While often used interchangeably, the title ofSupreme Commander–in–Chief is technically different, since the two titles can be in use simultaneously. For example, in the case of theArmed Forces of Ukraine, thesupreme commander-in-chief is thePresident of Ukraine, while thecommander-in-chief is itsprofessional head (note that the word "supreme" is omitted in order to distinguish the two titles.)
In English use, the term was first used during theEnglish Civil War.[2] A nation'shead of state (monarchical or republican) usually holds the position of commander-in-chief, even if effective executive power is held by a separatehead of government. In aparliamentary system, theexecutive branch is ultimately dependent upon the will of thelegislature; although the legislature does not issue orders directly to the armed forces and therefore does not control the military in any operational sense.Governors-general and colonial governors are also often appointed commander-in-chief of the military forces within their territory.
A commander in chief is sometimes referred to assupreme commander, which is sometimes used as a specific term. The term is also used for military officers who hold such power and authority, not always through dictatorship, and as a subordinate (usually) to a head of state (seeGeneralissimo). The term is also used for officers who hold authority over an individualmilitary branch,special branch or within atheatre of operations.[3]
Are chief executives with the political mandate to undertake discretionary decision-making, including command of the armed forces.
Mostly ceremonial heads of state (constitutional monarchs, viceroys and presidents in parliamentary republics) with residual substantive reserve powers over the armed forces, acting under normal circumstances on the constitutional advice of chief executives with the political mandate to undertake discretionary decision-making.
Under part II, chapter III, article 99, subsections 12, 13, 14 and 15, theConstitution of Argentina states that thepresident of the Argentine Nation is the "Commander-in-chief ofall the armed forces of the Nation". It also states that the president is entitled to provide military posts in the granting of the jobs or grades of senior officers of the armed forces, and by itself on the battlefield; runs with its organization and distribution according to needs of the Nation and declares war and orders reprisals with the consent and approval of theArgentine National Congress.[4]
TheMinistry of Defense is the government department that assists and serves the president in the management of the armed forces (Army,Navy andAir Force).[5]
Theminister shall have the general control and administration of the Defence Force, and the powers vested in thechief of the defence force, thechief of Navy, thechief of Army and thechief of Air Force by virtue of section 9, and the powers vested jointly in thesecretary and the chief of the defence force by virtue of section 9A, shall be exercised subject to and in accordance with any directions of the Minister.[9]
First President Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was the supreme commander of all the armed forces of the republic. In absence of him, then vice president Syed Nazrul Islam was acting President and acting supreme commander of all the armed forces of the republic.
The commander-in-chief ofBangladesh Armed Forces is thepresident, although executive power and responsibility for national defense resides with theprime minister. This is discharged through theMinistry of Defence, headed by the minister of defence, which provides the policy framework and resources to the Armed Forces to discharge their responsibilities in the context of the defence of the country.
The first commander-in-chief, GeneralM. A. G. Osmani, duringBangladesh Liberation War in 1971, who was commander of Muktibahini/Bangladesh Forces, reinstated to active duty by official BD government order, which after independence was gazetted in 1972. He retired on 7 April 1972 and relinquished all authority and duties to the president of Bangladesh.[10]
PresidentAlexander Lukashenko wearing the official uniform of the commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Belarus.
Thepresident of Belarus is the commander-in-chief of theBelarusian Armed Forces (Belarusian:Галоўнакамандуючы Узброенымі Сіламі Рэспублікі Беларусь).[11] The Belarusian commander in chief has an official uniform befitting of the rank, which the president wears on official occasion and ceremonies in relation to the military. The role of commander in chief is laid out in Article 28 of theConstitution of Belarus, which states that he/she has the authority to "appoint and dismiss the high command of the Armed Forces".[12]
Article 167 of theConstitution of Belgium designates theking as the commander-in-chief. In practice, theChief of Defence is the head and commander of theBelgian Armed Forces. He reports directly to theMinister of Defence and is responsible for advising the Minister, for the implementation of defence policy and for the administration of the department.
The powers of command-in-chief over theCanadian Armed Forces are vested in theCanadian monarch,[14] and are delegated to thegovernor general of Canada, who also uses the titleCommander-in-Chief.[15] In this capacity, the governor general is entitled to the uniform of a general/flag officer, with the crest of the office and special cuff braid serving as rank insignia.
By constitutional convention, the Crown's prerogative powers over the armed forces and constitutional powers as commander-in-chief are exercised on the advice of theprime minister and the rest ofCabinet, the governing ministry that commands the confidence of theHouse of Commons. According to theNational Defence Act, theminister of national defence is responsible and accountable to theParliament of Canada for all matters related to national defence and the Canadian Armed Forces.[16]
According to theCroatian constitution, thepresident of Croatia is the commander-in-chief of theArmed Forces of the Republic of Croatia. There was originally a rank insignia and name for the position, known as "Vrhovnik". This was held by former PresidentFranjo Tudjman and was abolished after his death. In peace, the commander-in-chief exercises his command through the minister of defence. In war and in cases where theminister of defence is not fulfilling orders, the commander-in-chief exercises his command directly through the chief ofGeneral Staff.
According to the1992 constitution, thepresident of the Czech Republic is the commander-in-chief of theArmed Forces according to Article 63(1)(c), and appoints and promotes generals under Article 63(1)(f). The president needs thecountersignature of theprime minister for decisions concerning the above-mentioned provisions as per Articles 63(3–4), or otherwise, they are not valid. The prime minister may delegate to other ministers the right to countersign these decisions of the president. The political responsibility for the Armed Forces is borne by theGovernment, which in Article 67 is defined as the "supreme body of executive power". According to Articles 39 & 43, theParliament must give consent to the dispatch of Czech military forces outside the territory of the Czech Republic.[17]
TheMinistry of Defence is the central authority of the state administration for the control of the Armed Forces.[18] The actual day-to-day management is vested in the chief of the general staff, the Czechchief of defence equivalent.[19]
The position of theDanish monarch as the head of the military is deeply rooted in tradition. While the1953 constitution does not explicitly designate the monarch as commander-in-chief; it is implicit, given the general provision in article 12 and the more specific wording of article 19 (2): "Except for purposes of defence against an armed attack upon the Realm or Danish forces, the King shall not use military force against any foreign state without the consent of theFolketing. Any measure which the King may take in pursuance of this provision shall forthwith be submitted to the Folketing".[20]
However, when reading the Danish Constitution, it is important to bear in mind that the king in this context is understood by Danish jurists to be read as thegovernment (consisting of theprime minister and other ministers). This is a logical consequence of articles 12, 13 and 14, all of which in essence stipulates that the powers vested in the monarch can only be exercised through ministers, who are responsible for all acts. Thus, the Government, in effect, holds the supreme command authority implied in articles 12 and 19(2).[21]
According to theConstitution, Article 128, Section II, Title IV, thepresident is the head of foreign policy, the civil administration and the commander-in-chief of theArmed Forces, theNational Police and all other state's security agencies.[24]
InEgypt, thepresident of the Republic holds the ceremonial title of Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. A member of the government, usually defence minister, is commander-in-chief of theEgyptian Armed Forces. The president is the only individual capable of declaring war. With the exception ofMohamed Morsi, who briefly served as president from 2012 to 2013, all Egyptian presidents have been former military officers. During theYom Kippur War, the president played a major role at all levels of the planning of the war, and was, in a literal sense, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, giving direct orders to the commanders from the headquarters during the war asfield marshal of thearmy,marshal of the air force and air defence forces and admiral of thenavy.
main principles of the military defence of the realm
principles of the execution of the military defence
other military command matters with wide-ranging importance to the military activity or the military establishment
any other military command issue that he wishes to decide upon
Since the constitutional reform of 2000, theminister of defence has the right to be present when the president uses his command powers, unless the matter is of immediate concern. In questions of strategic importance, theprime minister has the same right.[25]: §32
The president commissions and promotes officers and decides on activating reservists for extraordinary service and on the mobilisation of the Defence Forces.[25]: §40 [26][27]: § 128.2 IfParliament is not in session when a decision to mobilise is taken, it must be immediately convened.[27]: § 129 Declarations of a state of emergency (Finnish:valmiustila, literally, "state of preparedness") and state of war (Finnish:puolustustila, lit. "state of defence") are declared by a presidential decree, given after a motion by the government, which is then submitted to the Parliament for ratification.[28][29]
The president has, in a state of emergency, the right to transfer the position of the commander-in-chief to another Finnish citizen.[27]: § 129
InFrance, thepresident of the Republic is designated as "Chef des Armées" (literally "Chief of the Armies") under article 15 of theConstitution; the officeholder is as such the supreme executive authority in military affairs. Article 16 provides the president with extensiveemergency powers.[30]
However, owing to the nature of thesemi-presidential system, theprime minister also has key constitutional powers under article 21: "He shall be responsible for national defence" and has "power to make regulations and shall make appointments to civil and military posts".[30]
Since the reign ofLouis XIV, France has been strongly centralised. After crushing local nobles engaged in warlord-ism, the kings of France retained all authority with the help of able yet discreet Prime ministers (Mazarin,Richelieu).
The followingThird Republic was a parliamentary system, where the military authority was held by thepresident of the Council of Ministers, head of government, although the president, head of state, retained ceremonial powers. DuringWorld War I, the many visits to the trenches by the elder statesmanGeorges Clemenceau impressed the soldiers and earned him the nicknameFather of Victory (French:Le Père de la Victoire).
The president exercises supreme command with accordance to the law. As commander in chief, the president has the power to declare war however they must subject to the approval of theParliament of India. The commander in chief also appoints the chiefs of each branch of the armed forces as well as theChairman Chiefs of Staff Committee with the advice of theMinister of Defence.
Whilst the constitution names the president as thede jure commander in chief, executive command authority is exercisedde facto by the prime minister and theirUnion Council of Ministers.
On 15 August 1947, each service was placed under its own commander-in-chief. In 1955, the three service chiefs were re-designated as thechief of the Army staff (rank ofgeneral), thechief of the naval staff (rank ofvice admiral) and thechief of the air staff (rank ofair marshal) with the president as the supreme commander. The chief of the air staff was raised to the rank ofair chief marshal in 1965 and the chief of the naval staff raised to the rank ofadmiral in 1968. Starting from 1 January 2020, all the three chiefs of staff report to the newly formedchief of defence staff.
According to article 10 of theConstitution of Indonesia, thepresident of Indonesia holds the supreme command of theIndonesian National Armed Forces. Day-to-day operations of the Armed Forces is handled by thecommander of the Armed Forces (Indonesian:Panglima TNI), a 4-star officer whom can be a general (Army/Marine), an admiral (Navy), or an air chief marshal (Air Force). The commander of the Armed Forces is appointed by the president from active chiefs of staff (Army,Navy, orAir Force) and must get approval from theHouse of Representatives. The chief of staff is also appointed by the president from senior military officers. The president as commander-in-chief also has authority in senior military officer mutation and promotion in tour of duty. Theminister of defense has responsibility to assist the president in defense issues and create policies about authorization use of military force, manage defense budget, etc. According to article 11 of the Constitution, For authorization use of military forces or declaration of war, the president must get approval from House of Representatives. The commander of the Armed Forces gives recommendations to the minister of defense in creating national defense policies.
Before 1979, theshah was the commander-in-chief in Iran. After the inception of the Islamic Republic, thepresident of Iran was initially appointed that task, withAbolhassan Bani Sadr being the first commander-in-chief. However, Abolhassan Bani Sadr was impeached on 22 June 1981. It was after this event that the role of commander-in-chief of theArmed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran was given to theSupreme Leader of Iran.
TheConstitution of Italy, in article 87, states that thepresident of the Republic:"is the commander of thearmed forces and chairman of the supreme defense council constituted by law, although effective executive power and responsibility for national defence resides with the government headed by theprime minister; the president declares war according to the decision of theparliament".[36]
President of Italian Republic Sergio Mattarella lays a laurel wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Rome, 2022
Chapter 131 of theConstitution of Kenya identifies thepresident as the commander-in-chief of theKenya Defence Forces and the chairperson of the National Security Council.[37] There is a rank for the position. The president appoints achief of general staff, known as theChief of the Kenya Defence Forces, who acts as the principal military adviser to the president and the National Security Council. The Chief of the Kenya Defence Forces is drawn from one of the branches of the Armed Forces, theKenya Army, theKenya Navy or theKenya Air Force.
The Federal Constitution establishes that the office of Supreme Commander is attached to the person of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong as the Federation's head of state:
Federal Constitution, Article 41 - The Yang di-Pertuan Agong shall be the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of the Federation.
The Federal Parliament passed the Federal Armed Forces Act to consolidate in one law all regulations that govern the three services ( Army, Navy, and Air Force ). It establishes the function and duties of the Federal Head of State in the capacity as Supreme Commander.
Both the Organic Law of the Mexican Army and Air Force and the Organic Law of the Mexican Navy clearly state the president of the Republic is "Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces". The President isex officio the only five-star general of Mexico.[39][40]
Both theMonarch of New Zealand and their representative, thegovernor-general, constitutionally serve as the supreme authority in defence matters in New Zealand.[41] The position of commander-in-chief is vested in the sovereign by the constitution. In practice however, the position of the commander-in-chief is largely ceremonial, with the governor-general primarily serving as a "patron of the New Zealand Defence Force".[42] The governor-general exercises their authority as commander-in-chief on the advice of the minister of defence or other ministers of theNew Zealand Government.[41][43]
TheLetter Patents 1983 consolidated the roles of governor-general and commander-in-chief into one office, with its compounded title being theGovernor-General and Commander-in-Chief.[44] The governor-general's is statutorily defined in theDefence Act 1990.[45] Sections five and six of theDefence Act 1990 outlines the governor-general's authority to raise and maintain armed forces.[43]
Harald V, King ofNorway, officially retains executive power. Article 25 of the constitution states: "The King is commander-in-chief of the armed forces of the realm"
However, following the introduction of a parliamentary system of government, the duties of themonarch have since become strictly representative and ceremonial, such as the formal appointment and dismissal of the prime minister and other ministers in the executive government. Accordingly, the Monarch is commander-in-chief of theNorwegian Armed Forces, and serves as chief diplomatic official abroad and as a symbol of unity.
The President of the Republic, for a period of war, shall appoint the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces on request of the Prime Minister. He may dismiss the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces in accordance with the same procedure. The authority of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, as well as the principle of his subordination to the constitutional organs of the Republic of Poland, shall be specified by statute.
In the Portuguese military parlance, the term "Commander-in-Chief" (in Portuguese:comandante-em-chefe or simplycomandante-chefe) refers to the unified military commander of all the land, naval and air forces in a theater of operations.
Article 60 of theBasic Law of Saudi Arabia states: "TheKing is the commander-in-chief of all the Military Forces. He appoints officers and puts an end to their duties in accordance with the law."
Article 61 further states: "The King declares a state of emergency, general mobilization and war, and the law defines the rules for this."
Lastly, Article 62 states: "If there is a danger threatening the safety of the Kingdom or its territorial integrity, or the security of its people and its interests, or which impedes the functioning of the state institutions, the King may take urgent measures in order to deal with this danger And if the King considers that these measures should continue, he may then implement the necessary regulations to this end."
In accordance with the law, thepresident of Serbia is the commander-in-chief of Armed Forces and in command of the military. He appoints, promotes and recalls officers of theArmy of Serbia.[53]
In Slovenia, the commander-in-chief is formally thepresident of Slovenia. In peacetime, the role of commander in chief is usually assumed by the minister of defence.
In accordance with the Constitution of the Republic of Korea, the commander-in-chief and the supreme authority on all military matters is thepresident of South Korea.
The king regularly chairs sessions of the National Security Council, the Joint Chiefs of staff and the individual general staffs of each branch of the Armed Forces in his capacity as supreme commander.
All promotions to military rank and positions in the high command of the armed forces are made by Royal decree signed by the king and the minister of defense
However, article 64 require that all official acts of the King must becountersigned, by thePresident of the Government or othercompetent minister, for them to become valid. This counter/signature is used to limit a possible abuse of power by any single individual.
This constitutional provision can and has been made the subject of an exception in crisis situations.
In 1981 the king as supreme commander of the armed forces assumed direct command in order to put down amilitary coup attempt. All members of the government were at that time trapped/held hostage in Parliament and were unable to counter sign the kings orders. This did not however result in those orders being ruled unenforceable or unconstitutional. The coup collapsed after the king ordered all army units to leave the streets and return to their barracks. Furthermore, article 97 stipulates that;
TheGovernment shall conduct domestic and foreign policy, civil and military administration and the defence of the State[55]
No provision in the constitution requires the king/government to seek approval from theCortes Generales before sending the armed forces abroad.[55]
Since 1984, thechief of the defence staff is the professional head of the armed forces and, under the authority of theminister of defence, is responsible for military operations and military organisation.
As head of state, thepresident of Sri Lanka, is nominally the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. TheNational Security Council, chaired by the president is the authority charged with formulating and executing defence policy for the nation. The highest level of military headquarters is theMinistry of Defence, since 1978 except for a few rare occasions the president retained the portfolio defence, thus being the minister of defence. The ministry and the armed forces have been controlled by the during these periods by either aminister of state,deputy minister for defence, and of recently thepermanent secretary to the Ministry of Defence. Prior to 1978 theprime minister held the portfolio of minister of defence and external affairs, and was supported by aparliamentary secretary for defence and external affairs.
The "Head of the Thai Armed Forces" (Thai:จอมทัพไทย;RTGS: Chom Thap Thai) is a position vested in theThai monarch,[b] who as sovereign and head of state is the commander-in-chief of theRoyal Thai Armed Forces.[57]
Thepresident of Turkey has the constitutional right to represent the Supreme Military Command of theTurkish Armed Forces, on behalf of theGrand National Assembly of Turkey, and to decide on the mobilization of the Turkish Armed Forces, to appoint the chief of the general staff, to call theNational Security Council to meet, to preside over the National Security Council, to proclaim martial law or state of emergency, and to issue decrees having the force of law, upon a decision of the Council of Ministers meeting under his/her chairmanship. With all these issues above written in theConstitution of Turkey, the executive rights are given to the president of the Republic of Turkey to be represented as the commander-in-chief of the nation.
TheBritish monarch is the "Head of the British Armed Forces"[58] and has also been described as "Commander-in-Chief of the British Armed Forces".[59] Theprime minister (acting with the support of theCabinet) makes the key decisions on theuse of the armed forces.[60][61] The King, however, remains the ceremonial "ultimate authority" of the military, with officers and personnel swearingallegiance only to the monarch.[62]
The term is also used for the military commander-in-chief of acommand (a region of military authority, sometimes combined with the civil office ofGovernor of a colony (now called aBritish Overseas Territory)), and for the naval commander-in-chief of astation of the Royal Navy, such as theNorth America and West Indies Station.
The Governor shall be commander in chief of the Kentucky active militia, and the adjutant general shall be the executive officer and shall be responsible to the Governor for the proper functioning of the Kentucky active militia, and he is hereby authorized and empowered to take necessary action to perfect and maintain an efficient organization for the purposes herein set out. He shall have charge of all matters of administration and organization, which shall be in all respects, insofar as necessary and applicable, the same as that of the National Guard.
Similarly, Section 140 of Article 2 of the California Military and Veterans Code states:[68]
The Governor is commander in chief of a militia that shall be provided by statute. The Governor may call it forth to execute the law.
TheUzbek president holds the constitutional position of Supreme Commander of theArmed Forces of Uzbekistan, according to theConstitution of Uzbekistan. In this capacity, the president give decisions on declaring war or martial law, the appointment of senior officials, and the development of the armed forces. In the event of an attack on the republic, the president announce a state of war and will submit within 72 hours a resolution for a plan of action to theOliy Majlis. When the country is in a wartime situation, theminister of defense will serve in an official capacity as the deputy supreme commander-in-chief of the armed forces, essentially assisting the president in his day-to-day activities and decisions regarding national security.[69]
Hugo Chavez, the president of Venezuela, dressed in military uniform in August 2006.
According to the Venezuelan constitution, the president is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces. The office of the Venezuelan military supreme commander in chief has always been held by the president of Venezuela as per constitutional requirements. However, with a new law sanctioned in 2008, the "comandante en jefe" rank is not only a function attributed to the executive branch but a full military rank given to the president upon taking office. Upon assumption he receives a saber, epaulette, shoulder knot, shoulder board and sleeve insignia and full military uniform to be used in military events while performing the duties as president. The shoulder insignia mirrors Cuban practice but is derived from the German-styled officer rank insignia.
Theminister of Defence oversees operations of the Ministry of Defence, and theVietnam People's Army. He also oversees such agencies as theGeneral Staff and the General Logistics Department. However, military policy is ultimately directed by the Central Military Commission of the ruling Communist Party of Vietnam.
Other officeholders as commanders-in-chief or other situations
Furthermore, Article 80 gives thepresident of the People's Republic of China (in addition to ceremonialhead of state duties) the power to proclaim martial law, proclaim a state of war, and to issue mobilisation orders upon the decision of National People's Congress and its Standing Committee.[72]
The state president and the CMC chairman are distinctly separate state offices and they have not always been held by the same persons. However, beginning in 1993, during the tenure ofJiang Zemin asGeneral Secretary of the Communist Party and CMC chairman, it has been standard practice to have the offices of the CCP general secretary, president, and the CMC chairman to benormally held by the same person; although the slight differences in the start and end of terms for those respective offices means that there is some overlap between an occupant and his predecessor.
In peacetime, under Article 65a, thefederal minister of defence (German:Bundesminister der Verteidigung) holds the supreme command authority (German:Inhaber der Befehls- und Kommandogewalt - IBuK) over theBundeswehr.[74]
Thepresident of Germany has thus no role in the command of the forces, although he continues to receive the ceremonial honors due to his position as ahead of state.
Placing the command authority over the armed forces directly with the responsible minister in charge of the military establishment breaks with the longstanding German constitutional tradition in both earlier monarchical and republican systems of placing it with thehead of state. The rationale was that in ademocraticparliamentary system the command authority should directly reside where it would be exercised and where it is subject to the parliamentary control of theBundestag at all times. By assigning it directly to the responsible minister, instead of with the Federal Chancellor, this also meant that military affairs is but one of the many integrated responsibilities of thegovernment; in stark contrast of earlier times when the separate division of the military establishment from the civil administration allowed the former to act as astate within a state (in contrast to the Federal Republic, theWeimar Republic began with theEbert–Groener pact, which kept the military establishment as an autonomous force outside the control of politics; the1925 election ofPaul von Hindenburg asReichspräsident, surrounded by hiscamarilla and the machinations ofKurt von Schleicher, did little to reverse the trend).[75][76]
After ChancellorAdolf Hitler assumed power asFührer[77] (after the death of PresidentPaul von Hindenburg), he would later grant his war minister,GeneralfeldmarschallWerner von Blomberg, the title of Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces in 1935, when conscription was reintroduced. However, in 1938 due to theBlomberg–Fritsch Affair, Hitler withdrew the commander-in-chief title, abolished the war ministerial post and assumed personal command of the Armed Forces. The war ministerial post was de facto overtaken by theOberkommando der Wehrmacht, which was headed byGeneralfeldmarschallWilhelm Keitel until theGerman surrender.
In pre-war Iraq, the commander-in-chief was the head of state, i.e. the president. In the currentconstitution, the commander-in-chief of theIraqi Armed Forces is theprime minister, and thepresident only retains a ceremonial and honorary role of awarding medals and decorations on the recommendation of the commander-in-chief.[79]
InJapan, prior to theMeiji Restoration the role of the commander-in-chief was vested in theshōgun (the most militarily powerfulsamuraidaimyō). After the dissolution of theTokugawa shogunate, the role of the commander-in-chief resided with theEmperor of Japan. The present-dayconstitutional role of the emperor is that of a ceremonialfigurehead (Japanese Constitution calls it symbol) without any military role.
The Malta Armed Forces Act does not directly establish thepresident of Malta as the supreme commander of the Armed Forces. However, Maltese law allows the president to raise by voluntary enlistment and maintain an armed force. Likewise, the law allows the president to issue orders in order to the administrate the armed forces.
The Armed Forces do not swear allegiance to the president of Malta, but rather to theRepublic of Malta. On this basis, there is no direct link between the head of state and the armed forces. For this reason, this link is mediated by the minister responsible for defence.
Nonetheless, the Presidential Palaces are guarded by the Armed Forces as a symbolic gesture of social cohesion.
Flag of the minister of defense, the primary responsible official
TheConstitution of the Netherlands states, in article 97, that "the Government shall have supreme authority over thearmed forces". Article 42 defines theGovernment as theMonarch and the ministers, and that only ministers are responsible for acts of government. Article 45 further defines the ministers as constituting theCabinet, chaired by theprime minister, with "authority to decide upon overall government policy".[85][86]
Before the constitution change in 1983, the equivalent section stated that: "The King shall have supreme authority over the armed forces". Nevertheless, the role of the monarch as commander in chief was ceremonial as in most European constitutional monarchies.[86] As a consequence of being only part of the government, monarchs of the Netherlands do not hold a military rank. The current king of the NetherlandsWillem-Alexander of the Netherlands resigned from his military ranks (equivalent to one-star general in all branches) upon becoming king in 2013. He has been provided withroyal insignia to show his lasting commitment to the armed forces, but these represent no formal rank.
Theminister of defence has the primary ministerial responsibility for the armed forces, which are formally a part of theMinistry of Defence.[86] Thechief of defence is the highest ranked professional military officer, and serves as an intermediary between the minister of defence and the Armed Forces, and is responsible to the minister for military-strategic planning, operations and deployment of the Armed Forces.[87]
Currently both offices are occupied byKim Jong Un. Since 2018, he started issuing orders in the name of the Chairman of the Central Military Commission, instead of the Supreme Commander.
At present, theGovernment (Swedish:Regeringen) as a collective body, chaired and formed by theprime minister of Sweden, holds the highestExecutive Authority, subject to the will of theRiksdag; and is thus the present day closest equivalent of a command-in-chief, although not explicitly designated as such.[91] The reason for this change was, apart from the fact that the king was since 1917 no longer expected to make political decisions without ministerial advice, that the new Instrument of Government was intended to be made as descriptive on the workings of the State as possible, and reflective on how decisions are actually made.Minister of JusticeLennart Geijer further remarked in the government bill that any continued pretensions of royal involvement in government decisions would be of a "fictitious nature" and "highly unsatisfactory".[92]
Certain government decisions regarding the Armed Forces (Swedish:Särskilda regeringsbeslut) may be delegated to theminister for defence, under the supervision of the prime minister and to the extent laid down in ordinances.[93]
However, the Monarch (as of presentKing Carl XVI Gustaf), is still a four-star general and admiralà la suite in theSwedish Army,Navy andAir Force and is by unwritten convention regarded as the foremost head and representative of the Swedish Armed Forces.[95] The king has, as part of hiscourt, amilitary staff. The military staff is headed by a senior officer (usually a general or admiral, retired from active service) and is composed of active duty military officers serving asaides to the king and his family.[96]
Supreme authority over the military belongs to theFederal Council, which is the Swiss collegialhead of state. Notwithstanding the previous sentence, under theConstitution, the Federal Council can only, in the operational sense, command a maximum of 4,000 soldiers, with a time limit of three weeks of mobilisation.[97] For it to field more service personnel, theFederal Assembly must elect aGeneral[97] who is given four stars.[98] Thus, the General is elected by the Federal Assembly to give him the same democratic legitimacy as the Federal Council.[97]
In a time of declared war or national emergency, however, theFederal Assembly, assembled as theUnited Federal Assembly, specifically for the purpose of taking on thewar-time responsibilities elect aGeneral as commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces under Article 168 of the Constitution. Whilst the General acts as the highest military authority with a high degree of autonomy, he is still subordinate to the Federal Council (See Articles 58, 60, 174, 177, 180 & 185).[99] The Federal Assembly retains the sole power to dismiss the General, but the General remains subordinate to the Federal Council by the council's ability to demobilise, thereby making the position of General redundant.[97]
WithinNATO and theEuropean Union, the termChief of Defence (CHOD) is usually used as a generic term for the highest-ranked office held by a professional military officer on active duty, irrespective of their actual title or powers.[100]
^Since September 2022, a reference to the Queen in a clause of the Constitution is now a reference toKing Charles III.[7]Section 2 of the Constitution states that provisions referring to the Queen in the Act "shall extend to Her Majesty's heirs and successors".[8]
^For example: "Ordered, That this House joins and agrees with the House of Commons in this Vote; and that the Lord Admiral is hereby desired, from both Houses of Parliament, that the Commander in Chief of this Summer's Fleet under his Lordship, may be the Earl of Warwicke.",House of Lords Journal 15 March 1642
^Dupuy, Trevor N., Curt Johnson, and Grace P. Hayes. "Supreme Commander." Dictionary of Military Terms. New York: The H.W. Wilson Company, 1986.
^"Statute Book - Defence Act, 1954". Retrieved1 May 2015.Under the direction of the President, and subject to the provisions of this Act, the military command of, and all executive and administrative powers in relation to, the Defence Forces, including the power to delegate command and authority, shall be exercisable by the Government and, subject to such exceptions and limitations as the Government may from time to time determine, through and by the Minister.
^Bajwa, Kuldip Singh (2003)."Kashmir Valley Saved"(google books).Jammu and Kashmir war, 1947-1948 : political and military perspective (1st ed.). New Delhi: Har-Anand Publications. p. 350.ISBN9788124109236. Retrieved24 July 2017.
^Singh, Ravi Shekhar Narain Singh (2008)."Military and Politics"(googlebooks).The Military Factor in Pakistan (1st ed.). London, UK: Lancer Publishers. p. 550.ISBN9780981537894. Retrieved24 July 2017.
^Gesetz über das Staatsoberhaupt des Deutschen Reichs, 1 August 1934: "§ 1 The office of the Reichspräsident is merged with that of the Reichskanzler. Therefore, the previous rights of the Reichspräsident pass over to the Führer and Reichskanzler Adolf Hitler. He names his deputy."
^"職種 Branches of Service" (in Japanese). Tokyo: Japan Ground Self-Defense Force. 2012. Retrieved15 July 2012.
^自衛隊: 組織 [JSDF: Organization].Nihon Daihyakka Zensho (Nipponika) (in Japanese). Tokyo: Shogakukan. 2012.OCLC153301537. Archived fromthe original on 25 August 2007. Retrieved15 July 2012.
^(in Swedish) Prop. 1973:90. Kungl. Maj:ts proposition med förslag till ny regeringsform och ny riksdagsordning m. m.; given Stockholms slott den 16 mars 1973. p. 172-175.
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