Editing Military rank (section)

== Post-classical ==
Post-classical militaries did not have a unified rank structure; while the [[Feudalism|feudal]] lords were in some ways equivalent to modern officers, they did not have a strict hierarchy—a king was conceived of as [[Primus inter pares|first among equals]], not a [[Monarchy|monarch]] as later or ancient societies understood the concept, and all nobles were theoretically equals (hence "[[Peerage|peers]]").{{citation needed|date=August 2019}} A nobleman was obligated to bring a set number of troops when asked by his liege-lord, a king or merely a higher-ranked noble who had obtained his service by [[Fief|the gift of land]]. The troops' lord retained at least nominal control over them—many  post-classical  military planning sessions involved negotiating each lord's role in the coming battle—and each lord was allowed to leave after a predetermined amount of time had passed.

=== High command in post-classical armies ===
The command structure of armies was generally loose and varied considerably. Typically, the [[Monarch|king]] and high-ranking lords would call out for all lords to gather their troops for a campaign. They would appoint a renowned noble to organize the assembling forces, the [[marshal]]. The term ''[[field marshal]]'' came from the marshal then leading the army on the march, and being in charge of organizing camps and logistics. Tactics for an upcoming battle were often decided by [[Council of war|councils of war]] among the nobles leading the largest forces. Outside of campaigns, the high [[constable]] had authority over the local constables, and commanders of the garrisons of major castles. The high constable might have authority in the army due to his role of head of the regular cavalry.

=== Origins of modern ranks ===
As the European and Asian Middle Ages came to an end, the rank structure of post-classical armies became more formalized. The top officers were known as [[commissioned officers]] because their rank came from a royal commission. Army commissions were usually reserved for those of high stature—the [[aristocrat|aristocracy]] of mainland Europe and the aristocracy and [[gentry]] of Great Britain.

The basic unit of the post-classical army was the [[Company (military unit)|company]], a band of soldiers assigned (or raised) by a vassal [[lord]] on behalf of ''his lord'' (in later times the king himself). The vassal lord in command of the company was a commissioned officer with the rank of [[Captain (OF-2)|captain]]. Captain was derived from the [[Late Latin]] word ''capitaneus'' (meaning "head man" or [[tribal chief|chief]]).

The commissioned officer assisting the captain with command of the company was the [[lieutenant]]. Lieutenant was derived from the [[French language]]; the ''lieu'' meaning "place" as in a position; and ''tenant'' meaning "holding" as in "holding a position"; thus a "lieutenant" is somebody who holds a position in the absence of their superior. When he was not assisting the captain, the lieutenant commanded a unit called a [[platoon]], particularly a more specialized platoon. The word is derived from the 17th-century French ''peloton'', meaning a small ball or small detachment of men, which came from ''pelote'', a ball.

The commissioned officer carrying the (infantry) company's flag was the [[Ensign (rank)|ensign]]. The word ''ensign'' was derived from the Latin word ''insignia''. In cavalry companies the equivalent rank was [[cornet (rank)|cornet]]. In English usage, these ranks were merged into the single rank of [[second lieutenant]] in the 19th century.

Not all officers received a commission from the king. Certain specialists were granted a warrant, certifying their expertise as craftsmen. These [[warrant officers]] assisted the commissioned officers but ranked above the non-commissioned officers (NCOs). They received their authority from superior officers rather than the king. The first NCOs were the armed servants ([[men-at-arms]]) of the aristocracy, assigned to command, organize and train the militia units raised for battle. After years of commanding a squad, an NCO could be promoted to [[sergeant]], the highest NCO rank. While a sergeant might have commanded a squad upon promotion, he usually became a staff officer. While commissioned staff officers assisted their commander with personnel, intelligence, operations and logistics, the sergeant was a jack of all trades, concerning himself with all aspects of administration to maintain the enlisted men serving under his commander. Over time, sergeants were differentiated into many ranks as various levels of sergeants were used by the commanders of various levels of units.

A corporal commanded a [[squad]]. ''Squad'' derived from the Italian word for a "square" or "block" of soldiers. In fact, ''corporal'' was derived from the Italian ''caporal de squadra'' (head of the squad). Corporals were assisted by [[lancepesade]]s. Lancepesades were veteran soldiers; ''lancepesade'' was derived from the Italian ''lancia spezzata'' meaning broken spear—the broken spear being a metaphor for combat experience, where such an occurrence was likely. The first lancepesades were simply experienced privates; who either assisted their corporal or performed the duties of a corporal themselves. It was this second function that made armies increasingly regard their lancepesades as a grade of corporal rather than a grade of private. As a result, the rank of [[lance corporal]] was derived from combining lancepesade and corporal.

As the post-classical came to an end, kings increasingly relied on professional soldiers to fill the bottom ranks of their armies instead of militiamen. Each of these professionals began their careers as a [[Private (rank)|private]]. The private was a man who signed a private contract with the company commander, offering his services in return for pay. The money was raised through taxation; those yeomen ([[smallholding]] peasants) who did not fulfill their annual 40-day militia service paid a tax that funded professional soldiers recruited from the yeomanry. This money was handed to the company commanders from the royal treasury, with the company commanders using the money to recruit the troops.

=== Origins of higher ranks ===
As armies grew larger, composed of multiple companies, one captain was granted general (overall) authority over the field armies by the king. (National armies were the armies of the kings. Field armies were armies raised by the king to enter the battle field in preparation for major battles.) In French history, ''lieutenant du roi'' was a title borne by the officer sent with military powers to represent the king in certain provinces. A ''lieutenant du roi'' was sometimes known as a ''[[lieutenant général]]'' to distinguish him from lieutenants subordinate to mere captains. The sergeant acting as staff officer to the captain general was known as the [[sergeant major general]]. This was eventually shortened to [[major general]], while [[captain general]] began to be addressed, depending on the [[military branch]], as [[general of the infantry]], [[general of the cavalry]] or [[general of the artillery]], and these ones, over time, were shortened to simply [[general]]. This is the reason a [[Major (rank)|major]] outranks a lieutenant, but a lieutenant general outranks a major general.

In modern times recruits attending basic training, also referred to as boot camp by some branches, are instructed in the hierarchical structure of military rank. Many new enlisted civilians find it difficult to understand the structure of general staff ranks as stated before, it becomes somewhat complicated to understand when applying basic rationale.

As armies grew bigger, heraldry and unit identification remained primarily a matter of the regiment. [[Brigade]]s headed by [[brigadier generals]] were the units invented as a tactical unit by the Swedish king [[Gustavus Adolphus II]] ("Gustav II Adolf", who was killed at the battle of Lützen 1632). It was introduced to overcome the normal army structure, consisting of regiments. The so-called "''brigada''" was a mixed unit, comprising infantry, cavalry and normally [[artillery]], designated for a special task. The size of such ''brigada'' was a reinforced company up to two regiments. The ''brigada'' was a 17th-century form of the modern "task force". In some armies "brigadier general" has been shortened to "[[brigadier]]".

Around the end of the 16th century, companies were grouped into regiments. The officers commissioned to lead these regiments were called "[[colonels]]" (column officers). They were first appointed in Spain by King [[Ferdinand II of Aragon]] where they were also known as "''coronellos''" (crown officers) since they were appointed by the Crown. Thus the English pronunciation of the word ''colonel''.{{citation needed|date=August 2013}}

The first colonels were captains granted command of their regiments by commission of the king. The lieutenants of the colonel were the [[lieutenant colonel]]s. In the 17th century, the sergeant of the colonel was the [[sergeant major]]. These were field officers, third in command of their regiments (after their colonels and lieutenant colonels), with a role similar to the older, army-level sergeants major (although on a smaller scale). The older position became known as [[sergeant major general]] to distinguish it. Over time, the ''sergeant'' was dropped from both titles since both ranks were used for commissioned officers. This gave rise to the modern ranks of major and major general.

The full title of sergeant major fell out of use until the latter part of the 18th century, when it began to be applied to the senior non-commissioned officer of an infantry battalion or cavalry regiment.

Regiments were later split into [[battalion]]s with a lieutenant colonel as a [[commanding officer]] and a major as an [[executive officer]].