Grand Marshal
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Grand Marshal is a ceremonial, military, or political office of very high rank. The term has its origins with the word "Marshal" with the first usage of the term "Grand Marshal" as a ceremonial title for certain religious orders. The following are some additional usages of the term Grand Marshal:
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[edit] Court
As a court title, a Grand Marshal is normally the supreme court official in a government legislative branch. Some examples include:
- Grootmaarschalk (in Dutch) : The highest civilian official (NOT in the 'Military House') at the courts of the kingdoms of Belgium (also Grand maréchal in French) and of the Netherlands
- Marszalek wielki: Grand Marshal (at the court) of Poland or of Lithuania
[edit] Ceremonial
- Grand Marshal: One of the highest offices within the military Order of Teutonic Knights
- Grand Marshal: Highest elected student leader of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
- Grand Marshal: A parade dignitary (e.g., Grand Marshal of the Tournament of Roses Parade)
- Grand Marshal: A person selected by NASCAR, the track owner, or a race sponsor to be the public leader of events during a Sprint Cup weekend. They give the command to start engines.
[edit] Military
The military rank of Grand Marshal is considered a rank senior to that of Field Marshal. If the United States Army had a six or seven star General rank, a Grand Marshal could be considered its equivalent. Grand Marshal is equivalent in some ways to the United States Army rank "General of the Armies". Although Grand Marshals sometimes command smaller forces than lower ranking commanders of other countries, so in that sense they could be said to be inferior to lower ranks of other countries.
While literal translations of the military Grand Marshal rank are rare, the following ranks can be considered equivalent:
- Dae Wonsu (대원수): Grand Marshal of North Korea (Hanja:大元帥), superior to the Marshal rank of Wonsu
- Dai-Gensui no Dai Nippon Teikoku (大元帥): Grand Marshal of the Empire of Japan. The highest title in the Imperial Japanese Army, held solely by the Emperor of Japan, the constitutional Commander in chief. The rank was abolished at the end of World War II.
- Hai Lu Jun Da Yuan Shuai (海陸軍大元帥): Grand Marshal of the Navy and Army of the Republic of China was first established in Guangzhou on September 10, 1917.
- Reichsmarschall: Grand Marshall rank used in the Holy Roman Empire and again in Nazi Germany. Sometimes translated as "Imperial Marshal".
- Primo Maresciallo dell'Impero d'Italia: First Marshal of the Empire. The highest rank in the Italian Military. The rank was abolished following World War II.
[edit] Fiction
Grand Marshal often appears as a a rank in science fiction sources, often in space or star fleets whose size requires a rank above such other titles as Surface Marshal and Fleet Admiral. Among Grand Marshal science fiction equivalents include:
- Grand Marshal: Highest conjectural rank of the TIE fighter forces in the universe of Star Wars, equivalent to a Grand Admiral. This assumes that the TIE fighter forces are a separate branch of service from the Imperial Navy.
- Grand Marshal: The 14th and highest PvP honor rank of the Alliance in World of Warcraft (no longer obtainable).
- Grand Marshal: A rank held by Imperial Guard officers in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. It seems to be assigned to officers who command the armed forces of an entire planet. It is inferior to Lord Commander Militant.
