NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Generalísimo

A generalissimo is a commissioned officer of the highest rank; the word is often translated as "Supreme Commander" or "Commander in Chief". It is an Italian superlative substantive, which grammatically would actually be disallowed in Italian (superlatives can be made with adjectives only). When used as a noun, the correct sense is "General of the highest degree" (or commander in chief of the entire armed forces of a specific country); as an adjective, the closest English form is "most general", but the concept is best expressed by the grammatically incorrect expression "most generalest". The term "Generalissimo" in English has come to refer to a kind of ruler who has ascended to that position by a military coup. In most developed English-speaking countries, the term commonly invokes the image of corrupt dictatorships and so-called "banana republics". Italian is a Romance language spoken by about 70 million people, most of whom live in Italy. ... In grammar the superlative of an adjective or adverb indicates that an entity transcends at least two other entities in some way. ... In grammar, a substantive is either: a noun substantive, now also called simply noun; or a verb substantive, which is a verb like English be when expressing existence (in contrast to use as a copula). ... This article is about grammar from a linguistic perspective. ... An adjective is a part of speech which modifies a noun, usually making its meaning more specific. ... General is a military rank, in most nations the highest rank, although some nations have the higher rank of Field Marshal. ... The armed forces of a state are its military organization. ... A coup détat, or simply a coup, is the sudden overthrow of a government, usually done by a small group that just replaces the top power figures. ... For other uses, see Banana republic (disambiguation). ...

The dictator Francisco Franco, Chief of State of the Spanish State, also held the title Generalísimo de los Ejércitos Españoles, or "Generalissimo of the Spanish Armies", a title which expressed his supreme command of the Army, Navy, and Air Force of the Spanish State. His influential brother-in-law, Ramón Serrano Súñer, was nicknamed el cuñadísimo ("the brother-in-law + -issimo"). Dictator was the title of a magistrate in ancient Rome appointed by the Senate to rule the state in times of emergency. ... Generalísimo Francisco Franco, caudillo de España por la gracia de Dios, late in life Francisco Paulino Hermenegildo Teódulo Franco y Bahamonde Salgado Pardo de Andrade (December 4, 1892 - November 20, 1975), abbreviated Francisco Franco Bahamonde and sometimes known as Generalísimo Francisco Franco, was dictator of Spain... A head of state or chief of state is the chief public representative of a nation-state, federation or commonwealth, whose role generally includes personifying the continuity and legitimacy of the state and exercising the political powers, functions and duties granted to the head of state in the countrys... The Kingdom of Spain or Spain (Spanish: Reino de España or España; Catalan: Regne dEspanya; Basque: Espainiako Erresuma; Galician: Reino de España; Asturian: Reinu dEspaña) is a country located in the southwest of Europe. ... The Kingdom of Spain or Spain (Spanish: Reino de España or España; Catalan: Regne dEspanya; Basque: Espainiako Erresuma; Galician: Reino de España; Asturian: Reinu dEspaña) is a country located in the southwest of Europe. ...

Chiang Kai-Shek also used the term (although he was technically a general special class or "five-star general") as did Stalin; the latter, however, was appointed to the position on June 27, 1945, at the conclusion of World War II and did not use it as a title to designate his position of commander in chief, but rather bore it as a title of rank, Generalissimo of the Soviet Union, above the rank of Marshal of the Soviet Union. The Japanese title of Shogun is in a way comparable to that of generalissimo. Chiang Kai-shek ( October 31, 1887 – April 5, 1975) was a Chinese military and political leader who assumed the leadership of the Kuomintang (KMT) after the death of Sun Yat-sen in 1925. ... June 27 is the 178th day of the year (179th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 187 days remaining. ... Commander-in-Chief (in NATO-lingo often C-in-C or CINC pronounced sink) is the commander of all the military forces within a particular region or of all the military forces of a state. ... A rank appointed to Stalin following World War II in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, being the highest military rank in the Soviet Union. ... Marshal of the Soviet Union Semyon Timoshenko in dress uniform The rank of Marshal of the Soviet Union (Russian: Marshal Sovietskogo Soyuza, Маршал Совет́ского Союза) was in practice the highest military rank of the Soviet Union. ... Official language Japanese Capital Tokyo Largest City Tokyo Emperor Akihito Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi Area - Total - % water Ranked 60th 377,835 km² 0. ... This page is about the Japanese ruler and military rank. ...

Famous Generalissimos

Austria:

Eugene of Savoy (part of a statue in front of the Hofburg in Vienna) François-Eugène, Prince of Savoy-Carignan, known as Prinz Eugen in German (October 16, 1663-April 24, 1736) was a noted general. ... Archduke Charles Archduke Charles of Austria (Erzherzog Karl) ( September 5, 1771 - April 30, 1847) was the younger brother of Holy Roman Emperor Francis II. Despite being epileptic, Charles achieved respect both as a commander and as a reformer of Austrias army. ...

China:

Chiang Kai-shek ( October 31, 1887 – April 5, 1975) was a Chinese military and political leader who assumed the leadership of the Kuomintang (KMT) after the death of Sun Yat-sen in 1925. ...

France:

Henry III (French: Henri III; Polish: Henryk III Walezy; September 19, 1551 - August 2, 1589) was King of Poland (1573-1574) and subsequently King of France (1574-1589). ... Henry, 3rd Duke of Guise (January 31, 1550 - December 23, 1588) was the son of Francis, Duke of Guise. ... Claude-Louis-Hector de Villars, Prince de Martigues, Marquis and Duc de Villars and Vicomte de Melun (May 8, 1653 - June 17, 1734), marshal of France, one of the greatest generals of French history, was born at Moulins, and entered the army through the corps of pages in 1671. ... Nicolas Jean de Dieu Soult, marshal of France Nicolas Jean de Dieu Soult, duc de Dalmatie (March 29, 1760 - November 26, 1851), marshal of France, was born at Saint-Arnans-la-Bastide (now in department of the Tarn), and was the son of a country notary at that place. ...

Germany:

North Korea:

Kim Il-sung (April 15, 1912–July 8, 1994) was a Korean Communist politician and the ruler of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (North Korea) from 1948 until his death. ...

Russia:

Aleksei Semyonovich Shein (Алексей Семенович Шеин in Russian) (1662 - February 12, 1700), Russian commander and statesman, the first Russian Generalissimus, boyar, grandson of Mikhail Shein. ... Menshikov in Exile Aleksandr Danilovich Menshikov (Александр Данилович Меншиков) (1673 – 1729) was a Russian statesman, whose official titles included Generalissimo, Prince of the Holy Roman Empire and Duke of Izhora. ... Monument to Suvorov as youthful Mars, the Roman god of war (Italy (November 24, 1729 - May 18, 1800), was a Russian Generalissimo, reckoned one of a few great generals in history who never lost a battle. ...

Spain:

Don John of Austria (February 24, 1547 - October 1, 1578), also known as Juan De Austria and Don Juan de Austria, was the illegitimate son of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor and a military leader whose most famous victory was at the Battle of Lepanto. ... Generalísimo Francisco Franco, caudillo de España por la gracia de Dios, late in life Francisco Paulino Hermenegildo Teódulo Franco y Bahamonde Salgado Pardo de Andrade (December 4, 1892 - November 20, 1975), abbreviated Francisco Franco Bahamonde and sometimes known as Generalísimo Francisco Franco, was dictator of Spain... 1892 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...

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