Field Marshal Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army (in countries without the rank of Generalissimo), and as such, few persons a ...

Prince Chirapravati Voradej, Prince of Nakhon Chaisi () was a prince of the

Chakri Dynasty The Chakri dynasty is the current reigning dynasty of the Thailand, Kingdom of Thailand. The head of the house is the Monarchy of Thailand, king, who is head of state. The family has ruled Thailand since the founding of the Rattanakosin era and ...

and influential military officer of

Siam Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

. The prince was a son of King

Chulalongkorn Chulalongkorn (20 September 1853 – 23 October 1910), posthumously honoured as King Chulalongkorn the Great, was the fifth king of Siam from the Chakri dynasty, titled Rama V. Chulalongkorn's reign from 1868 until his death in 1910 was cha ...

(Rama V) and Chao Chom Manda Thapthim Rochanatisha. He was the king's 17th child. The prince was part of the first group of the king's sons sent to Europe to study, spending time there from 1885 - 1896. After his return to Siam, he served as the Commander of the Department of Military Operation (Commander of the Army) and

Minister of Defence A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divid ...

under his father and his brother, King

Vajiravudh Vajiravudh (1 January 188126 November 1925) was the sixth Monarchy of Thailand, king of Siam from the Chakri dynasty, titled Rama VI. He reigned from 1910 until his death in 1925. King Vajiravudh is best known for his efforts to create and pro ...

(Rama VI). Because of his important and modernising reforms of the

Royal Siamese Army The Royal Thai Army or RTA (; ) is the army of Thailand and the oldest and largest branch of the Royal Thai Armed Forces. History Origin The Royal Thai Army is responsible for protecting the kingdom's sovereignty. The army was formed in 187 ...

, he is now considered the 'Father of the Thai Army'. His descendants uses the surname Chirapravati (จิรประวัติ ณ อยุธยา).

Birth

Prince Chirapravati Voradej was born on 7 November 1876 at the

Grand Palace The Grand Palace (, Royal Institute of Thailand. (2011). ''How to read and how to write.'' (20th Edition). Bangkok: Royal Institute of Thailand. . ) is a complex of buildings at the heart of Bangkok, Thailand. The palace has been the officia ...

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estim ...

. The 17th child of King

and ''Chao Chom Manda'' (consort mother) Thapthim Rochanatisha. The king and Thapthim would have two more children: Princess Praves Vorasamai (1879-1944) and Prince

Vudhijaya Chalermlabha Admiral Prince Vudhijaya Chalermlabh, Prince of Singha (5 December 1883 – 18 October, 1947) was a member of Chakri Dynasty. He served as Minister of Defence and commander of Royal Thai Army between 1931 and 1932. Before then he served as the ...

(1883-1947). He was given the title of ''Phra Ong Chao'' upon birth, which signified his birth as a son of a king and a commoner mother.

Education

The prince's education began in the palace's inner court. Once he was older he was educated at the royal pages school,

Suankularb Wittayalai School Suankularb Wittayalai School (โรงเรียนสวนกุหลาบวิทยาลัย; Abbreviation: ส.ก. / S.K.) (also known as Suankularb College) literally ''Rose Garden College'' is an all-boys secondary school for g ...

. In 1885 the prince together with three elder brothers (the king's four eldest), Princes

Kitiyakara Voralaksana Kitiyakara Voralaksana, 1st Prince of Chanthaburi Province, Chanthaburi (; ; 8 June 1874 – 27 May 1931) was a Prince of Siam, a member of the Siamese Royal Family (later Thailand). He originated the House of Kitiyakara (). His descendants use t ...

, Raphi Phatthanasak, and Pravitra Vadhanodom were sent to the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

for further study. The four princes were the first of the king's many sons to be sent abroad for study. Crown Prince Maha

Vajirunhis Maha Vajirunhis, Crown Prince of Siam (; ; 27 June 1878 – 4 January 1895) was the first Crown Prince of the Chakri dynasty. He was the first son of King Chulalongkorn and Queen Savang Vadhana together, who were half-siblings. The King built a ...

wrote in his diary on the 30 June 1885: A military study focus was selected for the prince and in 1891 he went to

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

to study at the Royal Danish Military Academy. He was commissioned as a cadet and then promoted to the rank of second lieutenant. He graduated from thelis academy in 1894. After further study in the artillery corps he was able to serve in the

Royal Danish Army The Royal Danish Army (; ; ) is the land-based branch of the Danish Armed Forces, together with the Danish Home Guard. For the last decade, the Royal Danish Army has undergone a massive transformation of structures, equipment and training methods ...

from 1896.

Work in the army

After his return to Siam, the prince advised King Chulalongkorn on the creation of a permanent

general staff A military staff or general staff (also referred to as army staff, navy staff, or air staff within the individual services) is a group of officers, Enlisted rank, enlisted, and civilian staff who serve the commanding officer, commander of a ...

for the

. As a result, he was appointed its first

chief of staff The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supportin ...

in 1898. In the same year his father also made him a Privy Councillor. In 1899 he was given the additional role of Secretary of the Army and Commander of the Regiment of the King's Own Bodyguard. In 1901, at the age of 24 he was appointed Commander of the Department of Military Operation, equivalent to the Commander of the Army. In 1903 the prince was instrumental in the effort to reform the army by creating a system of regional conscription and training. In 1905 the prince introduced the western concepts of organising the army into

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 ...

s, divisions and

army corps Corps (; plural ''corps'' ; from French , from the Latin "body") is a term used for several different kinds of organization. A military innovation by Napoleon I, the formation was formally introduced March 1, 1800, when Napoleon ordered Gener ...

. He began by creating ten infantry divisions and founding many new regiments. After the death of his father in 1910, he was appointed by the new king, his younger brother,

as the

. In 1911 he was promoted to the rank of

Field marshal Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army (in countries without the rank of Generalissimo), and as such, few persons a ...

(the highest rank in the army), the second such appointment in Siam. As minister, in 1912 the prince approved the sending of three trainee air pilots to train in

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, presaging the foundation of the

Royal Thai Air Force The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) (; ) is the air force of the Kingdom of Thailand. Since its establishment in 1913 as one of the earliest air forces of Asia, the Royal Thai Air Force has engaged in numerous major and minor conflicts. During the ...

. The prince suffered from many illnesses and spent much of the last year of his life recuperating in Europe. The prince died in office on 4 February 1913, at the age of only 36.

Family

The prince married twice. His wives were sisters, although they were married sequentially, non-polygamously. Firstly on 12 August 1898 to ''Mom Chao'' Pravas Svasti Sonakul (25 December 1883 - 11 December 1902). They had two daughters and one son. * ''Mom Chao'' Vimala Badamaraj Chirapravati (17 May 1899 - 3 February 1965) * ''Mom Chao'' Nivas Svasti Chirapravati (16 July 1900 - 28 March 1976) * ''Mom Chao'' Prasobsri Chirapravati (8 November 1901 - 19 November 1940) Following the death of his wife, on 28 April 1904 he was married to ''Mom Chao'' Sumornmalya Sonakul (14 April 1888 - 22 February 1940), They had two sons. * ''Mom Chao'' Nidasanadhorn Chirapravati (9 January 1906 - 3 March 1963) * ''Mom Chao'' Khachorn Chirabandha Chirapravati (19 October 1912 - 15 August 1971)

Titles and decorations

Titles

* 1876: ''His Royal Highness'' Prince Chirapravati Voradej * 1900: ''His Royal Highness'' Prince Chirapravati Voradej, Prince of Nakhon Chaisi * 1903: ''His Royal Highness'' Lieutenant General Prince Chirapravati Voradej, Prince of Nakhon Chaisi * 1906: ''His Royal Highness'' General Prince Chirapravati Voradej, Prince of Nakhon Chaisi * 1911: ''His Royal Highness'' Field Marshal Prince Chirapravati Voradej, Prince of Nakhon Chaisi

Decorations

;Siamese Royal Orders * Knight of the

Order of the Royal House of Chakri The Most Illustrious Order of the Royal House of Chakri (; ) was founded in 1882 by King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) of the Kingdom of Siam (now Thailand) to commemorate the Bangkok Centennial. The order is awarded to members of the House of Chakri ...

(1897) * Knight of the

Order of the Nine Gems The Ancient and Auspicious Order of the Nine Gems (; ) was established in 1861 by King Mongkut (Rama IV) of the Thailand, Kingdom of Siam (now Thailand). The order is bestowed upon the members of the Chakri Dynasty, Thai royal family and disting ...

(1911) * Knight Grand Cordon of the

Order of Chula Chom Klao The Most Illustrious Order of Chula Chom Klao (; ) was established on 16 November 1873 by King Rama V of The Kingdom of Siam (now Thailand) to commemorate the 90th Jubilee of the Chakri Dynasty and bears his name (จุลจอมเกล� ...

(1900) * Knight Grand Cross of the

Order of the White Elephant __NOTOC__ The Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant (; ) is an order (decoration), order of Thailand. It was established in 1861 by King Mongkut, Rama IV of the Thailand, Kingdom of Siam. Along with the Order of the Crown of Thailand, it is r ...

(1901) * Knight Grand Cross of the

Order of the Crown of Thailand The Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand (; ) is a Thai order, established in 1869 by King Rama V of The Kingdom of Siam (now Thailand) for Thais, the royal family, governmental employees, and foreign dignitaries for their outstanding serv ...

(1900) * Dushdi Mala Medal Pin of Arts and Science (Military) (1897) * Chakra Mala Medal (1909) * King Rama V Royal Cypher Medal, 2nd Class (1901) * King Rama VI Royal Cypher Medal, 1st Class (1910) Royal Gazette
Appointment to Royal Orders
Volume 27, Chapter 0, Page 2409, 11 January 2453 B.E. ;Foreign Orders * Grand Cordon of the

Order of the Paulownia Flowers The is an Order (decoration), order presented by the Japanese government. The award was established in 1888 during the Meiji Restoration as the highest award in the Order of the Rising Sun and has been an Order in its own right since 2003. The ...

(

Empire of Japan The Empire of Japan, also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was the Japanese nation state that existed from the Meiji Restoration on January 3, 1868, until the Constitution of Japan took effect on May 3, 1947. From Japan–Kor ...

) (1891) * Order of the Dannebrog S

Knight of the

Order of the Dannebrog The Order of the Dannebrog () is a Denmark, Danish order of chivalry instituted in 1671 by Christian V of Denmark, Christian V. Until 1808, membership in the Order was limited to fifty members of noble or royal rank, who formed a single cla ...

(

Kingdom of Denmark The Danish Realm, officially the Kingdom of Denmark, or simply Denmark, is a sovereign state consisting of a collection of constituent territories united by the Constitution of Denmark, Constitutional Act, which applies to the entire territor ...

) (1898) * PRU Roter Adlerorden BAR

Knight 1st Class of the

Order of the Red Eagle The Order of the Red Eagle () was an order of chivalry of the Kingdom of Prussia. It was awarded to both military personnel and civilians, to recognize valor in combat, excellence in military leadership, long and faithful service to the kingdom, o ...

(

Kingdom of Prussia The Kingdom of Prussia (, ) was a German state that existed from 1701 to 1918.Marriott, J. A. R., and Charles Grant Robertson. ''The Evolution of Prussia, the Making of an Empire''. Rev. ed. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1946. It played a signif ...

) *

Russian Imperial Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky ribbon bar

Knight 1st Class of the Imperial Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky (

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

)

Ancestry

References

, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Chirapravati Voradej 1876 births 1913 deaths 19th-century Thai people Thai male Phra Ong Chao Chirapravati family Knights Grand Cordon of the Order of Chula Chom Klao Members of the Vallabhabhorn Order Ministers of defence of Thailand Children of Chulalongkorn Field marshals of Thailand Commanders-in-chief of the Royal Thai Army 19th-century Chakri dynasty 20th-century Chakri dynasty Sons of kings Alumni of Suankularb Wittayalai School