Colonel general a three-star general and admiral. "Thượng tướng" is senior to "trung tướng" (usually translated as "lieutenant general") and junior to "đại tướng" (usually translated as "general"). It is used in the army and the air force. It is the equivalent to "đô đốc" (admiral) in the Navy. Colonel general Colonel general is a three or four-star rank in some armies, usually equivalent to that of a full general in other armies. North Korea and Russian Federation have used the rank in that fashion throughout their histories. The rank is also closely associated with Germany, where "Generaloberst" has formerly been a
Brigadier general rank. The rank can be traced back to the militaries of Europe where a brigadier general, or simply a brigadier, would command a brigade in the field. The rank name "général de brigade", (which translates as "brigade general"), was first used in the French revolutionary armies. In the first quarter of the 20th century, British and Commonwealth armies used the rank of brigadier general as a temporary appointment, or as an honorary appointment on retirement; in the 1920s this practice changed to the use of brigadier, which was not classed as a general officer. Some armies, such as Taiwan and