Nazi military and SS ranks: Difference between revisions
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Dienstränge (Offiziere) (Officer ranks)
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Before the '''Nazi'''s took power, Germany had a well-established system of '''military ranks'''. The early [[Sturmabteilung]] (SA) ("Braunhemden", ''"brownshirts"'') saw itself as a revolutionary alternative to the traditional Army, and developed its own rank system. While the SA was a largely irrelevant force after 1934, the successor [[Schutzstaffel]] (SS) ("Schwarzhemden", ''"blackshirts"'') continued the SA system. | Before the '''Nazi'''s took power, Germany had a well-established system of '''military ranks'''. The early [[Sturmabteilung]] (SA) ("Braunhemden", ''"brownshirts"'') saw itself as a revolutionary alternative to the traditional Army, and developed its own rank system. While the SA was a largely irrelevant force after 1934, the successor [[Schutzstaffel]] (SS) ("Schwarzhemden", ''"blackshirts"'') essentially continued the SA system. | ||
There was not a perfect mapping between SA/SS and military ranks. Complicating the system was that the heads of the SS, [[Heinrich Himmler]], and of the [[Luftwaffe]], [[Hermann Goering|Hermann Göring]], insisted on having unique ranks senior to all others. | There was not a perfect mapping between SA/SS and military ranks. Complicating the system was that the heads of the SS, [[Heinrich Himmler]], and of the [[Luftwaffe]], [[Hermann Goering|Hermann Göring]], insisted on having unique ranks senior to all others. | ||
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{| class="wikitable" | {| class="wikitable" | ||
<center>'''Officer ranks | <center>'''Dienstränge (Offiziere)''' ''(Officer ranks)''</center> | ||
|- | |- | ||
! width=20% |SS | ! width=20% |SS and SS | ||
! width=20% |Heer (Army) | ! width=20% |Heer (Army) | ||
! width=20% |Kriegsmarine (Navy) | ! width=20% |Kriegsmarine (Navy) | ||
| Line 17: | Line 17: | ||
! width=20% |Western ground forces | ! width=20% |Western ground forces | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | | Reichsfuehrer (Himmler only) | ||
| | | Generalfeldmarschall | ||
| Grossadmiral | | Grossadmiral | ||
| Reichsmarschall ( | | Reichsmarschall (Göring only); Generalfeldmarschall | ||
| Field Marshal, General of the Army | | Field Marshal, General of the Army | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[ | | [[Oberstgruppenführer]] | ||
| [[Generaloberst]] | | [[Generaloberst]] | ||
| Generaladmiral | | Generaladmiral | ||
| Generaloberst | | Generaloberst | ||
| | | General, Admiral | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[ | | [[Obergruppenführer]] | ||
| General [of branch] (e.g., General der Infantrie) | | General [of branch] (e.g., General der Infantrie) | ||
| Vizeadmiral | | Vizeadmiral | ||
| Line 35: | Line 35: | ||
| [[Lieutenant general]] | | [[Lieutenant general]] | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[ | | [[Gruppenführer]] | ||
| [[Generalleutnant]] | | [[Generalleutnant]] | ||
| Konteradmiral | | Konteradmiral | ||
| Line 41: | Line 41: | ||
| [[Major general]] | | [[Major general]] | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[ | | [[Brigadeführer]] | ||
| [[Generalmajor]] | | [[Generalmajor]] | ||
| Kommodore | | Kommodore | ||
| Line 47: | Line 47: | ||
| [[Brigadier general]] | | [[Brigadier general]] | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[ | | [[Oberführer]] | ||
| - | | - | ||
| | | | ||
| Line 53: | Line 53: | ||
| (senior colonel) | | (senior colonel) | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[ | | [[Standartenführer]] | ||
| [[Oberst]] | | [[Oberst]] | ||
| | | Kapitän zur See | ||
| [[Oberst]] | | [[Oberst]] | ||
| [[Colonel]] | | [[Colonel]] | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[ | | [[Obersturmbannführer]] | ||
| [[Oberstleutnant]] | | [[Oberstleutnant]] | ||
| | | Korvettenkapitän | ||
| [[Oberstleutnant]] | | [[Oberstleutnant]] | ||
| [[Lieutenant colonel]] | | [[Lieutenant colonel]] | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[ | | [[Sturmbannführer]] | ||
| [[Major]] | | [[Major]] | ||
| | | Fregattenkapitän | ||
| [[Major]] | | [[Major]] | ||
| [[Major]] | | [[Major]] | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[ | | [[Hauptsturmführer]] | ||
| [[Hauptmann]] | | [[Hauptmann]] | ||
| | | Kapitänleutnant | ||
| [[Hauptmann]] | | [[Hauptmann]] | ||
| [[Captain (land forces)|Captain]] | | [[Captain (land forces)|Captain]] | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[ | | [[Sturmführer]] | ||
| [[Oberleutnant]] | | [[Oberleutnant]] | ||
| Oberleutnant zur Zee | | Oberleutnant zur Zee | ||
| Line 83: | Line 83: | ||
| [[First lieutenant]] | | [[First lieutenant]] | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[ | | [[Untersturmführer]] | ||
| [[Leutnant]] | | [[Leutnant]] | ||
| Leutnant zur See | | Leutnant zur See | ||
Revision as of 17:28, 17 March 2024
Before the Nazis took power, Germany had a well-established system of military ranks. The early Sturmabteilung (SA) ("Braunhemden", "brownshirts") saw itself as a revolutionary alternative to the traditional Army, and developed its own rank system. While the SA was a largely irrelevant force after 1934, the successor Schutzstaffel (SS) ("Schwarzhemden", "blackshirts") essentially continued the SA system.
There was not a perfect mapping between SA/SS and military ranks. Complicating the system was that the heads of the SS, Heinrich Himmler, and of the Luftwaffe, Hermann Göring, insisted on having unique ranks senior to all others.
Another confusing factor, not unique to Germany, is that the military (but not the SS) had no rank of brigadier general. In both Germany and the Soviet Union, the "Generalmajor" rank was equivalent to the "one-star" rank, and all the other ranks shifted: "Generalleutnant" was equivalent to two-star, not to lieutenant general.
Naval rank structure differed from Anglo-American usage, but were consistent with other Continental navies, with multiple grades of "captain" rather than having a "commander" rank; the Soviets had "captain first rank" through "captain third rank".
| SS and SS | Heer (Army) | Kriegsmarine (Navy) | Luftwaffe (Air Force) | Western ground forces |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reichsfuehrer (Himmler only) | Generalfeldmarschall | Grossadmiral | Reichsmarschall (Göring only); Generalfeldmarschall | Field Marshal, General of the Army |
| Oberstgruppenführer | Generaloberst | Generaladmiral | Generaloberst | General, Admiral |
| Obergruppenführer | General [of branch] (e.g., General der Infantrie) | Vizeadmiral | General [of branch] (e.g., General der Flieger) | Lieutenant general |
| Gruppenführer | Generalleutnant | Konteradmiral | Generalleutnant | Major general |
| Brigadeführer | Generalmajor | Kommodore | Generalmajor | Brigadier general |
| Oberführer | - | (senior colonel) | ||
| Standartenführer | Oberst | Kapitän zur See | Oberst | Colonel |
| Obersturmbannführer | Oberstleutnant | Korvettenkapitän | Oberstleutnant | Lieutenant colonel |
| Sturmbannführer | Major | Fregattenkapitän | Major | Major |
| Hauptsturmführer | Hauptmann | Kapitänleutnant | Hauptmann | Captain |
| Sturmführer | Oberleutnant | Oberleutnant zur Zee | Oberleutnant | First lieutenant |
| Untersturmführer | Leutnant | Leutnant zur See | Leutnant | Second lieutenant |