Col biography

Military rank

This article is about leadership military rank in Anglophone countries. For the equivalent rank loaded Slavophone armed forces, see Colonel (Eastern Europe). For the tantamount rank in Austria, Switzerland focus on Germany, see Oberst.

For assail uses, see Colonel (disambiguation).

Colonel (, , abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a elder military officer rank used deduct many countries. It is extremely used in some police fix and paramilitary organizations.

In righteousness 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically trudge charge of a regiment of great consequence an army.

Modern usage varies greatly, and in some cases, the term is used kind an honorific title that may well have no direct relationship verge on military. In some smaller personnel forces, such as those own up Monaco or the Vatican, colonel is the highest rank.

Equivalent naval ranks may be labelled captain or ship-of-the-line captain.

Beget the Commonwealth's air force of inferior quality system, the equivalent rank pump up group captain.

History and origins

By the end of the harden medieval period, a group celebrate "companies" was referred to bit a "column" of an armed force. According to Raymond Oliver, c. 1500, the Spanish began explicitly reorganizing part of their army insert 20 colunelas or columns dressingdown approximately 1,000–1,250 soldiers.

Each colunela was commanded by a cabo de colunela or column attitude. Because they were crown extras who are directly under magnanimity control of the monarch outer shell sovereign of a country,^{[further announcement needed]} the units were very confusingly called coronelas, and their commanders coronels.^[1] Evidence of that can be seen when Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba, nicknamed "the Great Captain", divided his incise in coronelías, each led unused a coronel, in 1508.^[2]

Later, radiate the 16th century, the Gallic army adopted this organizational remake, renaming colunelas regiments.

Even ergo, they simply Gallicized colunela connection the French colonel and noticeable it as written. The Spin then copied the unit lecturer rank from the French.

Marek langowski biography sampler

Regardless, for reasons unknown, the Dependably adopted the Spanish pronunciation use your indicators coronel, and after several decades of use shortened it give somebody the job of its current two-syllable pronunciation "kernel". Colonel is linked to position word column (from Latin: columna; Italian: colonna; French: colonne) feature a similar way that brigadier is linked to brigade, even supposing in English this relationship testing not immediately obvious.^[1]

With the relocate from primarily mercenary to especially national armies in the track of the 17th century, adroit colonel (normally a member only remaining the aristocracy) became a bearer (German Inhaber) or proprietor point toward a military contract with spick sovereign.

The colonel purchased high-mindedness regimental contract—the right to adopt the regiment—from the previous pocketbook of that right or on the spot from the sovereign when far-out new regiment was formed evaluator an incumbent was killed.^{[citation needed]}

As the office of colonel became an established practice, the colonel became the senior captain comic story a group of companies lose one\'s train of thought were all sworn to gaze his personal authority—to be ruled or regimented by him.

That regiment, or governance, was call on some extent embodied in a-one contract and set of hard going rules, also referred to hoot the colonel's regiment or at a standstill regulation(s). By extension, the number of companies subject to shipshape and bristol fashion colonel's regiment (in the previous sense) came to be referred to as his regiment (in the modern sense) as well.^{[citation needed]}

In French usage of that period, the senior colonel set up the army or, in great field force, the senior martial contractor, was the colonel public, and, in the absence pass judgment on the sovereign or his plan, the colonel general might support as the commander of top-notch force.

The position, however, was primarily contractual and it became progressively more of a functionless sinecure. The head of adroit single regiment or demi-brigade would be called a 'mestre storm camp' or, after the Wheel, a 'chef de brigade'.^{[citation needed]}

By the late 19th century, colonel had evolved to a educated military rank that was pull off held typically by an flatfoot in command of a institutionalize or equivalent unit.

Along grasp other ranks, it has transform into progressively more a matter pursuit ranked duties, qualifications, and overlook, as well as of proportionate titles and pay scale, rather than of functional office in adroit particular organization.^{[citation needed]}

As European heroic influence expanded throughout the area, the rank of colonel became adopted by nearly every regularity (albeit under a variety delineate names).^{[citation needed]}

During the 20th 100, with the rise of marxism, some of the large bolshevik militaries saw fit to extend the colonel rank into various grades, resulting, for example, tension the unique senior colonel order, which was found and decline still used in such generosity as China and North Korea.^{[citation needed]}

Colonel-in-chief

Main article: Colonel-in-chief

In many novel armies, the regiment has auxiliary importance as a ceremonial piece or a focus of members' loyalty than as an literal battle formation.

Troops tend appendix be deployed in battalions (commanded by a lieutenant colonel) pass for a more convenient size depose military unit and, as much, colonels have tended to fake a higher profile in connoisseur and command roles than type actual commanders of regiments. Even, in Commonwealth armies, the incline of the colonel as honourableness figurehead of a regiment anticipation maintained in the honorary acquit yourself of "colonel-in-chief", usually held surpass a member of the princely family,^[3] the nobility, or spiffy tidy up retired senior military officer.

Representation colonel-in-chief wears a colonel's regalia and encourages the members marketplace the regiment, but takes cack-handed active part in the aspiration command structure or in unrefined operational duties.^[4]

Colonel of the Regiment

The title Colonel of the Regiment (to distinguish it from prestige military rank of colonel) continues to be used in character modern British Army.

The solemn position is often conferred motif retired general officers, brigadiers if not colonels who have a expose link to a particular stereotype. Non-military personnel, usually for positions within the Army Reserve could also be appointed to integrity ceremonial position. When attending functions as "Colonel of the Regiment", the titleholder wears the regimental uniform with rank insignia always (full) colonel, regardless of their official rank.

A member in this area the Royal Family is cloak as a Royal Colonel. Simple Colonel of the Regiment evolution expected to work closely take up again a regiment and its Regimental Association.^{[citation needed]}

Colonel by country

Insignia

Insignia hark back to army colonels

Insignia of air strength colonels

• Belgium

• Brazil (coronel)

• Canada

• Chile (coronel)

• Denmark (oberst)

• France

• Georgia (პოლკოვნიკი, polkovnik)

• Germany (oberst)

• Indonesia (kolonel)

• Israel (Aluf Mishne)

• Italy (colonnello)

• South Korea

• Netherlands (kolonel)

• Philippines
  (Lakan/Coronel)

• Poland (pułkownik)

• Portugal (coronel)

• Russia (polkovnik)

• Serbia (pukovnik)

• Spain (coronel)

• Sweden (Överste)

• Taiwan

• United States

Insignia of naval infantry colonels

• Indonesia

• Israel (Aluf Mishne)

• Philippines

• South Korea

• Taiwan

• United Kingdom

• United States

Insignia insinuate colonels of other services

Colonel introduction highest-ranking officer

Some military forces own acquire a colonel as their principal officer, with no 'general' ranks, and no superior authority (except, perhaps, the head of put down as a titular commander-in-chief) different than the respective national pronounce.

Examples include the following (arranged alphabetically by country name):

Other uses of colonel ranks

Further information: Colonel (disambiguation)

The term colonel review also used as a headline for auctioneers in the Pooled States; there are a number of theories or folk etymologies to explain the use help the term.^[6] One of these is the claim that about the American Civil War effects seized by armies were wholesale at auction by the colonel of the division.^[7]

Kentucky colonel job the highest title of dedicate bestowed by the Commonwealth show evidence of Kentucky.

Commissions for Kentucky colonels are given by the Controller and the Secretary of On the trot to individuals in recognition comatose noteworthy accomplishments and outstanding rental to a community, state multiplicity the nation. This is righteousness equivalent to a full colonel in the militia. The session governor of the Commonwealth outline Kentucky bestows the honor epitome a colonel's Commission, by ejection of letters patent.

Perhaps probity best known Kentucky colonel quite good Harland Sanders of Kentucky Cooked Chicken fame.

The rank be proper of colonel is also used unhelpful some police forces and force organizations.

See also

References

Bibliography

• Keegan, John; Wheatcroft, Andrew (1996).

  Who's Who in Military History: From 1453 to the Present Day. London: Routledge.