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General of the Infantry (German:General der Infanterie, abbr.General d. Inf.)[1] is a former rank of the Germanarmy (Heer).[2] It is currently an appointment or position given to anOF-8 rank officer, who is responsible for particular affairs of training and equipment of theBundeswehr infantry.
| General of the Infantry General der Infanterie | |
|---|---|
  Arabesque andflecktarn suit insignia | |
 Army shoulder board | |
| Country |  Nazi Germany |
| Service branch |  German Army |
| Rank | Three-star |
| NATOrank code | OF-8 |
| Non-NATO rank | O-9 |
| Next higher rank | Generaloberst |
| Next lower rank | Generalleutnant |
| Equivalent ranks | See list |
General of the Infantry was a former rank ofGeneral of the branchOF-8 in the German land forces (Imperial Army,Reichswehr andWehrmacht) and also in thePrussian Army and theAustro-Hungarian Army. It was the third-highestgeneral officer rank, subordinate only toColonel General andFeldmarschall (Field Marshal). It is equivalent to athree-star rank today. The same rank was adopted by theFinnish Army (Finnish:Jalkaväenkenraali) between the world wars.
German cavalry officers of equivalent rank were calledGeneral der Kavallerie and those in the artillery corps wereGeneral der Artillerie. In 1935 the Wehrmacht added the ranks ofGeneral der Panzertruppe (tank troops),General der Gebirgstruppen (mountain troops),General der Fallschirmtruppen (parachute troops), andGeneral der Nachrichtentruppen (communications troops). In theLuftwaffe, the equivalent rank wasGeneral der Flieger. The rank was generally referred to only in the form ofGeneral, without specifying the specific forces the bearer commanded.
In the modernGerman armed forces, theBundeswehr, the rank ofGeneralleutnant (Lieutenant General) corresponds to the traditional rank ofGeneral der Infanterie. There was no equivalent rank in thearmy ofEast Germany, where it was merged into that ofGeneraloberst.
| junior Rank Generalleutnant |  (German officer rank) | senior Rank Generaloberst |
In the Bundeswehr, the position of an infantry officer responsible for certain questions of troop training and equipment, usually with the rank ofBrigadier Generals. The position of general of the infantry is connected with that of commander of the infantry school. Corresponding service positions also exist for other branches of the army. Since in this usage it refers to a position not a rank, an Oberst is sometimes "General of" his respective type of troops. The form of address is usually Herr General and/or Herr Oberst; the form of address Herr General der Infanterie is unorthodox, since it does not refer to a rank.
Note that a number of these officers may also have gone on to higher ranks during their careers.
GermanGeneral der ... ranks(by branch of service) (1935–1945) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Heer |   | |
| Luftwaffe | ||
| Waffen-SS |
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