Tag: military rank

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Continental Army Lieutenant Generals: The Rank that Never Was

As commander-in-chief of the Continental Army, George Washington was involved in many battles, both military and political, during the revolution.  A battle with both military and political aspects was Washington’s effort to obtain army lieutenant generals. Although often identified as a lieutenant general (or even a major general) himself, Washington was a full general.[1] Despite a […]

by William M. Welsch
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Untangling British Army Ranks

After a few years of editing articles for this journal, it’s become apparent that the ranks of British officers sometimes confuse people. By “sometimes” I mean “often.” And not without reason. Although titles like colonel and captain are familiar to us all, the roles associated with these ranks, and the fact that an individual could […]

by Don N. Hagist
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Clarifying Washington’s Rank

Thanks to the numerous promotions of military leadership before, during and even after the Revolutionary War, senior military ranks tend to cause great confusion for historians. Surprisingly, one of the most puzzling American military ranks is that of George Washington. As the result of multiple post-war appointments and promotions, Washington’s true rank during the Revolutionary […]

by William M. Welsch