Marshal

For the rank of Field Marshal, see Field Marshal.

Marshal (also sometimes spelled marshall in American English[1][2], but not in British English) is a word used in several official titles of various branches of society. The word derives from Old High German marah "horse" and schalh "servant",[3] and originally meant "stable keeper"[4]. As marshals became trusted members of the courts of Medieval Europe, the title grew in reputation. During the last few centuries, it has been used for the most elevated offices. The American English spelling of the surname ("Marshall") is often confused with the spelling of the title ("Marshal"). It is approximate to the position of Constable, of similar etymology, Latin comes stabuli (count of the stables).

Contents

Military

Common anglophone military ranks
Navies Armies Air forces
Officers
Admiral of
the Fleet		 Marshal /
Field Marshal		 Marshal of
the Air Force
Admiral General Air Marshal
Commodore Brigadier Air Commodore
Captain Colonel Group Captain
Commander Lt. Colonel Wing Commander
Lieutenant
Commander		 Major /
Commandant		 Squadron
Leader
Lieutenant Captain Flight Lieutenant
Sub-Lieutenant Lieutenant Flying Officer
Ensign 2nd Lieutenant Pilot Officer
Midshipman Officer Cadet Officer Cadet
Seamen, soldiers and airmen
Warrant Officer Sergeant Major Warrant Officer
Petty Officer Sergeant Sergeant
Leading Seaman Corporal Corporal
Seaman Private Aircraftman

In many countries, the rank of Marshal, i.e. Field Marshal, is the highest Army rank, outranking other General Officers. Typically the equivalent navy rank is Admiral of the Fleet.

Marshals are typically appointed only in wartime (although this need not be the case). In many countries, especially in Europe, the special symbol of a Marshal is a baton, and so their insignia often incorporate batons.

In some countries, the word Marshal is also used instead of General in the higher air force ranks. The four highest Royal Air Force ranks are Marshal of the Royal Air Force, Air Chief Marshal, Air Marshal and Air Vice Marshal (although the first, which has generally been suspended as a peacetime rank, is the only one which can properly be considered a marshal). The 5 star rank of Marshal of the Air Force is used by some Commonwealth and middle eastern air forces.

In the French army and some armies based on the French army, Maréchal des logis (Marshal-of-Lodgings ) is a cavalry term equivalent to sergeant.

Some historical rulers have used special Marshal titles to reward certain subjects. Though not strictly military ranks, these honorary titles have been exclusively bestowed upon successful military leaders, such as the famous Grand Marshal of Ayacucho Antonio Jose de Sucre. Most famous are the Marshals of France (Maréchaux de France), not least under Napoleon I. Another such title was that of Reich Marshal (Reichsmarschall), that was bestowed upon Hermann Göring by Adolf Hitler, although it was never a regular title. In England during the First Barons' War the title Marshal of the Army of God was bestowed upon Robert Fitzwalter by election.

Soviet Union and Russia have both General of the Army and Marshal in their rank system, which leaves the latter as a largely honorary rank.

Marshal ranks by country

The following articles deal with the rank of Marshal as used by specific countries:

See also:

Marshal equivalents

These ranks are considered the equivalent to a Marshal:

Military police

The name is also applied to the leader of military police organizations.

Ceremonial

Law enforcement

The word Maréchaussée seems to derive from the old French name Marecheaux given to an ancient court of justice in Paris called the "Tribunal of Constables and Marshals of France". These constables and marshals were to become members of the Gendarmerie which served as a model for the police forces of both Belgium and the Netherlands. The term Maréchaussée was also used for the Continental Army's military police during the American Revolution. In the Netherlands today, the Koninklijke Marechaussee is a national military police service similar to the French Gendarmerie.

It is also said that the word "Marshal" is derived from the Roman god Mars who was the God of War.

United States

Particularly in the United States, marshal is used for various kinds of law enforcement officers.

Federal Marshals

The federal court system in the United States is organized into 94 federal judicial districts, each with a court (and one or several judges), a United States Attorney with assistants as prosecutors and government lawyers, and one marshal, appointed by the president, in charge of federal law enforcement. The courts are part of the independent judicial branch of the government, while the marshals and US attorneys are part of the executive branch Department of Justice.

In actual practice, the US marshal for the district mainly oversees court security, and has a unit of appointed deputies (other law enforcement operations and the federal prison system are handled by a variety of federal police agencies) and Special Deputies.

The United States Marshals Service is a professional, civil service unit of federal police, part of the system of marshals explained above but made up of career law enforcement personnel rather than the appointed district marshals. The US Marshals Service assists with court security and prisoner transport, asset forfeiture, serves arrest warrants and seeks fugitives.

Federal Air Marshal Service is a separate, armed federal law enforcement service employed to protect commercial airliners from the threat of aircraft hijacking. These officers, like the above marshals, work for the executive branch of the US government.

The US Supreme Court maintains its own, separate Marshal of the Supreme Court who also controls the US Supreme Court Police, a security police service answerable to the court itself rather than to the president or attorney general. It handles security for the Supreme Court building, for the justices personally, and undertakes whatever other missions the court may require.

State and Local Marshals

United Kingdom

William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke rose from obscurity for his courage and skill as a knight and served four kings, ultimately becoming one of the most powerful men in Europe with immense prestige. Before him, the hereditary title of "Marshal" designated the head of household security for the king of England, however by the time he died in 1219, people throughout Europe (not just England) referred to William Marshal simply as "the Marshal". In 1595, Queen Elizabeth I issued letters patent giving powers to a Marshal to maintain order within the City of London. Later on, an Under-Marshal and six City Marshalmen were also appointed to assist the Marshal in his duties. As a result of the Police Acts of 1829 and 1839, the Marshals' role changed significantly; however, there is still one City Marshal (As of 2009, Colonel Billy King-Harman CBE), who acts as the peacekeeper to the Lord Mayor of London by leading processions and representing the Lord Mayor at all Entries of Troops (challenging and then escorting those few regiments entitled to march though the City of London).

France

In France the Maréchaussée was the forerunner of the French Gendarmerie. A military corps having such duties was first created in 1337 and was placed under the command of the Constable of France, and therefore named the connétablie. In 1626 after the aboliton of the title of connétable, it was put under the command of the Maréchal of France, and renamed Maréchaussée. Its main mission was protecting the roads from highwaymen.

The gens d'armes were originally heavy cavalry in the king's household, the equivalent of the "Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms". In 1720 the maréchaussée was subordinated to the gendarmerie; after the French Revolution the maréchaussée was abolished and the gendarmerie took over its duties in 1791.

It was a mounted military police force organised and equipped along military lines. While its existence ensured the relative safety of French rural districts and roads, the marechaussee was regarded in contemporary England (which had no effective police force of any nature) as a symbol of foreign tyranny. In 1789, on the eve of the French Revolution, the marechaussee numbered 3,660 men divided into small detachments called brigades. By law dated 16 February 1791 this force was renamed the gendarmerie nationale. Its personnel and role remained unchanged.

Netherlands

In the Netherlands the Koninklijke Marechaussee are the gendarmerie force. Created by King William I to replace the French gendarmerie on October 26, 1814 . The word gendarmerie had gained a negative connotation, so William called the new force "marechaussée" (maréchaussée is an alternate French word for gendarmerie). At that time, the marechaussee was part of the army (landmacht). The marechaussee performed police duties for the army, as well as civilian police work as a part of the national police (rijkspolitie). The marechaussee would form the only police force in many small cities like Venlo, especially in the southern provinces of Limburg and North Brabant. As of 1998, the marechaussee is a separate branch of the Dutch military assigned with military and civilian police tasks.

Political

Poland

Apart from its military uses, the Polish word marszałek (marshal) also refers to certain political offices:

For other historical uses of the word, see marszałek.

Demonstration marshal

Demonstration marshals, also called stewards, are used by the organizers of large or controversial demonstrations, rallies and protests, to help with the safety of the participants.[5][6] They are especially important for preventing infiltration by agents provocateurs.

Fiction

Science-fiction

The rank of Marshal has made frequent appearances in science fiction works, both live action productions and literature.

Star Wars

In the universe of Star Wars, the rank of Marshal is conjectured to be connected to the TIE fighter forces, being ranks held by senior TIE fighter commanders, equivalent to Imperial Navy Admirals. Several sources of the Star Wars Expanded Universe have conjectured the following Marshal ranks of the starfighter service.

Others

Fantasy

Other

In Mercedes Lackey's fictional country of Valdemar, one of the country's most important ranks is that of Lord Marshal.

Academic

Racing and other competitions

References

  1. ↑ Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language. New York: Gramercy Books. 1996. pp. 879. ISBN 0517151413. 
  2. ↑ [1] Merriam Webster's ("considered a spelling error by several commentators")
  3. ↑ E. M. Kirkpatrick, ed (1983). Chambers 20th Century Dictionary. Edinburgh: W & R Chambers Ltd. pp. 772. ISBN 0550102345. 
  4. ↑ Jacob und Wilhelm Grimm, Deutsches Wörterbuch, Leipzig 1854-1960, Vol. 12 Col. 1673 Online-Version
  5. ↑ Belyaeva et al. (2007) Guidelines on Freedom of Peaceful Assembly, published by OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights. Alternative version
  6. ↑ Bryan, Dominic The Anthropology of Ritual: Monitoring and Stewarding Demonstrations in Northern Ireland, Anthropology in Action, Volume 13, Numbers 1-2, January 2006, pp.22-31(10)

See also