List of Marshals of France

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Marshal of France
Maréchal de France
Flag of Marshal of France.svg
Rank flag
Army-FRA-OF-10.svgFrance-Army-OF-10 Sleeve.svg
Shoulder and sleeve insignia
Country France
Service branch French Army
Rank groupGeneral officer
NATO rank codeOF-10
Formation1185
Next higher rankNone
Next lower rankArmy general[a]
Equivalent ranksAdmiral of France
Related articles
HistoryMarshal of the Empire

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).

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 (died 1191), Marshal of France in 1185
  • Matthew II of Montmorency, Lord of Montmorency and Marly, Marshal of France in 1191
  • , (died 1195), Marshal of France in 1192
  • (died 1204), Marshal of France in 1202
  • , called the "Little Marshal", Lord of Le Mez and of Argentan (1170–1214), Marshal of France in 1204
  • , Lord of Le Mez and of Argentan (died 1262), Marshal of France in 1214
  • (dates unknown), Marshal of France in 1220

Louis IX, 1226–1270[]

  • , Lord of Challeranges (died 1247), Marshal of France in 1240
  • (died 1257), Marshal of France in 1250
  • (died 1268), Marshal of France in 1255
  • , Lord of Nemours (died 1270), Marshal of France in 1257
  • , Lord of Le Mez and Argentan (died 1265), Marshal of France in 1262
  • (died 1270), Marshal of France in 1265
  • (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[]

  • (died 1283), Marshal of France in 1272
  • (died 1283), Marshal of France in 1283
  • Jean II d'Harcourt, Viscount of Châtellerault, Lord of Harcourt (died 1302), Marshal of France in 1283
  • (died 1287), Marshal of France in 1285

Philip IV, 1285–1314[]

Louis X, 1314–1316[]

Philip V, 1316–1322[]

Charles IV, 1322–1328[]

  • , Baron of Briquebec, Viscount of Roncheville (1285–1348), Marshal of France in 1325

Valois[]

Philip VI, 1328–1350[]

  • (1265–1343), Marshal of France in 1339
  • Charles I de Montmorency, Lord of Montmorency (1325–1381), Marshal of France in 1344
  • , 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
  • , 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
  • , Lord of Engoumois (died 1422), Marshal of France in 1418
  • Gilbert Motier de La Fayette (1396–1464), Marshal of France in 1421
  • (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 (1404–1440), 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[]

  • Joachim Rouhault de Gamaches, Lord of Boismenard (died 1478), Marshal of France in 1461
  • Jean de Lescun, Count of Comminges (died 1473), Marshal of France in 1461
  • Wolfart VI Van Borselleen, Lord of Veere in Zeeland and Earl of Buchan in Scotland (died 1487), Marshal of France in 1464
  • , Lord of Rohan (1450–1514), Marshal of France in 1476

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
  • (died 1538), Lord of Montjean, Marshal of France in 1538
  • , Seigneur of Le Biez (died 1553), Marshal of France in 1542
  • , Lord of Montpezat (1490–1544), Marshal of France in 1544
  • , Prince of Melphes (1480–1550), Marshal of France in 1544

Henry II 1547–1559[]

Francis II 1559–1560[]

Charles IX, 1560–1574[]

  • François de Scépeaux, Lord of Vieilleville (1509–1571), Marshal of France in 1562
  • Imbert de La Plâtière, Lord of Bourdillon (1524–1567), Marshal of France in 1564
  • Henri I de Montmorency, Lord of Damville, Duke of Montmorency, Count of Dammartin and Alais, Baron of Chateaubriant, Lord of Chantilly and Ecouen (1534–1614), Marshal of France in 1566
  • , Lord of Gonnor and Count of Secondigny (died 1582), Marshal of France in 1567
  • , (1536–1599) commander of the German Huguenot contingent at Jarnac
  • Gaspard de Saulx, Lord of Tavannes (1509–1575), Marshal of France in 1570
  • Honorat II de Savoye, Marquis of Villars (died 1580), Marshal of France in 1571
  • Albert de Gondi, Duke of Retz (1522–1602), Marshal of France in 1573

Henry III 1574–1589[]

  • Roger I de Saint Larry, Lord of Bellegarde (died 1579), Marshal of France in 1574
  • Blaise de Lasseran-Massencôme, Seigneur de Montluc (1500–1577), Marshal of France in 1574
  • , Baron de Sansac (1496–1576), Marshal of France
  • Armand de Gontaut, Baron de Biron (1524–1592), Marshal of France in 1577
  • , Lord of Matignon and of Lesparre, Count of Thorigny, Prince of Mortagne sur Gironde (1525–1597), Marshal of France in 1579
  • Jean VI d'Aumont, Baron of Estrabonne, Count of Châteauroux (died 1580), Marshal of France in 1571
  • , Viscount of Joyeuse, Lord of Saint-Didier, of Laudun, of Puyvert and of Arques (1520–1592), Marshal of France in 1582
  • Charles II de Cossé, Duke of Brissac (1562–1621), Marshal of France

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
  • Louis-Alexandre Berthier, Prince of Neuchâtel and of Wagram, (1753–1815), Marshal of the Empire in 1804
  • Joachim Murat, Prince d'Empire, Grand Duke of Berg, King of Naples (1767–1815), Marshal of the Empire in 1804
  • Bon-Adrien Jeannot de Moncey, Duke of Conégliano (1754–1842), Marshal of the Empire in 1804
  • Jean-Baptiste Jourdan, Count of the Empire (1762–1833), Marshal of the Empire in 1804
  • André Masséna, Duke of Rivoli, Prince of Essling (1758–1817), Marshal of the Empire in 1804
  • Pierre Augereau, Duke of Castiglione (1757–1816), Marshal of the Empire in 1804
  • Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte (1763–1844), Prince of Pontecorvo, King of Sweden and Norway under the name Charles XIV John (1818–1844), Marshal of the Empire in 1804
  • Guillaume Marie-Anne Brune, Count of the Empire (1763–1815), Marshal of the Empire in 1804
  • Jean-de-Dieu Soult, Duke of Dalmatie (1769–1851), Marshal of the Empire in 1804, Marshal General of France in 1847
  • Jean Lannes, Duke of Montebello (1769–1809), Marshal of the Empire in 1804 †
  • Édouard Mortier, Duke of Trévise (1768–1835), Marshal of the Empire in 1804
  • Michel Ney, Duke of Elchingen, Prince of the Moskva (1769–1815), Marshal of the Empire in 1804
  • Louis-Nicolas Davout, Duke of Auerstädt, Prince of Eckmühl (1770–1823), Marshal of the Empire in 1804
  • Jean-Baptiste Bessières, Duke of Istria (1768–1813), Marshal of the Empire in 1804 †
  • François Christophe de Kellermann, Duke of Valmy (1737–1820), Marshal of the Empire in 1804 (honorary)
  • François Joseph Lefebvre, Duke of Danzig (1755–1820), Marshal of the Empire in 1804 (honorary)
  • Catherine-Dominique de Pérignon, Marquis of Grenade (1754–1818), Marshal of the Empire in 1804 (honorary)
  • Jean-Mathieu-Philibert Sérurier, Count of the Empire (1742–1819), Marshal of the Empire in 1804 (honorary)
  • Claude Victor-Perrin, Duc de Belluno (1764–1841), Marshal of the Empire in 1807
  • Jacques MacDonald, Duke of Tarento (1765–1840), Marshal of the Empire in 1809
  • Nicolas Oudinot, Duke of Reggio (1767–1847), Marshal of the Empire in 1809
  • Auguste de Marmont, Duke of Ragusa (1774–1852), Marshal of the Empire in 1809
  • Louis-Gabriel Suchet, Duke of Albufera (1770–1826), Marshal of the Empire in 1811
  • Laurent de Gouvion Saint-Cyr, Marquis of Gouvion-Saint-Cyr (1764–1830), Marshal of the Empire in 1812
  • Józef Poniatowski, Prince Poniatowski (1763–1813), Marshal of the Empire in 1813 †
  • Emmanuel de Grouchy, marquis de Grouchy (1766–1847), Marshal of the Empire in 1815

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[]

  • Louis Aloy de Hohenlohe-Waldenburg-Bartenstein, Prince of Hohnlohe-Waldenburg-Bartenstein (1765–1829), Marshal of France in 1827
  • Nicolas Joseph Maison, Marquis Maison (1771–1840), Marshal of France in 1829
  • Louis Auguste Victor de Ghaisne de Bourmont, Count of Bourmont (1773–1846), Marshal of France in 1830

July Monarchy[]

Louis-Philippe 1830–1848[]

Sylvain Charles Valée
  • Étienne Maurice Gérard, Count Gérard (1773–1852), Marshal of France in 1830
  • Bertrand Clauzel, Count Clauzel (1772–1842), Marshal of France in 1831
  • Emmanuel de Grouchy, Marquis of Grouchy (1766–1847), Marshal of France in 1831
  • Georges Mouton, Count Lobau (1770–1838), Marshal of France in 1831
  • Sylvain Charles Valée, Count Valée (1773–1846), Marshal of France in 1837
  • Horace Sébastiani, Count Sébastiani (1772–1851), Marshal of France in 1840
  • Jean-Baptiste Drouet, Count d'Erlon (1765–1844), Marshal of France in 1843
  • Thomas Robert Bugeaud, Duke of Isly, (1784–1849), Marshal of France in 1843
  • Honoré Charles Reille, Count Reille (1775–1860), Marshal of France in 1847
  • Guillaume Dode de la Brunerie, Viscount de la Brunerie (1775–1851), Marshal of France in 1847

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[]

  • Joseph Joffre (1852–1931), Marshal of France in 1916
  • Ferdinand Foch (1851–1929), Marshal of France in 1918
  • Philippe Pétain (1856–1951), Marshal of France in 1918

Alexandre Millerand, 1920–1924[]

  • Joseph Gallieni (1849–1916), Marshal of France in 1921 (posthumous)
  • Hubert Lyautey (1854–1934), Marshal of France in 1921
  • Louis Franchet d'Espèrey (1856–1942), Marshal of France in 1921
  • Marie Émile Fayolle (1852–1928), Marshal of France in 1921
  • Michel-Joseph Maunoury (1847–1923), Marshal of France in 1923 (posthumous)

Fourth Republic[]

Vincent Auriol, 1947–1954[]

  • Jean de Lattre de Tassigny (1889–1952), Marshal of France in 1952 (posthumous)
  • Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque (1902–1947), Marshal of France in 1952 (posthumous)
  • Alphonse Juin (1888–1967), Marshal of France in 1952

Fifth Republic[]

François Mitterrand, 1981–1995[]

Refused[]

This distinction was refused by :

See also[]

Notes[]

  1. ^ Not a rank, but a position and style.

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.[self-published source]
  4. ^ Encyclopædia Britannica, Vol 23, Ed. Hugh Chisholm, (1911), 719.
  5. ^ R.P. Dunn-Pattison Napoleon's Marshals Methuen 1909 - Reprinted Empiricus Books 2001
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