Maréchaux de France was the only rank which was deprived entirely from the military; they were the commanders on the battlefield and thus merited a certain recognition at court - but how to properly classify those whose title was not a birth right?
The matter of inheritance is a key aspect of the rank of Maréchal; it was granted entirely on merit and thus did not pass from father to son.
Generally, there were two types of maréchaux: maréchal de camp and maréchal de France. The former was a rank unto itself. As such, a maréchal de camp ranked immediately beneath a General and a Lieutenant General. Unlike the maréchal de France, the maréchal de camp was a far more widespread rank. By the mid-1600's, the French army was divided so as to be employed in different conflicts. This led to a massive increase in the amount of maréchaux de camp; as stated by David Parrott, in 1652 alone Cardinal Mazarin appointed 152 new such. Over time, this would result in plenty of in-fighting over precedence.
Meanwhile, the title of maréchal de France was not a rank per se but a distinction only given to generals who had performed outstanding deeds. Initially, this immense honour was only bestowed on few men; however, during the Bourbon-dynasty, the appointments exploded. For instance, François I had had 11 such while Henri III had seven. In contrast, the record-breaking reign of Louis XIV saw no fewer than 53! The boom had begun already during Louis XIII who appointed 33 but it continued until the revolution. Louis XV's reign counted 49 maréchaux de France while Louis XVI made do with 20.
In broad terms, a maréchal de camp commanded a specific division whereas a maréchal de France had command of an entire army. Naturally, as the number of maréchaux de France often exceeded the amount of separate "armies" available, competition was fierce.
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| The symbol of the Maréchal de France was a baton with gilded fleur-de-lys |
Surprisingly, one did not have to be a Frenchman to earn the honour of the title of maréchal de France. Louis XIV and Louis XV both appointed foreigners who had served in the French army to this particular honour, including the Danish Count of Rantzau and the Irish Count of Thomond. In the end, the final maréchaux de France created during the ancien regime were Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, Comte de Rochambeau and Comte Luckner - both created in 1791, after the royal family's removal from Versailles.
As a group, the maréchaux had certain prerogatives. At council, they were ranked immediately behind the dukes, however when in the army, the maréchaux took precedence. This is the only instance of such reversal of court precedence which makes it quite unusual. Unlike the duchesses, the spouses of the maréchaux - generally distinguished by adding an "e" to their husband's rank, thus "maréchale" - were not entitled to a tabouret when with royalty. Their husbands, however, had the right to claim a so-called carreau during official visits from ambassadors; the carreau was a large, square pillow which they could rest upon.
As the rank was given individually, the group of maréchaux was far more diverse than any of the other social groups at court. Instead of being composed entirely of noblemen from a certain income bracket, their background was often a good deal more varied.
Generally, there was no hierarchy within the rank of maréchaux itself. In comparison, the precedence amongst the dukes were according to the age of their peerage; thus, the duke whose dukedom was registered earliest ranked above the second-oldest etc. This could potentially cause some friction amongst the maréchaux on the battlefield. As they ranked equally, they were not duty-bound to obey orders from a fellow maréchal. Considering the need for a clear line of command, this caused quite an issue.
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| Uniform of a maréchal de camp |
An instance of such confusion broke out in 1672. The Vicomte de Turenne had been made maréchal général de camp twelve years earlier which meant that he received his orders from Monsieur le Prince. For clarity, the chain of command in this instance went from the king to his brother, Monsieur, to Monsieur le Prince and from then to Turenne. Turenne, in turn, commanded three maréchaux: Bellefonds, Créquy and d'Humières.
That extra step in the chain greatly upset all three. While the three men held the rank of maréchal de France otherwise they outranked Turenne. While Bellefonds and Créquy enjoyed the rank of marquis and d'Humière that of duke, Turenne was a mere vicomte. Consequently, both men outright refused to take orders from Turenne which resulted in all being exiled.
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