Can You Guess Who Outranks Who in Military History?

By: John Miller
Estimated Completion Time
2 min
Can You Guess Who Outranks Who in Military History?
Image: user:cramyourspam edited retouch of old US Govt photo

About This Quiz

In peacetime and war, the United States Armed Forces only work thanks to a strict hierarchy. At the bottom, you have privates and ensigns – at the top, the colonels, generals, and admirals are the men and women who really call the shots. Without this detailed ranking system, the military would essentially devolve into a ceaseless shouting match. In this camo-heavy quiz, do you think you know which of these famous officers outranks the others?

In most cases, officers attend school at places like West Point, Annapolis or another military academy in order to learn the leadership skills they need to command men in combat. But in some situations, like the deadly sprawl of World War II, many enlisted men climbed the ranks to become officers, learning how to lead amidst the battlefields of Normandy and Belgium. Do you think you know which WWII heroes achieved the highest ranking during and after the conflict?

From the American Revolution to the Spanish-American War and the Civil War, generals have come and gone. A few, like George Washington and Dwight Eisenhower, have ironclad legacies. Take this ranking quiz now! We’ll see if you really know your five-star generals from the three-star wannabes!

What is the highest possible rank in the U.S. Army?
General of the Armies
Admiral of Amazingness
Commandant of the Conquerors
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

It's an unofficial but exceptional rank -- General of the Armies, the highest possible rank in the U.S. Army. Only two men have ever been name General of the Armies. This is a six-star rank, not to be confused with the five-star General of the Army.

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Who outranks who in military history?
George Washington
Colin Powell
Nelson Miles
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

He is the "Father of the Country" and an icon of democracy. He's George Washington, one of only two men to achieve the rank of General of the Armies.

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Who outranks who in military history?
George Brett
William Knudsen
George Marshall
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In the WWII era, George Marshall became a five-star General of the Army. He expended much of his effort in organizing and building a small army into a fighting force that could really attack the Axis.

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Who outranks who in military history?
George Patton
John Pershing
Ulysses Grant
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

World War I made him a hero for the ages. John J. Pershing not only beat back the Germans, he became General of the Armies.

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Who outranks who in military history?
Matthew Ridgway
George Patton
Douglas MacArthur
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

While Patton was fighting in Europe during WWII, MacArthur was holding on in the Pacific. MacArthur eventually became a five-star general and just outranked Patton and Ridgway.

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Who outranks who in military history?
Michelle Howard
Raymond Spruance
George Dewey
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In 1899, George Dewey becaome the first (and so far, only) person to reach the Admiral of the Navy ranking. It ties Dewey with two other men as the highest-ranking officers in U.S. history.

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Who outranks who in military history?
Tasker Bliss
David Farragut
George Washington
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The federal government created a special rank just for him. Washington was named "General and Commander-in-Chief" of the Continental Army during the Revolution. No one will ever outrank him.

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Who outranks who in military history?
Dwight Eisenhower
Albert Wedemeyer
Harold George
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In WWII, Dwight Eisenhower was the Supreme Commander of Allied Expeditionary Forces in Europe. He was a five-star general who took control of planning for the D-Day invasion.

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Who outranks who in military history?
Ann Dunwoody
John Schofield
Ulysses Grant
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Grant was the first person to be called General of the Army. He was essentially a four-star general who eventually became U.S. president.

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Who outranks who in military history?
Randy Shughart
Henry Johnson
Audie Murphy
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

During WWII, Audie Murphy climbed to first lieutenant in part because he was a legitimate war hero, one who fought off huge numbers of Germans all alone. Later, he became a Hollywood film star.

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Who outranks who in military history?
Hal Moore
William Sherman
Walter Short
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

During the Civil War, few Union generals were as effective (and brutal) as William Sherman. He was a two-star general … and a five-star thorn in the Confederacy's side.

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Who outranks who in military history?
Ira Hayes
Bowe Bergdahl
Omar Bradley
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Omar Bradley is one of just five officers who earned the General of the Army ranking. He was given the title in 1950, making him the most recent General of the Army.

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Who outranks who in military history?
Morgan Freeman
Jessica Lynch
Elvis Presley
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In the late '50s, Elvis Presley did a stint in the U.S. Army, including 18 months overseas. By the time he'd retired, he'd reached the rank of sergeant.

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Who outranks who in military history?
Francis Barlow
Norman Schwarzkopf Jr.
Chester Arthur
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

During the Gulf War in the early '90s, Norman Schwarzkopf Jr. became a cable news celebrity. He was a four-star general with a knack for public relations.

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Who outranks who in military history?
Henry Johnson
Jessica Lynch
Alvin York
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In WWI, Alvin York stormed German fortifications and seized dozens of machine guns … and 132 German prisoners. By the end of the war, he'd been promoted all the way to major.

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Who outranks who in military history?
Charles Herron
Omar Bradley
Hebert Brees
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

During WWII, few Americans scaled the heights of Omar Bradley. He was a five-star general who helped the Allies win the European Theater.

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Who outranks who in military history?
Stanley Ford
John DeWitt
Chester Nimitz
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Chester Nimitz was a fleet admiral -- a five-star ranking -- who earned fame during WWII. He's the last person to hold the ranking of fleet admiral.

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Who outranks who in military history?
James Harbord
John Hines
William Wright
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

During WWI, John Hines shot through the ranks -- he moved four ranks in less than a year and a half. He eventually became a four-star general.

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Who outranks who in military history?
Joseph Stillwell
Joseph McNarney
Malin Craig
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

First, he was an officer in WWI. Then, Malin Craig was called back to service for WWII. When he died in 1945, he was a four-star general.

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Who outranks who in military history?
Henry Arnold
Colin Powell
Nelson Miles
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Henry Arnold is the only person ever to become a five-star officer in two branches of the military. During the WWII era, he had five stars in both the Army and the blossoming U.S. Army Air Forces.

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Who outranks who in military history?
Courtney Hodges
George Patton
Charles Summerall
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Charles Pelot Summerall was a top commander for the 1st Infantry Division during WWI. His leadership found him in command of huge groups of men in of some of the biggest offensives of the war.

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Who outranks who in military history?
Millard Harmon
William Leahy
George Kenney
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Few Americans in WWII had the same pull as Willam Leahy, who served as Chief of Naval Operations, the highest navy ranking in the war. He later became fleet admiral, the highest ranking ever bestowed on a naval officer to that point.

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Who outranks who in military history?
Simon Buckner
George Dewey
Carl Spaatz
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

During the Spanish-American War, George Dewey became an American war hero for the ages. He helped the U.S. win the Battle of Manila Bay, which put America in control of the Philippines.

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Who outranks who in military history?
Robert Richardson
Barton Yount
Ernest King
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

During WWII, Ernest King was one of the navy's most important planning officers, and second in ranking only to William Leahy. A five-star fleet admiral, he was in charge of the Atlantic Fleet.

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Who outranks who in military history?
Peyton March
William Simpson
Walter Smith
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In the WWI era, Petyon C. March revolutionized the postion of Chief of Staff, remaking it into a very powerful role. He was a general who reorganized many aspects of the army, turning it into an improved fighting force.

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Who outranks who in military history?
Richard Sutherland
Tasker Bliss
James Doolittle
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Tasker Bliss served as Chief of Staff during the First World War. He was also one of the U.S. diplomats who signed the infamous Treaty of Versailles.

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Who outranks who in military history?
Barney Giles
Daniel Sultan
William Halsey Jr.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

William Halsey Jr. is one of just four men who have risen to the rank of fleet admiral in the Navy. As the Pacific War escalated, he was placed in command of the unit that featured the USS Enterprise aircraft carrier.

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Who outranks who in military history?
Lucian Truscott
Leonard Gerow
Henry Arnold
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

He's still the only person ever named General of the Air Force. Henry Arnold's five-star command made him a powerful figure during the Second World War.

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Who outranks who in military history?
Oscar Griswold
Eugene Reybold
Philip Sheridan
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

He was a close associate of Ulysses Grant during the Civil War, and he rose quickly through the ranks. He was one of the generals who pinned Confederate hero Robert E. Lee, forcing him to surrender.

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Which of the following men was NEVER named General of the Armies?
Douglas MacArthur
George Washington
John Pershing
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

He was an icon of WWII, but Douglas MacArthur was never General of the Armies. John Pershing was given that title during active duty; Washington was given the honor posthumously.

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user:cramyourspam edited retouch of old US Govt photo