Rank Question.

[Trogdor]

Hi

I have a odd question to test the historical knowledge of those replying to this.

Q: If the rank of Lieutenant is lower than the rank of Major then why is a lieutenant General higher in rank than a Major General?

 

[vonGarvin]

OK, this is an odd one, but think of it this way:
a "lieutenant" is a person who can take the place of the next up.
So, "lieutenant" is just below Captain, "lieutenant colonel" is just below Colonel, and Lieutenant General is just below general
As for "major", at low level, think of "Sergeant Major" being the assistant to the captain, "Major" being the assistant to the "Colonel" and "Major General" assistant to the General.
So, in summation, a captain has both a "lieutenant" and a "major"
A colonel has both a "lieutenant" and a "major"
A General has both a "lieutenant" and a "major"

 

[George Wallace]

We have that answer somewhere in this site, if one Searches Rank and digs through the discussions.  But off the top of my head, it goes something like this.  Above the rank of Colonel the ancient rank system went to the General Ranks.  Before we get into the General Ranks, we should look at Brigadier.  The Brigadier was a full Colonel, who commanded a Brigade, with the Unit commanders in that Brigade being LCols.  Brigadier was not a rank, but an appointment.

In the ancient rank system, the General ranks progressed through Sergeant-Major General, Lieutenant General (who was the right hand man of the General or his Lieutenant.), and then the top man, the General.  Sergeant-Major General was quite a mouthful and over the centuries was shortened to Major General.

The rank of Brigadier General was created when someone decided that it would be nice to have a General command a Brigade, and so the appointment of Brigadier became a rank.

 

[villecour]

George  is right, this is what I was taught years ago concerning ''general's ranks''. I would like to know when the sergeant major general's term was used?? In history books, I have always seen Major-General being used, in 1759, James Wolfe was a Major General so this expression must pre date that period.
Thanks ???

 

[AJFitzpatrick]

I wanted to answer this just to say "I've information mineral, animal and vegetable"

Cromwell in 1655 used the term "Major-General" in appointing major-generals to command the eleven military districts of England

 

[WLSC]

  The origin are older then you all said.  It come's from the this the king's ad all their Captain around him.  To make a diffirence, he appointed a Captain general fom a battle, with is lieutnant general and is sergeant major general in charge of logistics !  So the time made is work and the name became wath we know today

 

[George Wallace]

How about you check that out, edit it, correct your grammar and spelling and then the rest of us will be able to figure out exactly what you have said.