A five-star rank is the highest military rank in many countries. The rank is that of the most senior operational military commanders, and within NATO's standard rank scale it is designated by the code OF-10. Not all armed forces have such a rank, and in those that do the actual insignia of the five-star ranks may not contain five stars. For example: the insignia for the French OF-10 rank contains seven stars; the insignia for the Portuguese contains four gold stars. The stars used on the various Commonwealth of Nations rank insignias are sometimes colloquially referred to as pips, but in fact either are stars of the orders of the Garter, Thistle or Bath or are Eversleigh stars, depending on the wearer's original regiment or corps, and are used in combination with other heraldic items, such as batons, crowns, swords or maple leaves.
Typically, five-star officers hold the rank of general of the army, admiral of the fleet, field marshal, marshal or general of the air force, and several other similarly named ranks. As an active rank, the position exists only in a minority of countries and is usually held by only a very few officers during wartime. In times of peace, it is usually held only as an honorary rank. Traditionally, five-star ranks are granted to distinguished military commanders for notable wartime victories and/or in recognition of a record of achievement during the officer's career, whether in peace or in war. Alternatively, a five-star rank (or even higher ranks) may be assumed by heads of state in their capacities as commanders-in-chief of their nation's armed forces.
Despite the rarity and seniority of five-star officers, an even more-senior rank of general of the armies was adopted in the United States. Other names for highly senior ranks from the twentieth century include (France), (Nazi Germany), (Spain) and (USSR).
Australia
Admiral of the fleet
Field marshal
Marshal of the Royal Australian Air Force
Only one Australian-born officer, Field Marshal Sir Thomas Blamey, has held a substantive Australian five-star rank. Lord Birdwood, who commanded the Australian Imperial Force in the First World War, was appointed to honorary five-star rank in the Australian Military Forces on his promotion to field marshal in the British Army in 1925. King George VI and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, have held all three Australian five-star ranks in an honorary capacity, and have been the only holders of the Australian ranks of admiral of the fleet and marshal of the RAAF.
Brazil
Five-star ranks in Brazil are only used in wartime.
Marshal (Brazil) () Grand admiral () Marshal of the air ()
Cambodia
General of the army (), Royal Cambodian Armed Forces
Croatia
(lit. "staff general", usually translated as general of the army) awarded to six men, none of whom are in active duty. (admiral of the fleet). The rank was called (lit. "staff admiral") until 1999; only Sveto Letica was awarded this rank—in March 1996, three months before his retirement.
Germany
German Empire
Nazi Germany
Generalfeldmarschall in the Heer equivalent in the English-speaking world general of the army
Generalfeldmarschall in the Luftwaffe equivalent in the English-speaking world marshal of the air force
Großadmiral in the Kriegsmarine equivalent in the English-speaking world admiral of the fleet
Reichsführer-SS in the Schutzstaffel (SS) equivalent in the English-speaking world captain of the guard
It is also worth noting that this was not the apex and there was a six-star rank also present in the Wehrmacht known as Reichsmarschall, however it was only ever present in the Luftwaffe and only ever held by one man: Hermann Göring, arguably the second most powerful man in Nazi Germany.
India
Field marshal, held by two officers
Marshal of the Indian Air Force, held by one officer
Admiral of the fleet, never been held
General Sam Manekshaw was the first officer to be promoted to five-star rank. He was promoted to the rank of field marshal on 1 January 1973 after the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. General K. M. Cariappa, the first Indian commander-in-chief of the Indian Army was promoted to the rank of field marshal in 1986. In 2001, Air Chief Marshal Arjan Singh was promoted to the rank of marshal of the Indian Air Force (MIAF). Around 1998, the Indian Air Force introduced gorget patches (or collar tabs) for its air officers. The MIAF's patches display five stars.