BREVET' (Fr. a writ or warrant), in the British army, is a promotion of officers, now strictly limited in its application, but before 1854 a recognized though occasional mode of conferring a large measure of general promotion throughout the army. It took place under various circumstances. If no special cause interfered, a general promotion by B. used in former times to be made once in about six years; but in more recent years it was limited to very special occasions, as a coronation, the birth of an heir to the throne, the termination of some great war, etc., and was limited to officers who had sonic particular claim to promotion. The officers so promoted obtained an increase of and in some cases pay, even if they had never served in the field. A B. was determined on by the cabinet, and carried out by the commander-in-chief. The officers expected it, as one of the implied conditions on entering the service, and it had formed part of the British military system ever since the time of James II.; but it. was unsatisfactory, because the flow of promotion caused by it was arbitrary, uncertain, and much liable to abuse. There were brevets, arising out of the various circumstances above indicated, in 1837, 1838, 1841, 1846, 1851, and 1854. On these occasions, lient. generals, maj.generals, colonels, lient.colonels, majors, and captains received a promo tion of one grade in rank. On one of these occasions, 200 colonels were at once made maj.generals. The higher the rank, the higher the pay, as a general rule; and therefore the cost to the nation is always increased for a time after each brevet. Thus the B. of
1837 occasioned an annual increase of L11,000; that of 1838, £7000; of 1841, £15.000; of 1846, £21,000, etc.; but it must not be forgotten that death and sales had in the intervals cleared off perhaps an equal number of officers at the higher rates of pay. In 1854, the new maj.generals alone involved an additional charge of £18,000 a year.
The above description applied before 1854. In that year, general brevets were abol ished—a fixed establishment of general officers being substituted. The only brevets now are obtained by service of five years as limited. (making the officer brevet col., with out increase of pay); by distinguished service in the field, applicable to lieut.colonels, majors, and captains (carrying the substantive pay of the higher rank, except in the case of the lieut.col.); and by succession, when a death occurs among the establishment of general officers. In this last case there is no brevet promotion to the rank of col., but the senior maj. in the whole army and marines becomes a brevet lient.col. without increase of pay, and the senior rapt. a brevet-maj. with 2s. a day extra. Officers become maj.generals, in accordance with their seniority as brevet colonels, and it will be seen, from the above description, that the brevet rank of col., which is the stepping-stone to maj.gen., is obtainable by service only.
Other matters having reference to this subject will be found treated under the article