List of German field marshals

Field marshal (German: Generalfeldmarschall) was the highest military rank in Germany for seventy-five years. Although the rank had existed since 1631 under a different name, it was re-created in 1870 for Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia and Emperor Frederick III for the purpose of making them senior to other generals. It became the most prestigious and powerful rank an officer could reach until it was abolished in 1945.

In total more than 100 generals have become field marshals, between 1806 and 1945. The vast majority of the people promoted field marshal won major battles in wars surrounding the their century. Field marshals played a compelling and influential role in military matters, were tax-exempt, members of the nobility, equal to government officials, under constant protection or escort, and had the right to directly report to the royal family.

Electorate and Kingdom of Saxony (1806–1918)

Name	Date of promotion	Birth and Death	Image	Reference
Hans Georg von Arnim-Boitzenburg	21 June 1631	1583–1641
Rudolf Graf von Marzin	19 October 1638	1585–1645
Joachim Rüdiger of Goltz	28 August 1681	Unknown	—
Heino Heinrich Graf von Flemming	8 September 1688	1632–1706	—
Jeremias of Chauvet	10 May 1693	Unknown	—
Christoph August of Wackerbarth	17 April 1730	Unknown	—
Johann Adolf II, Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels	26 November 1735	1685–1746
Johann Georg, Chevalier de Saxe	27 July 1763	1704–74
Albert of Saxony	14 June 1888	1828–1902

Brandenburg-Prussia and the Kingdom of Prussia (1701–1870)

Name	Date of promotion	Birth and Death	Image	Reference
Otto Christoph von Sparr	20 June 1657	1599–1668	—
John George II, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau	24 January 1670	1627–93
Georg von Derfflinger	18 February 1670	1606–95
Alexander Hermann, Count of Wartensleben	23 March 1706	1650–1734
Leopold I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau	1712	1676–1747
Carl Philipp, Reichsgraf von Wylich und Lottum	1713	1650–1719
Alexander zu Dohna-Schlobitten	1713	1661–1728
Dubislav Gneomar von Natzmer	1728	1654–1739
Albrecht Konrad Finck von Finckenstein	1733	1660–1735
Friedrich Wilhelm von Grumbkow	1737	1678–1739
Kurt Christoph von Schwerin	1740	1684–1757
Caspar Otto of Glasenapp	1741	Unknown	—
Samuel von Schmettau	1741	1684–1751
Christian August, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst	16 May 1742	1690–1747
Leopold II, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau	17 May 1742	1700-51
Friedrich Wilhelm von Dossow	15 January 1745	1669–1758	—
Henning Alexander von Kleist	24 May 1747	1677–1747
Christoph Wilhelm von Kalckstein	24 May 1747	1677–1747
Dietrich of Anhalt-Dessau	24 May 1747	1702–1769
James Francis Edward Keith	18 September 1747	1696–1758
Hans von Lehwaldt	1751	1696–1758
Prince Moritz of Anhalt-Dessau	1757	1712–60
Duke Ferdinand of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel	15 November 1758	1721–92
Charles William Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel	1787	1735–1806
Wichard Joachim Heinrich von Möllendorf	1793	1724–1816	65px
Alexander von Knobelsdorff	20 May 1798	1723–99
Friedrich Adolf Graf von Kalckreuth	1807	1737–1818	—
Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher	19 October 1813	1742–1819
Friedrich Graf Kleist von Nollendorf	1821	1762–1823
Ludwig Yorck von Wartenburg	1821	1759–1830
August Neidhardt von Gneisenau	1825	1760–1831
Hans Ernst Karl, Graf von Zieten	1839	1770–1848
Karl Freiherr von Muffling	5 October 1847	1775–1851
Hermann von Boyen	7 October 1847	1771–1848
Karl Friedrich von dem Knesebeck	9 October 1847	1768–1848
Karl Friedrich Emil zu Dohna-Schlobitten	14 March 1854	1784–1859
Friedrich Graf von Wrangel	5 August 1856	1784–1877
Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia	28 October 1870	1828–85
Emperor Frederick III	28 October 1870	1831–88

German Empire (1871–1918)

Name	Date of promotion	Birth and Death	Image	Reference
Karl Eberhard Herwarth von Bittenfeld	8 April 1871	1796–1884
Karl Friedrich von Steinmetz	8 April 1871	1796–1877
Helmuth Karl Bernhard von Moltke	16 June 1870	1800–91
Albert of Saxony	11 July 1871	1828–1902
Albrecht von Roon	1 January 1873	1803–79
Edwin Freiherr von Manteuffel	1873	1809–85
Leonhard Graf von Blumenthal	15 March 1888	1810–1900
Georg, Crown Prince of Saxony	15 March 1888	1832–1904
Friedrich Wilhelm Nikolaus Albrecht of Prussia	19 June 1888	1837–1906
Archduke Albrecht, Duke of Teschen	19 June 1888	1817–95
Franz Joseph I of Austria	27 February 1895	1830–1916
Alfred von Waldersee	6 May 1900	1832–1904
Gottlieb Graf von Haeseler	1 January 1905	1836–1919
Wilhelm von Hahnke	1 January 1905	1833–1912
Walter von Loë	1 January 1905	1828–1908	—
Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn	9 September 1906	1850–1942
Carol I of Romania	20 April 1909	1839–1914
Alfred von Schlieffen	1 January 1911	1833–1913
Constantine I of Greece	8 August 1911	1868–1923
Paul von Hindenburg	2 November 1914	1847–1934	65px
Karl von Bülow	27 January 1915	1846–1921
Archduke Friedrich, Duke of Teschen	22 June 1915	1856–1936
August von Mackensen	22 June 1915	1849–1945
Ludwig III of Bavaria	26 June 1915	1845–1921
Franz Conrad von Hötzendorf	1916	1852–1925
Ferdinand I of Bulgaria	18 January 1916	1861–1948
William II of Württemberg	23 July 1916	1848–1921	65px
Rupprecht, Crown Prince of Bavaria	1 August 1916	1869–1955
Prince Leopold of Bavaria	1 August 1916	1846–1930
Albrecht, Duke of Württemberg	1 August 1916	1865–1939
Charles I of Austria	12 February 1917	1887–1922
Hermann von Eichhorn	18 December 1917	1848–1918	65px
Remus von Woyrsch	18 December 1917	1847–1920	65px

Weimar Republic (1918–33)

After the loss of the First World War, Germany was transformed into what became known as the Weimar Republic which worked according to the laws of the Treaty of Versailles. Some of the newly imposed conditions was the demobilization of the German Army to 100,000 men, a reduction of the German Navy, and the abolishment of the German Air Force. As a result of the new military laws, the Weimar Republic saw no field marshal promotions.

Nazi Germany (1933–45)

Name	Date of promotion	Birth and Death	Image	Reference
Werner von Blomberg	20 April 1936	1878–1946
Hermann Göring	4 February 1938	1893–1946
Fedor von Bock	19 July 1940	1880–1945
Walther von Brauchitsch	19 July 1940	1881–1948
Albert Kesselring	19 July 1940	1885–1960
Wilhelm Keitel	19 July 1940	1882–1946
Günther von Kluge	19 July 1940	1882–1944
Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb	19 July 1940	1876–1956
Wilhelm List	19 July 1940	1880–1971
Erhard Milch	19 July 1940	1892–1972
Walther von Reichenau	19 July 1940	1884–1942
Gerd von Rundstedt	19 July 1940	1875–1953
Hugo Sperrle	19 July 1940	1885–1953
Erwin von Witzleben	19 July 1940	1881–1944
Eduard von Böhm-Ermolli	31 October 1940	1856–1941
Erwin Rommel	22 June 1942	1891–1944
Georg von Küchler	30 June 1942	1881–1968
Erich von Manstein	1 July 1942	1887–1973
Friedrich Paulus	31 January 1943	1890–1957
Ernst Busch	1 February 1943	1885–1945	65px
Paul Ludwig Ewald von Kleist	1 February 1943	1881–1954
Maximilian von Weichs	1 February 1943	1881–1954
Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen	16 February 1943	1895–1945
Walter Model	1 March 1944	1891–1945
Ferdinand Schörner	5 April 1945	1892–1973
Robert Ritter von Greim	25 April 1945	1892–1945

See also

• List of Austrian field marshals
• List of British field marshals
• List of Russian field marshals

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