Gensui (Imperial Japanese Army)

Gensui; 元帥陸軍大将;
	Gensui Badge
Country	Japanese Empire
Service branch	Imperial Japanese Army; Imperial Japanese Navy
Rank	Five-star
NATO rank	OF-10
Non-NATO rank	O-11
Formation	July 19, 1872
Abolished	1945
Next higher rank	Dai-gensui
Next lower rank	Army general

Rikugun-gensui (陸軍元帥, Field marshal), formal rank designations: Gensui-rikugun-taishō (元帥陸軍大将, Marshal-(army) 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 UK 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.

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

	Marshal	Name	(Birth – Death)	From
X	July 19, 1872	Saigō Takamori	(1827–1877)	Kagoshima
1	January 20, 1898	Prince Yamagata Aritomo	(1838–1922)	Yamaguchi
2	January 20, 1898	Prince Komatsu Akihito	(1846–1903)	Imperial Family
3	January 20, 1898	Prince Ōyama Iwao	(1842–1916)	Kagoshima
4	January 31, 1906	Marquis Nozu Michitsura	(1840–1908)	Kagoshima
5	October 24, 1911	Count Oku Yasukata	(1847–1930)	Fukuoka
6	January 9, 1914	Count Hasegawa Yoshimichi	(1850–1924)	Yamaguchi
7	January 9, 1914	Prince Fushimi Sadanaru	(1858–1923)	Imperial Family
8	January 9, 1914	Baron Kawamura Kageaki	(1850–1926)	Kagoshima
9	June 24, 1916	Count Terauchi Masatake	(1852–1919)	Yamaguchi
10	December 12, 1919	Prince Kan'in Kotohito	(1865–1945)	Imperial Family
11	April 27, 1921	Baron Uehara Yusaku	(1856–1933)	Miyazaki
12	January 27, 1929	Prince Kuni Kuniyoshi	(1873–1929)	Imperial Family
13	August 8, 1932	Prince Nashimoto Morimasa	(1874–1951)	Imperial Family
14	May 3, 1933	Baron Nobuyoshi Muto	(1868–1933)	Saga
15	June 21, 1943	Count Hisaichi Terauchi	(1879–1946)	Tokyo
16	June 21, 1943	Hajime Sugiyama	(1875–1945)	Fukuoka
17	June 2, 1944	Shunroku Hata	(1879–1962)	Fukushima

The title was also bestowed on King George V of the United Kingdom on October 28, 1918.

Gensui (Imperial Japanese Army)

See also