I think if I don’t start now about the French army, I might end up with rotten eggs... On the other hand, there is enough information about the French army on the Internet, and I have a hard time understanding why I should try to give a brief outline of that, with details Why are all sorts of “experts” immediately “noBigUD and pissing on”... Well, okay, I’ll “give” a super-short outline, repeating for those who are especially concerned - super-succinct !

A simple ordinary private of the French army bore the unpretentious name soldier - soldA(soldat). True, it was in the French army that there were so many types of troops “artificially bred with the help of mutations in a test tube” that it would be impossible to list them:

• In the infantry - fusilier ( fusilier ), grenadier(grenadier), chasseur(chasseur), vaulter(voltigeur), tirayer(tirailleur) - the last three are from different companies of light regiments (and the voltegeur is also from light companies of linear ones);


• In the cavalry - dragon(dr. agon), Chasseur à Cheval(chasseur à cheval) - horse huntsman, sh[e]volege(chevau-léger) - light horseman, aka pikeman, yussar (hussard), carbine(carabinier) - carabinier, Curacier(cuirassier);


• In artillery - canonier (canonnier), artilleryman(artilleur), pontonier(pontonnier), conductor ( conducteur) - riding;


• In the engineering troops - sapper Zhenya ( sapeur genius ), miner(mineur);


• In military bands - vestibule ( tambour) - drummer, sonner(sonneur) - bugler in light infantry, clairon(clairon) - trumpeter, muzisyan(musicien).

A soldier who barely distinguished himself in any way was promoted to corporals - caporal (caporal), in cavalry - foreman(brigadier). Special corporals carried “part of the economic load” and were exchanged Fouriers- in the infantry Caporal-Fourier (caporal-fourrier), in the cavalry Brigadier-Fourier(brigadier-fourrier) and were considered “a little more important” than the other corporals.

Non-commissioned officers in the French army have long been called sergeants - sergeant(sergent), but in the cavalry they were called Maréchal de lodges(maréchal des logis). Senior Sergeants were called sergeant major(sergent-major) and Maréchal de lodge-chef(maréchal des logis-chef).

Next came those who can be designated as sub-officers or foremen(or sergeants- but the French burn with righteous hatred of German and English words). In the French army they were called ajudan(adjudant), and they were divided (by seniority) into ajudan suz-office(adjudant sous-officier) and simply adjudant. They had various personnel, economic and administrative responsibilities in their companies (squadrons).

The first officer rank was junior lieutenant - su-lietenan(sous-lieutenant), followed by lieutenant - Ljötenan(lieutenant), then captain - captain(capitaine). Next came the rank, which, as I understood, was not given to everyone, but it was considered higher than a simple captain - captain-ajudan-major (capitaine-adjudant-major), or simply ajudan major. He usually served as a regimental or battalion adjutant (see “about the Austrians”), or served at headquarters.

The first staff officer rank in the army was battalion commander (squadron- in cavalry and artillery) - chef de bataillon (chef de bataillon) and chief d'squadron(chef d'escadron). Because in 1793, the “old regime” ranks of major, lieutenant colonel and colonel were abolished and replaced with “revolutionary” ones. But Buonaparte gradually “rehabilitated” them. “The hardest thing” of all was this process with majors- still remained in combat units chiefs, but in the rear (recruit depots, garrison units, etc.)major(major ) still existed.

WITH lieutenant colonels And colonels it was simpler - “revolutionary” brigade commanders (chef de brigade) quickly became a thing of the past, and only colonel en sec (colonel en second) and Colonel ( colonel).

Chin foreman was canceled back under the “old pressure”, but its analogue was “miraculously” preserved in the headquarters where the rank existed ajudan-sommandan (adjudant-commandant), who was higher than a colonel, but lower than a general, who can only be translated as Colonel of Staff(or you don’t have to translate it - personally, I’m all for “otentism”, and let the ignoramuses teach the signs...).

There’s too much texture to write about the various specialists in the troops, but almost all of it is in languages ​​(although those who are thirsty can fall at least to Sokolov’s “ Napoleon's armies "), so I don’t want to deliberately spoil it. I’ll just mention tambour major(as the head of the regimental orchestra - a rank equivalent to ajudana), about “carpenter soldiers” in aprons and with axes ( sappers) in the infantry, and about doctors. U military doctors The French army had the most extensive system of ranks, based, by the way, on the “old regime” major:

1. Major de premier class(major de première classe);


2. Major de second class(de seconde classe);


3. Ed major(aide-major) - literally “assistant major”;


4. Suz-ed-major(sous-aide-major) - “assistant to the major.”

All that remains is to deal with the generals. But here, in the French army, everything was laconic:

1. Marshal of the Empire - Marechal d'empire(marechal d'Empire);


2. Divisional General - general de division(general de division);


3. Brigadier General - General de Brigades(general de brigade).

Ranks general-in-chief (general en chef - general en chief ) And Colonel General(colonel-general - colonel general ) were not military ranks - they were used to designate, respectively, the position of commander of a separate army and inspector of a separate branch of troops (cuirassier, dragoon, artillery, etc.). Those who occupied these positions could have a variety of general ranks.

Table of ranks of the French Army 1912
(Armée française)

The table of ranks of the French army was compiled by the author on the basis of the primary source, namely the textbook for the training of sub-officers (non-commissioned officers) of the infantry and engineering troops, published in 1912-13. The textbook, in turn, refers to the Charter (Règlement) of May 25, 1910.
Therefore, the table covers the period 1910-1913.

From the author. Based on secondary sources, already in 1914 some changes took place in the rank system. In particular, instead of the ranks of Caporal Forier and Sergeant Forier, they contain the names Caporal-Chief and Sergeant-Chief.

The table of ranks in the textbook does not contain a division of military personnel into categories. Therefore, in the table below, this division is based on secondary sources. According to these sources, military personnel were divided into the following categories:

*Hommes du rang - privates.
*Sous officiers - sub-officers. For us it is clearer - non-commissioned officers.
*Officiers subalternes - subaltern officers. These are junior officers.
* Officiers supérieurs - senior officers. These are our senior officers
*Officiers généraux - chief officers. These are our generals.
*Maréchaux - marshals.

From the author. The author adheres to the concept that it is impossible to translate the names of titles into other languages. In all cases, this is not a translation, but an interpretation, in other words, a retranslation of titles into familiar and familiar names of titles. And this always leads to mistakes and absurdities. Especially when translating texts into other languages. For example, the memoirs of the famous German pilot G.U. Rudel. There he repeatedly mentions gunners-radio operators with the rank of gefreiter (Gefraiter). In the English text, the translator changed this title to corporate. Well, Americans generally give everything their own names and names.
In Russia, someone L.A. Igorevsky, translating the book from English, he calls them corporals, not knowing that the rank of corporal did not exist in the Wehrmacht, and obviously based on the fact that in Russian This name of the rank appears.
As a result, people ask me: “In the German army, a corporal was higher than a corporal or lower , and what insignia he had?".
Or better yet, Igorevsky calls the instructor who taught Rudel at the beginning of his service “a naval sergeant.” From the beginning there were no sergeants in the Kriegsmarine. Only the maats and the boatswain.

Or there is a rank in the French army to this day - a djudant, which everyone easily changes into “adjutant”, based on the spelling of this word, and not knowing that adjutant is not a rank, but a position, while the French a djudant (adjudan) is a senior non-commissioned officer rank, approximately equal in rank to modern Russian warrant officers. Or should I translate ajudan - warrant officer, and chief ajudan - senior warrant officer? The French will be surprised to learn that they have warrant officers in their army.

Therefore, in the table I give the names of the titles in the original language, giving next to it a transcription in Russian.
I give the encoding of ranks based, again, on a French textbook, which indicates which positions were occupied by military personnel of a particular rank. I must say that the encoding is approximate since there are certain differences in the hierarchy of formations.

The seniority of ranks was determined not only by the place of a particular rank in the table. In the case of equal ranks, the senior was considered to be the one who had more length of service in this rank.

From the author. In our army, seniority is determined first of all not a title, but a position. Senior is considered to be the one who occupies a higher position, regardless of rank. For example, the chief of staff of a regiment with the rank of captain (Captain Tabakin. 322 motorized rifle regiment of the 31st tank division. 1981) is considered higher than, say, a battalion commander in the same regiment with the rank of lieutenant colonel since the position of chief of staff of a regiment is a higher position. Of course, if officers from different units do not know who occupies what position, then the one who is higher in rank is older.

In addition, military personnel could belong to:
* L "armée active - the army itself,
* L "armée territoriale - territorial army, in other words, militia,
* La réserve - reserve.

With equal ranks, the military personnel of the territorial army and the reserve are always considered to be senior to the military personnel of the army or the military personnel who received this rank in the army, even if he is now serving in the territorial army or the reserve. And regardless of rank, servicemen of the territorial army and reserve do not have the right to order an army serviceman unless there is an order from the Ministry of Defense.
For example, even a general of a territorial army cannot command even one soldier of the army.

Infantry

Code	Category	Titles
1a	Hommes du rang (Private)	Soldat de 2e classe
1b		Soldat de 1re classe (Soldat de premier class)
2a		Сaporal (Caporal)
2b		Caporal fourrier
3	Sous officers (Officers)	Sergent
4		Sergent fourrier
5		Sergent-major
6a		Aspirant (Aspiran) *
6b		Adjudant
6c		Adjudant-chef (Adjudan-chef)
7	Officiers subalternes (With ubaltern officers)	Sous-lieutenant (So-leutenan)
8		Lieutenant
9		Capitane
10	Officers supérieurs (Higher officers)	Chef de bataillon or Major (Chief de battalion or Majeau)**
11		Lieutenant-colonel
12		Colonel
13	Officers généraux (Chief officers)	Général de brigade
14		Général de division
15		Général commandant le corps d'armée (General commandant le corps d'armée)
16		Général d "inspecter ce corps d"armée (General d'inspecter ce corps d'armée)
18	Maréchaux (Marshals)	M aréchal de France (Marechal de France).

*The title of postgraduate student is awarded to students of sub-officer schools and officer schools. When performing official duties (as an internship) in the troops, these students are treated in their rights as subaltern officers. Those. For sergeant major, the next rank is the rank of ajudan, i.e. bypassing the title of graduate student, which seems to fall out of the table.

**The title of “chief de battalion” is held by the battalion commander. In the cavalry this rank is referred to as “chief de de miregiment”, i.e. chief of half the regiment. The rank of "majau" is assigned to officers of this rank who are not commanders.

Military ranks from solda de duzem class to ajudan inclusive are assigned by order of the commander of a regiment or separate unit with the rank of colonel.
The most senior rank among sub-officers (adzhudan-chief) is assigned either by the corps commander or the minister of war. This rank is assigned to adjudans appointed to command positions when it is impossible to staff the position with an officer or if, due to the number or nature of the unit’s tasks, the appointment of an officer is inappropriate.

In the photo on the right: Sergeant Major of the 125th Infantry Regiment in the uniform of 1912. The rank is indicated by two gold braids sewn diagonally at the bottom of the sleeves. Red wool epaulettes do not have the function of identifying ranks. This is simply a decorative decoration on the uniform. In this form, the French infantry set out on the campaign at the beginning of the First World War. The French would switch to khaki uniforms only in the summer of 1915.

P.S.
If we turn to the system of military ranks of the Russian Army of the 18th century, we find a clear influence of the French rank system on the ranks of non-commissioned officers. In our army there were also the ranks of corporal, furier and sergeant. True, our corporal did not belong to the privates. This was the most junior non-commissioned officer rank. He commanded a corporal (the smallest unit in the army with 20-30 soldiers). If the term forier in the French army is a prefix meaning senior corporal or senior sergeant, then in the Russian Army a fourthier was a non-commissioned officer responsible for quartering a company or bivouac.

September 2017

Sources and literature

1. Le Livre du grade d "infanterie. Berger-levrault, éditeurs. Paris, Nancy. 1912-1913.
2. Maginot-Panzerwerk 35-3. SAEP. Colmar-Ingersheim Depot. 1973.
3.G.U.Rudel. Stuka pilot. Centerpolygraph. Moscow. 2003
4. H.U.Rudel. Stuka Pilot. Podzun-Pallas-Verlag. Wölfersheim-Berstadt.1996.
5. Manuel du gradé d'infanterie. Charles-Lavauzelle & CIB. Paris, Nancy. 1939

The police in France were created during the period of absolute power of monarchs in the 17th century. Its system included specialized police units, mounted police guards, and judicial police. The dissatisfied and restless bourgeois had to be controlled at all times. Police services in the capital were especially strengthened. In each quarter of Paris there were special police groups whose duties, in addition to maintaining order and searching for criminals, included monitoring public morals. The police had an extensive system of secret investigation. The revolutions for which the history of this country is famous have more than once changed the structure and foundations of the organization of power, but the role of the police has never weakened.

Today, the French police force consists of two main centralized institutions - the National Police and the Gendarmerie. They generally have similar powers. There is also a local municipal police responsible for maintaining public order in small towns.
The National Police is a civilian force that operates in cities and towns with a population of over 16 thousand people. It reports to the French Ministry of the Interior. It is headed by the General Directorate.
The National Police has two main areas of activity: carries out security work (patrolling, road control, checking documents, etc.), under the control of the relevant judicial authorities, carries out investigative and search work, and performs specific investigative tasks as “judicial police”. The National Police employs approximately 150,000 people, which also includes administrative and scientific staff who are not police officers. The National Police includes special forces units.
Employees of the National Police (current operational and investigative personnel) have 17 ranks, which are distributed into four groups: ordinary operational personnel - from student to major (something like an ensign), command personnel - from cadet-lieutenant to major, senior command personnel - commissioner and divisional commissioner, senior management - chief controller, chief inspector and director of operational services.
You can join the National Police only after passing a competitive exam. Vocational training is provided by specialized schools. A special title, as in Russia, largely depends on the educational level of the employee.
The Gendarmerie (from the French gens d'armes - "men of arms" or "armed retinue") is a police force that, until January 1, 2010, was subordinate to the Ministry of Defense. The gendarmes retained the status of military personnel, and in general, the army order of organization was preserved in this system. The Gendarmerie performs police functions mainly in rural areas and small settlements. In France, this is 90% of the country's territory, where about 50% of the total population lives.
Historically, the gendarmes have a higher status than the National Police. They appeared in the 13th century and were a unit of the knightly royal guard. In the 15th century, gendarmes were nobles who were part of selected heavy cavalry units. They formed the main striking force of the French army. The gendarmerie was first used as a police force in 1791, when it was necessary to stop the revolutionary chaos in the country with an iron hand.
Today, the French gendarmerie also includes departmental and mobile gendarmerie.
The departmental gendarmerie deals with day-to-day police work and conducts investigative activities in a specific area. For example, the road gendarmerie, the maritime gendarmerie.
The mobile gendarmerie is engaged in ensuring public order, can carry out auxiliary work, and perform special duties.
This service also has its own special purpose units. The French gendarmerie employs about 104 thousand people.
Future gendarmes are trained at the National Gendarmerie Academy. Current employees have titles. Officers are divided into three groups: junior, senior and senior. In general, the gendarmerie can be compared with our internal troops, although, of course, there are a lot of differences between them.
The salaries of French police officers do not exceed the average income of residents in this country. In Paris, a National Police trainee earns around 1,660 euros per month, and a major earns between 3,100 and 3,700 euros, while the average salary in France is approximately 3,900 euros. Police officers enjoy a government welfare system similar to ours.

The personal ranks of military personnel in the French army were divided into general, officer and non-commissioned officer. Initially, the ranks coincided with the positions occupied by the persons who wore them, but gradually they acquired an independent meaning, emphasized by external insignia.

LOWER RANKS:

The lowest soldier rank, “private,” always took into account the branch of the military to which the soldier belonged. Ordinary soldiers of various companies in the linear infantry were called: grenadier, fusilier, voltigeur (ggenadier, fusilier, voltigeur); in light infantry - carabinier, huntsman, voltigeur (carabinier, chasseur, voltigeur). In the cavalry, the soldiers were called: carabinier, cuirassier, dragon, chasseur, hussard, chevauleger. In special troops they corresponded to: gunner (1st and 2nd class), sapper (1st and 2nd class), pontooner, miner (canonieg, sapeug, pontonieug, mineug), etc.
Non-commissioned officers (junior commanders) in the infantry, foot artillery and engineering troops wore the ranks: corporal (caporal; in the infantry from 8 to 10 per company, in engineer battalions there were 1st and 2nd corporals), sergeant (sergent; in infantry, 4 per company), senior sergeant (sergent-major; in the infantry, 1 per company). In the cavalry, horse artillery and convoy units they corresponded to the following ranks: brigadier (in cavalry from 4 to 8 per company), sergeant (marechal-des-logis; in cavalry from 2 to 4 per company), senior sergeant (marechal-des -logis chief; in cavalry, 1 per company). The rank of senior non-commissioned officer (adjudant-sous-officier) was intermediate between non-commissioned officers and officers. As a rule, non-commissioned officers who bore this rank were at the disposal of regimental adjutants and performed technical staff work.

Insignia of soldiers and non-commissioned officers

Ordinary soldiers of selected infantry companies (grenadiers, carabiniers and voltigeurs) and selected regiments (cuirassiers, mounted carabiniers and part of the regiments of the Imperial Guard) had epaulettes (usually woolen) of various colors instead of shoulder straps, which distinguished the elite from the ranks of ordinary soldiers. In addition, veterans of all regiments were distinguished with chevrons for their length of service; these chevrons were sewn on the left sleeve above the elbow. The color of the stripes was usually red or aurore (golden yellow).

The junior command staff was distinguished from the rank and file by cloth or braided stripes above the cuffs of both sleeves. In the linear parts, these stripes (usually with edgings along the edges) were placed obliquely; in light infantry units and cavalry, where the cuffs of the sleeves were sharp, the stripes looked like inverted chevrons with the points up.
In light infantry and cavalry, the brigadier (corporal) wore two cloth stripes. The brigadier-fourier had the insignia of a foreman, but above the elbow he wore an additional patch of gold (or silver) braid with piping. A sergeant (in the cavalry - marechal-de-loge) wore one stripe on both sleeves above the cuffs of his uniform, a senior sergeant (in the cavalry - marechal-de-loge chief) - two stripes, and an ajudan-sous-officer (senior non-commissioned officer of the regimental headquarters , first pre-officer rank) - three stripes made of galloon in the color of the buttons with edging along the edges. Non-commissioned officers' long service chevrons were made of cut-out galloon with colored piping.

OFFICER RANKS:

Persons who bore the first officer rank of sous-lieutenant (sous-lieutenant) performed, as a rule, the duties of a junior assistant to the unit commander (French lieutenant - literally “deputy”), usually a captain in the company. The lieutenant was also an assistant to the company commander (captain). The captain (capitaine), as a rule, commanded a company (a squadron in cavalry). The chief of the battalion (chef-de-bataillon) in the infantry usually commanded the battalion (this rank also existed in the foot artillery and engineering troops); the squadron chief, similar to him in the cavalry, usually commanded two squadrons of a cavalry regiment (this rank also existed in horse artillery). Major - deputy regiment commander - headed the regimental depot, sometimes could command several battalions , operating outside their regiment. The colonel (colone1) usually commanded the regiment. In addition, in the artillery and engineering troops there were the ranks of 1st captain, 2nd captain, 1st lieutenant and 2nd lieutenant. Staff officers held special ranks: adjoint a l "etat-major - captain of the staff service, adjudant-commandant - colonel of the staff service (staff colonel).

Officer insignia

The main insignia of officers were epaulettes sewn with silver or gold braid, which corresponded to military rank and were worn on the shoulders of the uniform and frock coat. The color of the epaulettes was determined by the color of the regiment's equipment: silver with white buttons and gold with yellow buttons. Chief officers wore an epaulette with a thin fringe on their left shoulder, and a counter-epaulette without fringe on their right shoulder; staff officers had thickly fringed epaulets on both shoulders. The sous-lieutenant's epaulette and contra-epaulette had two stripes of red silk along the field; The lieutenant was distinguished by one stripe on the field, and the captain had a clear field according to the color of the device. The chief (commander) of a battalion or squadron had an epaulette and counter-epaulette like the captain’s, but the fringe on the left epaulette was cantilevered (thick twisted). The major wore two epaulettes with gimp fringe, but the field of the epaulettes was of a color opposite to that of the regiment (with white buttons - gold, with yellow buttons - silver). The colonel had two single-color epaulettes with gimp fringe.

Officers of line and light infantry regiments, as well as foot artillery, wore metal officer badges on their chests, hung on cords around their necks in the color of the regiment's equipment. Officer badges were the same for all ranks, differing only from regiment to regiment (sometimes the badges included the regiment number and the emblem of the regiment type). Officers had gilded or silver-plated buttons, equipment belts and a lid (if fitted) were often trimmed with cutlery braid. The saddle pads and saddle cloths of officers were trimmed with braid, and the width of the braid corresponded to the rank of the officer, and the major and colonel had two braids - wide and narrow. Adjutants and headquarters officers differed in their uniforms, types of sewing and features of epaulettes.

The colonel of the 9th Hussars in full dress and the captain of the 12th Hussars in a dress coat - an example of different types of insignia in cavalry

The insignia of the hussars was noticeably different from the insignia of the other branches of the military. Hussars wore epaulettes only on weekend coats; on the ceremonial hussar uniform, the ranks of officers were designated completely differently: only with braiding in the form of inverted chevrons above the cuffs of the dolman and mentik, as well as in the form of “spikes” on the chikchirs. Thus, a su-lieutenant had chevrons on his sleeves and a “pike” on chikchirs made of one braid (the color of the buttons), a lieutenant had two braids, a captain had three braids. The chief (commander) of the squadron wore chevrons and “spikes” made of four braids, the major wore five braids, two of which were the color opposite to the color of the regiment’s buttons, the colonel wore five braids in the same color as the buttons. The width of the galloons could vary depending on the rank: narrow for junior officers and wide for senior officers. Officers' shakos were trimmed with galloons on the top, matching the color of the device; the width and number of galloons corresponded to the rank of the officer. The tassels in the corners of hats, on the etiquettes of shakos and fur hats, as well as on lanyards and hussar boots were worn by junior officers with thin fringe, and by senior officers - with cantilever or twisted fringe. Junior officers had sultans according to the color of the sultans of their companies, and senior officers - major and colonel - by rank (usually the colonel is white, and the major is white and red).

GENERALS AND MARSHALS:

The brigadier general (general de brigade) commanded a brigade, but could head the corps headquarters, or hold high military administrative positions (for example, the military commandant of a department). The division general (general de division) commanded a division, but could head a corps or occupy senior military administrative positions (for example, command a military district).
The highest military rank was that of Marshal of France, introduced by Napoleon in 1804. Already on the day of the introduction of this title (May 19), Napoleon made 14 of his comrades marshals, who helped Bonaparte ascend to the very pinnacle of power. Subsequently, 12 more generals became marshals. Marshals of France occupied the highest positions in the empire and commanded the largest military formations - infantry and cavalry corps.

General insignia

Generals of the French army wore a special uniform, introduced in 1803. Differences in rank were limited to epaulettes, sewing on the uniform, scarves and lanyards. The brigadier general wore two silver stars on epaulets with thick twisted fringe, a blue leather belt and a gold woven waist scarf with blue flecks. A general's flap was attached to the hat, but the top of the hat was not trimmed with galloon.
The division general wore three silver stars on epaulets, a red leather belt and a general's scarf with red splashes; The sewing on the collar and cuffs was double. The hat with a general's flap was trimmed along the top with gold braid.

The Marshal of the Empire wore silver staffs on epaulettes surrounded by 5 silver stars and silver staffs on lanyards and a scarf post, a white leather belt and a general's scarf with white splashes; the uniforms had additional sewing at the seams, wider than those of the generals.
Generals and marshals were given crimson-red saddles and saddle cloths with ingots. General's stars were sewn onto various elements of the uniform (tashkas, "nuts" of the mentishket, belts of the frogs, etc.). In addition, in the hussar uniform, generals usually wore stripes on mentiks, dolmans and chikchirs like officers, but out of 6 galloons for a brigadier general, 7 for a division general and 8 for a marshal of the empire. Regimental uniforms with general insignia were worn only by generals who commanded regiments of the Imperial Guard. The French system of distinguishing ranks was adopted in the armies of other countries (Italy, the Duchy of Warsaw, most states of the Rhineland).

CHINOPRODUCTION:

A non-commissioned officer could be promoted to the first officer rank of sous-lieutenant only after 6 years of service. To be promoted to lieutenant, a sous-lieutenant had to serve for at least 4 years. To receive a captain's epaulette, an officer must have had at least 8 years of service (including at least 4 years in the rank of lieutenant), etc. But during hostilities, rank promotion was usually significantly accelerated. Vacancies vacated due to the death of commanders in battle were filled by officers who distinguished themselves during the campaigns and received regular ranks, regardless of their length of service. Senior military commanders who commanded an independent group in a remote theater of military operations or headed garrisons of besieged fortresses were given the right to assign temporary ranks (officers), which were subsequently approved in the prescribed manner.

IMPERIAL GUARDS

sergeant major (senior sergeant), grenadier and captain of a regiment of foot grenadiers of the Old Guard in marching uniform

A special system of ranks and rank production existed in the Imperial Guard. Guards ranks had seniority over army ones: officers who were in the Old and Middle Guards, and senior officers of the Young Guard had an advantage of one rank (for example, a captain of the Imperial Guard was equivalent to the army chief of a battalion or squadron). Non-commissioned officers of the Old Guard had seniority of two ranks.
Military personnel holding guards ranks received an increased (at least one and a half) salary. The names of the soldier ranks of the Imperial Guard were associated with the variety of names of the guards units: foot grenadier, foot huntsman, horse grenadier, horse huntsman, velite, tirailleur, mameluke, chevoler lancer, veteran, etc. The names of non-commissioned officer ranks generally corresponded to the army ones.
In the guard, the 2nd and 1st lieutenants (1ieutenant en second, lieutenant en premier) were junior officers in companies, but could be appointed to the positions of regimental eagle bearers (standard bearers) or staff officers. The captain, as in the army, commanded a company or served on headquarters. The rank of the battalion chief corresponded to that of the army, and the chief of the guards cavalry squadron actually commanded the squadron. In addition, these officers could occupy staff positions. A guard major (major de la Garde) was equivalent to an army colonel. Officers of this rank were appointed commanders of infantry regiments of the Middle and Young Guard. In the Old Guard infantry, a major (in most cases) also had the general army rank of brigadier general, and therefore could command an infantry regiment or hold the position of deputy commander of a branch of arms in the Imperial Guard (colonel en second). In the Guards cavalry, the major was the deputy regimental commander. The colonel of the Imperial Guard (colonel de la Garde imperiale) also bore the rank of army divisional (less often brigadier) general, and usually held the post of commander of the weapons of the Imperial Guard troops (foot rangers, foot grenadiers). During combat operations, such an officer, as a rule, commanded a separate guards unit - an infantry or cavalry division. In addition, guard colonels held positions of commanders of guard regiments or their first deputies (colonel en second). The highest rank of guards officers is Colonel General of the Imperial Guard (Colonel General de la Garde Imperiale). This honorary title was awarded to the marshals of the empire, who were the commanders-in-chief of the arms and branches of the Imperial Guard (foot grenadiers, foot rangers, guards cavalry, artillery, sailors and guard engineers). Some colonel generals commanded guards formations during the campaigns. The title of marshal (le marechal de l "Empire) was not another military rank and stood outside the military hierarchy; this title was awarded personally by the emperor for special merits.

Text - from the Encyclopedia “Patriotic War of 1812”. Moscow, ROSSPEN, 2004

Military forces Military age 17 years upon consent to military service (2001) Duration of conscription Conscription canceled in 1997 Free population 13,676,509 (2005 estimate) people. Fit for military service 11,262,661 (2005 estimate) people. Those entering military age every year 389,204 (2005 estimate) people. Employed in the army 14% Finance Budget €32 billion (2009) Percentage of GNP 1.7% (2008) (without gendarmerie) Industry Domestic suppliers French military-industrial complex Annual export Orders for 5.66 billion euros (2007)
4.81 billion shipments (2007) Applications Story Military history of France Ranks Ranks of the French Army

In general, France is one of the few countries whose armed forces have almost the full range of modern weapons and military equipment of their own production - from small arms to attack nuclear aircraft carriers (which, besides France, only the United States has).

In 2003, France completed the second part of the reform of the armed forces, which began in 1996. As part of this reform, conscription was abolished and a transition to a professional, smaller, but more effective army took place. The reform should last until 2015. .

Types of the French Armed Forces

• French Land Forces (French) Russian or army (including naval units, Foreign Legion, light aviation)
• French Navy or national navy (including air force in the Navy)
• French Air Force (including air defense)
• National Gendarmerie of France (performs the functions of the national rural police and military police for all French Armed Forces). Its area of ​​competence includes coastal areas, rivers, rural areas, as well as cities with a population of less than 10,000 people.
• The elite structure of the Armed Forces is the medical service of the French Armed Forces, which provides medical services to all four branches of the Armed Forces.

French nuclear arsenal

Main article: French nuclear arsenal

White paper

The 1994 White Paper marked a major change in French military policy and was a timely response to the changing strategic environment following the end of the Cold War. Its provisions were aimed mainly at supporting those forces that would contribute to the activity of the French armed forces in regional conflicts. But, undoubtedly, such a change in military doctrine required the modernization of the armed forces themselves. The French Army was given 3 priorities: “the ability to quickly collect and analyze information, effective command and the ability to project (transfer and support armed forces) forces.” This was the goal of the military reform of 1996, the basis of which was the White Paper of 1994.

The latest White Paper was published by Nicolas Sarkozy on June 17, 2008, replacing the 1994 doctrine. According to the new doctrine, the number of military personnel and civilian employees of defense enterprises will be reduced by 54 thousand in the next 6-7 years. The funds saved due to such significant personnel cuts will be used to purchase new weapons and equipment. The new book is based on the need to fight against new dangers that have appeared in the world since 1994. These threats include cyber attacks, terrorism, epidemics, and climate disasters. The new French security strategy involves strengthening the role of the European Union in defense matters.

In the spirit of old traditions, the 2008 White Paper prioritized national security policy “defense and foreign policies that contribute directly to national security”, but “in order to better ensure the protection of French interests and the mission to protect its population, the new concept of French national security also addresses domestic security policy, on all issues except those that are not directly related to the personal safety of people and their property, the violation of law and order.”

The main feature of the 2008 White Paper is that “for the first time in a century, France bases its rather revolutionary doctrine of national security not on a hypothetical general military confrontation in Europe, but combines defense and ensuring its own national security.” If the core of the 1972 White Paper was “containment”, in 1994 - “power projection”, then in the 2008 White Paper on Defense and National Security it is “knowledge and forecasting”, which represents a new strategic function that has become a priority Also, one of the important innovations proposed in the 2008 White Paper on Defense and National Security is the need to create a National Defense and Security Council headed by the president of the country, which should also include the prime minister and ministers. Defense and Home Affairs, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Ministers of Economy and Budget Planning.

The problem of France's reintegration into NATO

In 1992, under François Mitterrand, officials began to take part in the work of the military committee for operations in Bosnia. Under Jacques Chirac, France reintroduced the French military into the unified structure in 2004. There are three headquarters in Lille, Lyon and Toulon capable of conducting allied operations. On the ground, troops are participating jointly with NATO in operations in Afghanistan and Kosovo.

France ranks 4th in NATO funding, with troops representing 7% of the forces participating in operations. That's about 4,650 soldiers operating under the NATO flag. In addition, France does not have a large command and cannot influence the strategic decisions of the alliance. NATO is the only organization where France does not have the opportunity to participate and influence. Reintegration into command structures means the country can act rather than be passive.

Thanks to the French Presidency of the European Union, European security and defense policy has taken concrete steps forward with increased operational capabilities and large-scale European participation in operations on the ground (continued European operations in Chad, the start of civilian observation missions in Georgia in September, and in December in Kosovo, and, finally, the first European naval operation "ATALANT" to fight against pirates).

The principles of independence laid down in 1966 by General de Gaulle remain unshakable: France, under any circumstances, retains complete freedom to decide on sending troops to participate in the operation. The country will not place any military contingent at the permanent disposal of NATO command in peacetime. Regarding nuclear deterrence, complete independence will be maintained, just like the British, with the aim of ensuring that nuclear deterrence serves both the Defense of Europe and NATO. It is on the basis of these principles that France's relations with NATO are being renewed. The first step was the Strasbourg-Kehl summit on April 3 and 4, 2009.

See also

• French defense policy

Notes

Links

• Colonel N. FROLOV, French Armed Forces Foreign Military Review
• A. KOPYEV STRUCTURE OF THE FRENCH ARMED FORCES Foreign Military Review

European Countries: Armed Forces
Dependent territories
Unrecognized and partially recognized states