# Commandant general

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{{Short description|Military rank}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2026}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}}
'''Commandant general''' is a military rank in several countries, generally equivalent to that of major general. When written as "commandant-general" it is usually an honorary title.

==Argentina==
Commandant general is the highest rank in the [Argentine National Gendarmerie](/source/Argentine_National_Gendarmerie), and is held by the national director of the gendarmerie and his senior deputies. Depending on the appointment, it may be equal to any Argentine army rank from [brigade general](/source/brigade_general) to the highest Argentine army rank, [lieutenant general](/source/lieutenant_general).

==Ireland==
During the [Irish War of Independence](/source/Irish_War_of_Independence) and the
[Irish Civil War](/source/Irish_Civil_War) in the period 1919–1923, the [IRA](/source/Irish_Republican_Army_(1919%E2%80%931922)) and
[Anti-Treaty IRA](/source/Irish_Republican_Army_(1922%E2%80%931969)) applied this term to the leaders of their various brigades throughout the country. The term was acquired from the [Boer](/source/Boer) ranks, through veterans of the [Irish Transvaal Brigade](/source/Irish_Transvaal_Brigade).{{fact|date=June 2023}}

==Italy==
In [Italy](/source/Italy) ''Comandante generale'' (commandant general) is the title of the general officers commanding the ''[Carabinieri](/source/Carabinieri)'', the ''[Guardia di Finanza](/source/Guardia_di_Finanza)'' and the ''[Corps of the Port Captaincies – Coast Guard](/source/Corps_of_the_Port_Captaincies_%E2%80%93_Coast_Guard)''. It is an appointment, not a rank. In [Fascist Italy's](/source/Kingdom_of_Italy) [Blackshirts](/source/Blackshirts), ''comandante generale'' was the title of their head and was held by [Benito Mussolini](/source/Benito_Mussolini) from 1922 to 1943.

==Portugal and Brazil==
Historically, commandant-general ({{langx|pt|comandante-geral}}) has been the traditional title of the appointment of commanding officer in several security forces in [Portugal](/source/Portugal) and [Brazil](/source/Brazil).

Presently, in Portugal is the title of the general officer commanding the [National Republican Guard (GNR)](/source/Portuguese_National_Republican_Guard). In the past, it was also the title of the commanding officers of the [Public Security Police](/source/Public_Security_Police), the former [Fiscal Guard](/source/Fiscal_Guard) and the former [Portuguese Legion](/source/Portuguese_Legion_(Estado_Novo)).

In Brazil, it is the title of the commanding officers of the state [military police](/source/Military_Police_(Brazil)) and military fire departments.

==South Africa==
Commandant-general was a [military rank](/source/military_rank) in [South African Republic](/source/South_African_Republic) and the [Orange Free State Republic](/source/Orange_Free_State) as well as in the [Union of South Africa](/source/Union_of_South_Africa) and the [Republic of South Africa](/source/Republic_of_South_Africa). The commandant-general of one of the [Boer republic](/source/Boer_republic)s was the head of its armed forces. The rank of full general in the [South African Army](/source/South_African_Army) was renamed "commandant-general" in 1956 and was in use until 1967 when it reverted simply to "general"<ref>{{cite journal|last=Radburn|first=A|title=South African Army Ranks and Insignia|journal=Militaria|year=1990|volume=20|series=2}}</ref>

Commandant-general was, at times, also a post designation, rather than a rank. Brigadier-General CF Beyers was the first Commandant-General of the Active Citizen Force<ref name="Jooste (1996)">{{cite journal|last=Jooste|first=L|title=DIE POLITIEKE KOERSWENDING VAN 1948 BESORG 'N NUWE IDENTITEIT AAN DIE UNIEVERDEDIGINGSMAG|journal=Militaria|year=1996|volume=26|series=2|url=http://scientiamilitaria.journals.ac.za/pub/article/view/246|accessdate=14 September 2012}}</ref> until he resigned in 1914. He was succeeded as Commandant-General by Major-General J C Smuts with effect from 16 September 1914.<ref>National Archives, Pretoria: GG Box 683, File No. 9/104/1</ref>

==United Kingdom==
[[File:USMC-110727-M-RT059-004.jpg|thumb|Commandant General of the [Royal Marines](/source/Royal_Marines), [Major General](/source/Major_General_(United_Kingdom)) [Buster Howes](/source/Buster_Howes), [Washington, D.C.](/source/Washington%2C_D.C.), 2011]]
In the United Kingdom, commandant-general is a military appointment, not a rank.  See the following for more details:
*[Commandant General Royal Marines](/source/Commandant_General_Royal_Marines)
*[Commandant-General of the RAF Regiment](/source/Commandant-General_of_the_RAF_Regiment)

== See also ==
*[Commander-in-chief](/source/Commander-in-chief)

==References==
<references />

Category:Military ranks
Category:Military ranks of South Africa

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Commandant general](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commandant_general) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commandant_general?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.