Army general (East Germany)


Army general, was in the so-called armed organs of the GDR, represented by Ministry of National Defence, Ministry for State Security, and Ministry of Interior, the highest general officer peace times rank, comparable to the four-star rank in many NATO-Armed forces. This was in reference to Soviet military doctrine and in line with other armed forces of the Warsaw Pact.
The rank was reserved to minister level exclusively, e.g. MOD, MFS, and MDI. Consequently, in the National People's Army service branches, Landstreitkräfte, Luftstreitkräfte/ Luftverteidigung, Border troops, and Volksmarine there was not any OF-4 rank equivalent. However, in the case that a Navy Flag officer was designated or appointed Minister of national defence the naval rank Flottenadmiral should have been conveyed. With the disbandment of the armed organs of the GDR in October 1990, the Army general rank was abolished.

List of Army generals in the GDR

East German officers who achieved the rank of Armeegeneral were:
NamePortraitPositionYear of Rank
Willi StophMinister of National Defence1959
Heinz HoffmannMinister of National Defence1961
Erich MielkeMinister for State Security1980
Friedrich DickelMinister of Interior1984
Heinz KesslerMinister of National Defence1985

Design

Army general in other countries

This four-star rank OF-9 was largely used in other armed forces of the former Warsaw Pact countries. Some examples are described below.
Junior Rank
Generaloberst
Armeegeneral
Senior rank
Marshal of the GDR