Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a
military rank used in many countries. The rank originates from the
Old European System. The rank traces its origins to the
Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the
second-in-command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a
captain general.
In modern armies, lieutenant general normally ranks immediately below
general (or
colonel general) and above
major general; it is equivalent to the navy rank of
vice admiral, and in air forces with a separate rank structure, it is equivalent to
air marshal. In the United States, a lieutenant general has a three star insignia and commands an
army corps, typically made up of three
army divisions, and consisting of around 60,000 to 70,000 soldiers.
The seeming incongruity that a lieutenant general outranks a major general (whereas a
major outranks a
lieutenant) is due to the derivation of major general from
sergeant major general, which was a rank subordinate to lieutenant general (as a lieutenant outranks a
sergeant major). Several countries (e.g. Balkan states) use the rank of
lieutenant colonel general instead of lieutenant general, in an attempt to solve this apparent anomaly.[1]
In contrast, in
Russia and a number of other countries of the former
Soviet Union, lieutenant general is a rank immediately below
colonel general, and above
major general – in these systems there is no use of the
brigadier general of many Western countries.
In addition, some countries use the lieutenant general as the rank of divisional commander, and some have designated them with
French revolutionary system. For example, some countries of South America use
divisional general as the equivalent of lieutenant general.
^
ab"Pangkat Harian". tni.mil.id (in Indonesian). Indonesian National Armed Forces. Archived from
the original on 24 November 2020. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
^"Uganda Peoples' Defence Forces Act"(PDF). The Uganda Gazette. CXII (46). Uganda Printing and Publishing Corporation: 1851–1854. 18 September 2019. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
^"НАКАЗ 20.11.2017 № 606". zakon.rada.gov.ua (in Ukrainian). Ministry of Justice of Ukraine. 13 December 2017. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
^"Rank structure". army.mod.uk. British Army. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
^"U.S. Army Ranks". army.mil. United States Army. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
^Hudson, Rex A.; Meditz, Sandra W., eds. (1992). "Chapter 5. National Security".
Uruguay: A Country Study(PDF) (2nd ed.). Federal Research Division, Library of Congress. pp. 222–223.
ISBN0-8444-0737-2. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
^"ރޭންކް ސްޓްރަކްޗަރ". mndf.gov.mv (in Divehi). Maldives National Defence Force. Archived from
the original on 29 February 2020. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
^"Ranks". marines.mil. U.S. Marine Corps. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a
military rank used in many countries. The rank originates from the
Old European System. The rank traces its origins to the
Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the
second-in-command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a
captain general.
In modern armies, lieutenant general normally ranks immediately below
general (or
colonel general) and above
major general; it is equivalent to the navy rank of
vice admiral, and in air forces with a separate rank structure, it is equivalent to
air marshal. In the United States, a lieutenant general has a three star insignia and commands an
army corps, typically made up of three
army divisions, and consisting of around 60,000 to 70,000 soldiers.
The seeming incongruity that a lieutenant general outranks a major general (whereas a
major outranks a
lieutenant) is due to the derivation of major general from
sergeant major general, which was a rank subordinate to lieutenant general (as a lieutenant outranks a
sergeant major). Several countries (e.g. Balkan states) use the rank of
lieutenant colonel general instead of lieutenant general, in an attempt to solve this apparent anomaly.[1]
In contrast, in
Russia and a number of other countries of the former
Soviet Union, lieutenant general is a rank immediately below
colonel general, and above
major general – in these systems there is no use of the
brigadier general of many Western countries.
In addition, some countries use the lieutenant general as the rank of divisional commander, and some have designated them with
French revolutionary system. For example, some countries of South America use
divisional general as the equivalent of lieutenant general.
^
ab"Pangkat Harian". tni.mil.id (in Indonesian). Indonesian National Armed Forces. Archived from
the original on 24 November 2020. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
^"Uganda Peoples' Defence Forces Act"(PDF). The Uganda Gazette. CXII (46). Uganda Printing and Publishing Corporation: 1851–1854. 18 September 2019. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
^"НАКАЗ 20.11.2017 № 606". zakon.rada.gov.ua (in Ukrainian). Ministry of Justice of Ukraine. 13 December 2017. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
^"Rank structure". army.mod.uk. British Army. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
^"U.S. Army Ranks". army.mil. United States Army. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
^Hudson, Rex A.; Meditz, Sandra W., eds. (1992). "Chapter 5. National Security".
Uruguay: A Country Study(PDF) (2nd ed.). Federal Research Division, Library of Congress. pp. 222–223.
ISBN0-8444-0737-2. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
^"ރޭންކް ސްޓްރަކްޗަރ". mndf.gov.mv (in Divehi). Maldives National Defence Force. Archived from
the original on 29 February 2020. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
^"Ranks". marines.mil. U.S. Marine Corps. Retrieved 13 June 2021.