Marshal of France

The highest military distinction in France, a dignity of state rather than a rank, borne by commanders from Turenne to Foch.

Overview

Marshal of France dates to the Middle Ages and is technically a state dignity rather than a military rank, signified by a blue baton decorated with stars and a seven-star insignia. Napoleon revived it as Marshal of the Empire and named 26 marshals, including Ney, Murat, and Davout. In the twentieth century the dignity went to the victorious commanders of the First World War, among them Joffre, Foch, and Petain, who was later stripped of it after his conviction for collaboration. The last living marshal to receive it was Alphonse Juin in 1952, and the most recent award, to Marie-Pierre Koenig in 1984, was posthumous.