Editing Field marshal (section)

{{Short description|Most senior military rank}}
{{See also|Marshal#Military}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2017}}
{{more citations needed|date=October 2021}}
{{Military ranks | state=expanded}}
[[File:Duke of Wellingtons batons.jpg|thumb|right|The ceremonial marshal's batons of the Duke of Wellington]]
'''Field marshal''' (or '''field-marshal''', abbreviated as '''FM''') is the most senior [[military rank]], senior to the [[general officer]] ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army (in countries without the rank of [[Generalissimo]]), and as such, few persons are ever appointed to it. It is considered as a [[five-star rank]] (OF-10) in modern-day armed forces in many countries.

Promotion to the rank of field marshal in many countries historically required extraordinary military achievement by a general (a wartime victory). However, the rank has also been used as a [[Division (military)|divisional command]] rank and as a [[brigade]] command rank.  Examples of the different uses of the rank include [[Afghanistan]], [[Austria-Hungary]], [[Pakistan]], [[Prussia]]/[[Germany]], [[India]] and [[Sri Lanka]] for an extraordinary achievement; Spain and [[Mexico]] for a divisional command ({{langx|es|link=no|mariscal de campo}}); and France, [[Portugal]] and [[Brazil]] for a brigade command ({{langx|fr|link=no|maréchal de camp}}, {{langx|pt|marechal de campo}}).