''Chef de brigade'' (
English: Brigade chief) was a French military rank. It was used as the equivalent of the rank of
major
Major most commonly refers to:
* Major (rank), a military rank
* Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits
* People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames
* Major and minor in musi ...
in the
French Royal Army's artillery units and
colonel
Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...
in the
French Revolutionary Army.
Before the revolution
''Chef de brigade'' was equivalent to
major
Major most commonly refers to:
* Major (rank), a military rank
* Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits
* People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames
* Major and minor in musi ...
in the French Royal Corps of Artillery. Each regiment of artillery was divided into two battalions, each of two
brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military unit, military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute ...
s under the command of a ''chef de brigade''. This rank was given to the best of the ''Capitaines en premier'' (first captains) in a regiment, commanding an artillery brigade that would be able to support an army division.
[Alder, Ken (2010). ''Engineering the Revolution: Arms and Enlightenment in France, 1763-1815.'' The University of Chicago Press, p. 80.]
During and after the revolution
''Chef de brigade'' was equivalent to
colonel
Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...
, in the
French Revolutionary army, in command of a
demi-brigade
A ''demi-brigade'' () is a military formation used by the French Army since the French Revolutionary Wars. The ''demi-brigade'' amalgamated the various infantry organizations of the French Revolutionary infantry into a single unit. Each one wa ...
. Both that unit (replacing a
regiment
A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, military service, service, or administrative corps, specialisation.
In Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of l ...
) and that rank (replacing the rank of
mestre de camp) were created at the same time, in 1793. The two designations disappeared just before the institution of the
French Empire, in 1803, with the old designations restored.
References
Military ranks of France
1793 establishments in France
French Revolutionary Wars
{{mil-rank-stub