The Marsk (English: Marshal), from 1536 the Rigsmarsk, was in Denmark the head of the armed forces from the beginning of the 13th century until the introduction of the

absolute monarchy Absolute monarchy (or Absolutism as a doctrine) is a form of monarchy in which the monarch rules in their own right or power. In an absolute monarchy, the king or queen is by no means limited and has absolute power, though a limited constituti ...

in the 1660s. It was the third highest office in the country after the

Steward of the Realm Steward of the Realm (Danish: Rigshofmester) was an office at the Royal Danish Court. With the coronation of Eric VII of Denmark it became an important office, taking over the role of the Seneschal The word ''seneschal'' () can have several differ ...

and the

Chancellor Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...

. The Rigsmarsk was appointed by the king from among Danish-born nobles. During some periods, the king chose to leave the office vacant and instead personally lead the military. This was the case from 1380/81 and until 1440. In the beginning the Marsk was one of the king's men and

Stig Andersen Hvide Stig Andersen Hvide (died December 1293) was a Danish nobleman and magnate, known as the leading man among the outlaws after the murder of King Eric V of Denmark. In Danish tradition, he is known as ''Marsk Stig''. Biography In spite of his surna ...

used the title ''Regis Danorum Marscalcus'' ("Marshal of the Danish King") shortly before his conviction in 1287 for the murder of King

Eric V Eric V Klipping (1249 – 22 November 1286) was King of Denmark from 1259 to 1286. After his father Christopher I died, his mother Margaret Sambiria ruled Denmark in his name until 1266, proving to be a competent regent. Between 1261 and 1262, th ...

. Over the course of the 15th century, the Marsk came to represent the Realm ( Privy Council), rather than the King, and in 1536 the title was finally changed to ''Rigsmarsk'' or ''Marscalcus Regni''. After the

Scanian War The Scanian War ( da, Skånske Krig, , sv, Skånska kriget, german: Schonischer Krieg) was a part of the Northern Wars involving the union of Denmark–Norway, Brandenburg and Sweden. It was fought from 1675 to 1679 mainly on Scanian soil, ...

and with the introduction of

the office disappeared.

Anders Bille Anders Bille (19 March 1600 – 10 November 1657) was the Danish Rigsmarsk, the officer leading the entire armed forces of Denmark, from 1642. is a Nordic country located on ..., and died after a few days in captivity. He was a member of the B ...

died a Swedish prisoner of war and

Axel Urup Axel Urup (13 September 1601 – 15 March 1671) was a Danish military engineer and commander, '' Rigsmarsk'' and Supreme Court justice. Biography In 1621 he travelled abroad and served in the Dutch defence of Bergen op Zoom. Later he conti ...

then served as a Rigsmarsk from 1658 to 1660 but was never formally appointed. After that the title continued to exist for a while as a sort of honorary title but was then abandoned. The function was taken over by generals who had been promoted through the ranks rather than being chosen among nobles.

List of officeholders

List of ''Marsk''s and ''Rigsmarsk''s.

References

{{reflist Military history of Denmark Government of Denmark