Rikugun-gensui
陸軍元帥
Gensui Badge
Country Japanese Empire
Service branch Imperial Japanese Army
Formation19 July 1872
Abolished1945
Next higher rankDai-gensui
Next lower rankGeneral
Equivalent ranksGensui (Navy)

Rikugun-gensui (陸軍元帥, Field marshal), formal rank designations: Gensui-rikugun-taishō (元帥陸軍大将, Marshal-general) was the highest title in the pre-war Imperial Japanese military.

The title originated from the Chinese title yuanshuai (元帥).

The term gensui, which was used for both the Imperial Japanese Army and the Imperial Japanese Navy, was at first a rank held by Saigō Takamori as the Commander of the Armies (陸軍元帥 Rikugun-gensui) in 1872. However, in May 1873 Saigō was "demoted" to general, with gensui thereafter no longer a rank as such, but a largely honorific title awarded for extremely meritorious service to the Emperor - thus similar in concept to the French title of Marshal of France. Equivalent to a five-star rank (OF-10), it is similar to Field Marshal in the British Army and General of the Army in the United States Army.

While gensui would retain their actual ranks of general or admiral, they were entitled to wear an additional enamelled breast badge, depicting paulownia leaves between crossed army colors and a naval ensign under the Imperial Seal of Japan. They were also entitled to wear a special samurai sword (katana) of a modern design on ceremonial occasions.

In the Meiji period, the title was awarded to five generals and three admirals. In the Taishō period it was awarded to six generals and six admirals, and in the Shōwa period it was awarded to six generals and four admirals. The higher title of dai-gensui was comparable to the title of generalissimo and was held only by the Emperor himself.

List of Rikugun-gensui

Note that several were promoted the same year they died; these were posthumous promotions.

Portrait Name Japanese name Lifespan Promotion date From
Saigō Takamori西郷 隆盛1828–1877July 20, 1872 – May 8, 1873 Kagoshima
Prince Komatsu Akihito小松宮彰仁親王1846–1903January 20, 1898 Imperial Family
Prince Yamagata Aritomo山県 有朋1838–1922January 20, 1898 Yamaguchi
Prince Ōyama Iwao大山 厳1842–1916January 20, 1898 Kagoshima
Marquis Nozu Michitsura野津 道貫1841–1908January 31, 1906 Kagoshima
Count Oku Yasukata奥 保鞏1847–1930October 24, 1911 Fukuoka
Count Hasegawa Yoshimichi長谷川 好道1850–1924January 9, 1913 Yamaguchi
Prince Fushimi Sadanaru伏見宮貞愛親王1858–1923January 9, 1913 Imperial Family
Baron Kawamura Kageaki川村 景明1850–1926January 9, 1913 Kagoshima
Count Terauchi Masatake寺内 正毅1852–1919June 24, 1916 Yamaguchi
Prince Kan'in Kotohito閑院宮載仁親王1865–1945December 12, 1919 Imperial Family
Baron Uehara Yūsaku上原 勇作1856–1933April 27, 1921 Miyazaki
Prince Kuniyoshi Kuni久邇宮邦彦王1873–1929January 27, 1929 (posthumous) Imperial Family
Prince Nashimoto Morimasa梨本宮守正王1874–1951August 8, 1932 Imperial Family
Baron Nobuyoshi Mutō武藤 信義1868–1933May 3, 1933 Saga
Count Hisaichi Terauchi寺内 寿一1879–1946June 21, 1943 Tokyo
Hajime Sugiyama杉山 元1880–1945June 21, 1943 Fukuoka
Shunroku Hata畑 俊六1879–1962June 2, 1944 Fukushima

The title was also bestowed on King George V of the United Kingdom on October 29, 1918.[1]

See also

References

  1. Jenzen-Jones, N.R. (20 October 2022). "The King George V Gensuitō: An Imperial Japanese rarity in the Royal Collection". Arms & Armour. 19 (2): 185–197. doi:10.1080/17416124.2022.2126100. S2CID 253055340. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
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