Lieutenant general
Lieutenant general, lieutenant-general and similar (abbrev Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a captain general.
In modern armies, lieutenant general normally ranks immediately below general and above major general; it is equivalent to the navy rank of vice admiral, and in air forces with a separate rank structure, it is equivalent to air marshal. A lieutenant general commands an army corps, made up of typically three army divisions, and consisting of around 60,000–70,000 soldiers (U.S.).
The seeming incongruity that a lieutenant general outranks a major general (whereas a major outranks a lieutenant) is due to the derivation of the latter rank from sergeant major general, which was also subordinate to lieutenant general. In some countries (e.g. France and Italy), the ranks of corps general or lieutenant colonel general are used instead of lieutenant general, in an attempt to solve this apparent anomaly – these ranks are often translated into English as lieutenant general.
In a number of states, the rank of lieutenant general is the highest army rank in use. In Latvia, Lithuania and Singapore, the chief of defence is a lieutenant general, and in the Irish Defence Forces and Israel Defense Forces , the Chief of Staff holds this rank.
Lieutenant general ranks by country
- Lieutenant general (Australia)
- Lieutenant general (Bangladesh)
- Porucnik-General (Bosnia & Herzegovina)
- Lieutenant general Botswana
- pt:Генерал-Лейтенант (Bulgaria)
- Lieutenant-general (Canada)
- zhong jiang (China and Taiwan)
- General pukovnik (Croatia)
- Generálporučík (Czech Republic)
- Generalløjtnant (Denmark)
- Kindralleitnant (Estonia)
- Kenraaliluutnantti (Finland)
- გენერალ ლეიტენანტი ("general leitenanti") (Georgia)
- Generalleutnant (Germany)
- Αντιστράτηγος (Greece) (Antistrátigos, vice general)
- Altábornagy (Hungary)
- Ģenerālleitnants" (Latvia)
- Lieutenant general (India)
- Letnan Jenderal (Indonesia)
- Sepahbod (Iran)
- Leifteanant-Ghinearál ("Lieutenant General") (Republic of Ireland)
- Generale di Corpo d'Armata (Italy)
- Генерал потполковник (general potpolkovnik) (Republic of Macedonia)
- General de División (Mexico)
- Luitenant-generaal (Netherlands)
- Generalløytnant (Norway)
- Lieutenant general (Pakistan)
- Tenyente heneral (Philippines)
- Generał broni (Poland)
- Generolas leitenantas (Lithuania)
- Tenente-general (Portugal)
- General de corp de armată (Romania) (see Général de corps d'armée (Fr))
- Генерал-лейтенант ("general-lieutenant") (Russia)
- Генерал-потпуковник ("general potpukovnik") (Serbia)
- Teniente general (Spain)
- Lieutenant general (Sri Lanka)
- Generallöjtnant (Sweden)
- Pol tho ("พลโท") (Thailand)
- Lieutenant general (United Kingdom)[1]
- Lieutenant general (United States)
- Trung tướng (Vietnam)
- Lieutenant general (Zimbabwe)
- Korgeneral (Turkey)
Army ranks
 
 Generalleutnant Generalleutnant
 (Austrian Army)
 - Lieutenant general 
 Bangladesh Army
 Bangladesh
 
 
 Lieutenant General Lieutenant General
 (Canadian Army)
 Zhong Jiang Zhong Jiang
 (People's Liberation Army)
 
 Generálporučík Generálporučík
 (Czech Army)
 Generalløjtnant Generalløjtnant
 (Royal Danish Army)
 
 Kindralleitnant Kindralleitnant
 (Estonia)
 
 გენერალ ლეიტენანტი გენერალ ლეიტენანტი
 (Georgian Army)
 
 
 Altábornagy Altábornagy
 (Hungarian Army)
 Lieutenant General Lieutenant General
 (Pakistan Army)
 Lieutenant General Lieutenant General
 (Indian Army)
 Letnan Jenderal Letnan Jenderal
 (Indonesian Army)
 Sepahbod Sepahbod
 (Iran Army)
 Leifteanant-Ghinearál Leifteanant-Ghinearál
 Irish Army
 Генерал потполковник (general potpolkovnik) Генерал потполковник (general potpolkovnik)
 (Army of the Republic of Macedonia)
 Tenyente Heneral Tenyente Heneral
 (Philippine Army)
 Luitenant-generaal Luitenant-generaal
 (Royal Netherlands Army)
 Generalløytnant Generalløytnant
 (Royal Norwegian Army)
 
 Tenente-general Tenente-general
 (Portuguese Army)
 Teniente general Teniente general
 (Spanish Army)
 
 Pol tho Pol tho
 (Royal Thai Army)
 Lieutenant-General (Russian Federation) Lieutenant-General (Russian Federation)
 
 
 - Lieutenant general 
 (U.S. Army, September 1959 to October 2014)
 Trung Tướng Trung Tướng
 (Vietnam People's Army)
Air Force ranks
 - Belgian Air Component 
 Lieutenant général/Luitenant-generaal
 
 Generalløjtnant Generalløjtnant
 (Royal Danish Air Force)
 Teniente General Teniente General
 (Ecuadorian Air Force)
 
 გენერალ ლეიტენანტი გენერალ ლეიტენანტი
 (Georgian Air Force)
 Luitenant-generaal Luitenant-generaal
 (Royal Netherlands Air Force)
 
 Tenente-general Tenente-general
 Portuguese Air Force
 
 
Lieutenant general equivalent ranks
- فريق (Algeria)
- General-de-Divisão (Brasil)
- General de División (Chile)
- General pukovnik (Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina)
- Général de corps d'armée (France)
- Sepah-Bod (Iran)
- Rav Aluf (Israel)
- Generale di Corpo d'Armata (Italy)
- Rikugun-Chūjō陸軍中将(IJA), Rikushō陸将, and Kūshō空将(JSDF,three-star rank) (Japan)
- Chungjang (North Korea)
- Jungjang (South Korea)
- General de División (México)
- Generał broni (Poland)
- Farig فريق (Saudi Arabia)
- General potpukovnik (Serbia)
- Generalpodpolkovnik (Slovenia)
- Korpskommandant/Commandant de corps (Switzerland)
- Korgeneral (Turkey)
- Trung tướng and Phó Đô đốc (Vietnam)
 General-de-Divisão(Brazilian Army) General-de-Divisão(Brazilian Army)
 Major Brigadeiro(Brazilian Air Force) Major Brigadeiro(Brazilian Air Force)
 Général de corps d'armée (France) Général de corps d'armée (France)
 Rav Aluf (Israel) Rav Aluf (Israel)
.svg.png) Generale di Corpo d'Armata (Italy) Generale di Corpo d'Armata (Italy)
.svg.png) Rikushō (Japan Ground Self-Defense Force) Rikushō (Japan Ground Self-Defense Force)
.svg.png) Kūshō(Japan Air Self-Defense Force) Kūshō(Japan Air Self-Defense Force)
Other Lieutenant general ranks
- Gruppenführer (Waffen-SS)
- Feldmarschallleutnant (Austro-Hungarian Army)
See also
- Comparative military ranks
- British and United States military ranks compared
- Israel Defense Forces ranks





