Commander-in-chief
A commander-in-chief is the commander of
a nation’s military forces or significant ele-
ment of those forces. In the latter case, the
force element may be defined as those forces
within a particular region or those forces
which are associated by function. As a prac-
tical term it refers to the military competen-
cies that reside in a nation-state’s executive,
head of state or government. Often, a given
country’s commander-in-chief need not be or
have been a commissioned officer or even a
veteran, and it is by this legal statute that ci-
vilian control of the military is realized in
states where it is constitutionally required.
The
term
"commander-in-chief"
(president) derives from the Latin imperator.
Imperatores (commanders-in-chief) of the Ro-
man Republic and Roman Empire possessed
imperium (command) powers. In its modern
usage, the term was first used by King
Charles of England in 1639. A nation’s head
of state usually holds the position of national
commander-in-chief, even if effective execut-
ive power is held by a separate head of gov-
ernment. Colonial governors are also often
appointed commander-in-chief of the military
forces
in
their colonies. Examples are
Commander-in-Chief Allied Forces North, or
Commander-in-Chief East Atlantic.
Commanders-in-Chief
is sometimes re-
ferred to as Supreme Commander, which is
sometimes used as a specific term. The term
is also used for military officers who hold
such power and authority, not always
through dictatorship, and as a subordinate
(usually) to a head of state. The term is also
used for officers that hold authority over indi-
vidual branches or within a theatre of opera-
tions[1]
Within NATO and the European Union, the
term Chief of Defence (CHOD) is usually used
as a generic term for the highest military
commanders of the NATO and EU member
states, irrespective of their actual title.
Australia
HM Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia as rep-
resented by the Governor-General of Aus-
tralia (currently Quentin Bryce)
Canada
Further information: Comm