Commander-in-chief

Commander-in-Chief

A commander-in-chief is the top leader of a country's army and other fighting groups. This person makes big decisions about how the army works. Many countries have a commander-in-chief, but the name for this job can be different.

In many places, the commander-in-chief is also the head of the country, like a president or a king. Sometimes, a special government leader is chosen to be the commander-in-chief instead.

The idea of a commander-in-chief comes from very old times, when leaders called Imperator were in charge of armies in places like Rome.

Today, many leaders are commanders-in-chief. For example:

• The president of Ukraine is the top leader of Ukraine's army.
• The president of the United States is called "Commander in Chief" of the army and navy.
• In France, the president is called "Chef des Armées" meaning "Chief of the Armies."

Being a commander-in-chief is a very important job because the leader helps keep the country safe.