Field marshal (Iraq)

Field marshal (Arabic: مهيب, romanized: Muhib) was a five–star officer rank and the highest attainable rank in the Iraqi Armed Forces. Field marshal ranks immediately above colonel general, but is now generally considered to be obsolete. The rank was typically conferred ex officio upon the head of state of Iraq (typically either upon the King of Iraq or upon the President of Iraq). The last known person to be conferred this rank was former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein.

Field Marshal مهيب الركن
Marshal of the Republic of Iraq insignia
Marshal of the Kingdom of Iraq insignia
Country	Iraq
Service branch	Iraqi Ground Forces
Abbreviation	FM
Rank	Five star
Abolished	1 May 2003
Next higher rank	None
Next lower rank	Colonel general
Equivalent ranks	Marshal of the Air Force Admiral of the Fleet

Nomenclature

The rank used to be called 'Mushir' (Arabic: مشير) which was in line with the militaries of other Arab countries however it was changed to 'Muhib' following the 17 July Revolution.^[1]

Typically, the term 'al-rukn' (Arabic: الركن) would follow 'Muhib', this literally translates to 'staff' as an officer would've underwent further military education and would be awarded a red stripe at the base of their shoulderboards upon graduation from a staff college.^[2] However, due to most of the recipients obtaining this rank ex officio, this practice is technically redundant.

List of marshals

Rank	Day of Promotion	Image	Name	Date of Death	Notes
Field Marshal of the Royal Iraqi Army	23 August 1921		Faisal I	8 September 1933	Ex officio King of Iraq from 23 August 1921 to 8 September 1933[3]
Marshal of the Royal Iraqi Air Force	8 September 1933		Ghazi of Iraq	4 April 1939	Ex officio King of Iraq from 8 September 1933 to 4 April 1939[4]
Field Marshal of the Royal Iraqi Army	4 April 1939		Abd al-Ilah	14 July 1958	Ex officio Crown Prince of Iraq from 4 April 1939 to 14 July 1958[5]
Field Marshal of the Royal Iraqi Army	2 May 1953		Faisal II	14 July 1958	Ex officio King of Iraq from 4 April 1939 to 14 July 1958[6]
Staff Marshal of the Iraqi Army	8 February 1963		Abdul Salam Arif	13 April 1966	President of Iraq from 8 February 1963 to 13 April 1966 [7][8] Served in the First Arab–Israeli War
Staff Marshal of the Iraqi Army	Late 1968		Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr	4 October 1982	President of Iraq from 17 July 1968 to 16 July 1979[9] Served in the Anglo–Iraqi War
Marshal of the Iraqi Army	16 July 1979		Saddam Hussein	30 December 2006	Ex officio President of Iraq from 16 July 1979 to 9 April 2003[10][11] Saddam is noted to be the only Marshal to never have any formal military service nor military education

References

1. "رؤساء العراق في العهد الجمهوري". aawsat.com (in Arabic). Retrieved 2024-05-20.
2. "Iraqi Ground Forces (1980-2003) - International Encyclopedia of uniforms and insignia". www.uniforminsignia.net. Retrieved 2024-05-20.
3. Allawi, Ali A. (2014). Faisal I of Iraq. New Haven: Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-12732-4.
4. "The Hashemite Royal Family". 2019-04-06. Archived from the original on 2019-04-06. Retrieved 2024-05-20.
5. "IRAQ: Gathering of the Kings - TIME". 2011-10-19. Archived from the original on 2011-10-19. Retrieved 2024-05-20.
6. "60 years on, Iraqis reflect on the coup that killed King Faisal II". Arab News. Retrieved 2024-05-20.
7. "Presidents Of Iraq Since 1958". WorldAtlas. 2019-04-03. Retrieved 2024-05-20.
8. ابو عبدالرحمن الكردي. تاريخ الوزارات العراقية في العهد الجمهوري 1961 1963 الجزء 5 6 (in Arabic).
9. Tucker, Spencer C. (2010-10-08). The Encyclopedia of Middle East Wars: The United States in the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan, and Iraq Conflicts [5 volumes]: The United States in the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan, and Iraq Conflicts. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-1-85109-948-1.
10. Coughlin, Con (2005). Saddam: his rise and fall (1st Harper Perennial ed., fully updated and rev ed.). New York, NY: Harper Perennial. ISBN 978-0-06-050543-1.
11. Phillips, James. "Saddam Hussein and the Crisis in the Persian Gulf". The Heritage Foundation. Retrieved 2024-05-20.