat with lighter pants, with a black hat. Officer's ranks were denoted with increasing levels of golden decoration. Specific jobs, companies, and units had markedly different styles at times, often following European customs such as that of the Zouaves. Officers uniforms tended to be highly customized and would stray from Army standard. Ironically, several main pieces of gear had been created by order of the U.S. War Secretary Jefferson Davis before the war; he later became Confederate President.
The Heer as the German army and part of the Wehrmacht inherited its uniforms and rank structure from the Reichsheer of the Weimar Republic (1921–1935). There were few alterations and adjustments made as the army grew from a limited peacetime defense force of 100,000 men to a war-fighting force of several million men.
The rank insignia of the Federal Defence Forces indicate rank and branch of service in the German Army, German Air Force, or the German Navy.
This article deals with the rank insignia of the Austro-Hungarian Army, as worn by the Austro-Hungarian Army after the reorganisation in 1867 until 1918.
