Generalleutnant#Rank in modern Germany

{{Short description|General officer rank in the German and Austrian armed forces}}

{{lang|de|Generalleutnant}} ({{IPA|de|ɡenəˈʁaːlˌlɔɪtnant|-|De-Generalleutnant.ogg}}) is the German-language variant of lieutenant general, used in some German speaking countries.

Austria

{{Infobox military rank

| name = {{lang|de|Generalleutnant}}

| native_name =

| image = File:Stander General Austria.svg

| image_size =

| alt =

| caption =

| image2 = {{nobreak| 50px 50px}}

| image_size2 =

| alt2 =

| caption2 = Service and field uniform

| image3 =

| image_size3 =

| alt3 =

| caption3 =

| country = {{flagcountry|Austria}}

| service branch =

| abbreviation =

| rank group =

| rank =

| NATO rank =

| Non-NATO rank = OF-8{{refn|group=lower-alpha|Although Austria is not a NATO member, there are official NATO rank approximations.{{cite web |url=https://www.bundesheer.at/english/forces/ranks.shtml |title=Rank Insignias |publisher=Bundesheer |access-date=2022-05-17 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220517011202/https://www.bundesheer.at/english/forces/ranks.shtml |archive-date=2022-05-17}}}}

| pay grade =

| formation =

| abolished =

| higher rank =

| lower rank =

| equivalents =

| history =

}}

Generalleutnant is the second highest general officer rank in the Austrian Armed Forces (Bundesheer), roughly equivalent to the NATO rank of OF-8.

Germany

{{Infobox military rank

| name = {{lang|de|Generalleutnant}}

| native_name =

| image = {{nobreak|50px 50px}}

| image_size =

| alt =

| caption = Gorget patches

| image2 = {{nobreak|88px 88px}}

| image_size2 =

| alt2 =

| caption2 = Army and Air Force insignia

| image3 =

| image_size3 =

| alt3 =

| caption3 =

| country = {{flagcountry|Germany}}

| service branch = {{army|Germany}}
{{air force|Germany}}

| abbreviation = GenLt

| rank group = General officer

| rank =

| NATO rank = OF-8

| Non-NATO rank =

| pay grade = B9

| formation = 1956 {{small|(current)}}

| abolished =

| higher rank = {{lang|de|General}}

| lower rank = {{lang|de|Generalmajor}}

| equivalents = {{lang|de|Vizeadmiral}}

| history =

}}

Generalleutnant, short GenLt, ('lieutenant general') is the second highest general officer rank in the German Army (Heer) and the German Air Force (Luftwaffe). This three-star rank in other countries is lieutenant general.

=Rank in modern Germany=

The rank is rated OF-8 in NATO, and is grade B9 in the pay rules of the Federal Ministry of Defence. It is equivalent to Vizeadmiral in the German Navy (Marine), or to Generaloberstabsarzt, and Admiraloberstabsarzt in the Zentraler Sanitätsdienst der Bundeswehr. On the shoulder straps (Heer, Luftwaffe) there are three golden pips (stars) in golden oak leaves.

=History=

==German armies and air forces until 1945==

===Generalleutnant of the Wehrmacht===

Generalleutnant was in the German Reich, and Nazi Germany the second lowest general officer rank, comparable to the two-star rank in many NATO-armed forces (Rangcode OF-7). It was equivalent to Vizeadmiral in the Kriegsmarine, and SS-Gruppenführer in the Waffen-SS until 1945.

;Rank insignia Generalleutnant/ Vizeadmiral:

style="border:1px solid #8888aa; background-color:#f7f8ff; padding:5px; font-size:95%; margin: 0px 12px 12px 0px;"

bgcolor="#CCCCCC"

! Branch

style="text-align:center;"

! Collar

| 65px

| 100px

| None

style="text-align:center;"

! Shoulder

| 100px

style="text-align:center;"

! Sleeve

| 100px

| 50px

style="text-align:center;"

! Rank
designation

| colspan=2| Generalleutnant{{hr}}

| SS-Gruppenführer
und Generalleutnant
der Waffen-SS

| Vizeadmiral

== National People's Army==

{{lang|de|Generalleutnant}} was in the so-called armed organs of the GDR ({{langx|de|Bewaffnete Organe der DDR}}), represented by Ministry of National Defence, and Ministry for State Security, the second lowest general officer rank, comparable to the two-star rank in many NATO-Armed forces. This was in reference to Soviet military doctrine and in line with other armed forces of the Warsaw Pact.