List of Chiefs of the General Staff (Yugoslavia)
This is a list of the Chiefs of the General Staff of the Royal Yugoslav Army from 1918 to 1945, the Yugoslav People's Army from 1945 to 1992 and the Serbia and Montenegro Military Forces (officially named the Yugoslav Forces between 1992 and 2003) from 1992 to 2006.
List of chiefs of the general staff
Chief of Staff of the Supreme Command of the Royal Yugoslav Army (1918–1920)
# | Name | Image | Born–Died | Rank | Start | End | Note |
1 | Živojin Mišić | 1855–1921 | Field Marshal | 1918 | 1920 | Previously served as Chief of the Serbian General Staff. | |
Chiefs of the General Staff of the Royal Yugoslav Armed Forces (1920–1941)
# | Name | Image | Born–Died | Rank | Start | End | Note |
1 | Živojin Mišić | 1855–1921 | Field Marshal | 1920 | 1921 | Died in office | |
2 | Petar Bojović | 1858–1945 | Field Marshal | 1921 | 1921 | ||
3 | Petar Pešić | 1871–1944 | General | 1921 | 1922 | 1st Term | |
Milan Ž. Milovanović | 1874–1942 | Divisional General | 1922 | 1924 | 1st Term. Acting Chief of the General Staff. General until 1923 | ||
4 | Petar Pešić | 1871–1944 | Army General | 1924 | 1928 | 2nd Term | |
5 | Milan Ž. Milovanović | 1874–1942 | Army General | 1928 | 1934 | 2nd Term | |
6 | Milan Nedić | 1877–1946 | Army General | 1934 | 1935 | ||
7 | Ljubomir Marić | 1878–1960 | Army General | 1935 | 1936 | ||
8 | Milutin Nedić | 1882–1945 | Army General | 1937 | 1938 | Brother of Milan Nedić | |
9 | Dušan Simović | 1882–1962 | Army General | 1938 | 1940 | 1st Term | |
10 | Petar Kosić | 1881–1949 | Army General | 1940 | 1941 | ||
11 | Dušan Simović | 1882–1962 | Army General | 1941 | 1941 | 2nd Term | |
Danilo Kalafatović | 1875–1946 | Army General | 1941 | 1941 | Acting Chief of the General Staff | ||
Chief of Staff of the Supreme Command of the Yugoslav Army in the Homeland (1941–1945)
# | Name | Image | Born–Died | Rank | Start | End | Note |
1 | Dragoljub Mihailović | 1893–1946 | Army General | 1942 | 1944 | Chief of Staff of the Supreme Command of the Yugoslav Army in the Homeland | |
Commander and Chief of the Supreme Staff of the National Liberation Army (1941–1945)
# | Name | Image | Born–Died | Rank | Start | End | Note |
1 | Josip Broz Tito | 1892–1980 | Marshal of Yugoslavia | 1941 | 1945 | Commander of the Supreme Staff and Commander-in-Chief of the National Liberation Army and Partisan Detachments of Yugoslavia | |
2 | Arso Jovanović | 1907–1948 | Lt. General | 1941 | 1945 | Chief of the Supreme Staff of the National Liberation Army and Partisan Detachments of Yugoslavia | |
Chiefs of the General Staff of the Yugoslav People's Army (1945–1992)
The Chief of the General Staff (Serbo-Croatian: Načelnik Generalštaba - NGŠ; Начелник Генералштаба - НГШ; Macedonian: Началник на Генералштабот; Slovene: Načelnik Generalštaba) was the chief of staff of the General Staff of the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) during its existence from 1945 to 1992. He was appointed by the President of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, who was the commander-in-chief. While the Federal Secretary of People's Defense (defense minister) headed the Federal Secretariat of People's Defense (Savezni sekretarijat za narodnu odbranu - SSNO) and it was the most effective military person, the Chief of the General Staff (which was the formational part of SSNO) was the most professional and staff body.
# | Name | Image | Born–Died | Rank | Start | End | Note |
1 | Arso Jovanović | 1907–1948 | Colonel General | 1 March 1945 | 15 September 1948 | Killed by border guards while allegedly trying to escape to Romania during the Informbiro | |
2 | Koča Popović | 1908–1992 | Colonel General | 15 September 1948 | 27 January 1953 | Afterwards served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1953 to 1965 | |
3 | Peko Dapčević | 1913–1999 | Colonel General | 27 January 1953 | 29 April 1955 | ||
4 | Ljubo Vučković | 1915–1976 | Colonel General | 29 April 1955 | 16 June 1961 | ||
5 | Rade Hamović | 1916–2009 | Colonel General | 16 June 1961 | 15 June 1967 | ||
6 | Miloš Šumonja | 1918–2006 | Colonel General | 15 June 1967 | 5 January 1970 | ||
7 | Viktor Bubanj | 1918–1972 | Colonel General of the Air Force | 5 January 1970 | 15 October 1972 | Died in office | |
8 | Stane Potočar | 1919–1997 | Colonel General | 15 October 1972 | 10 July 1979 | ||
9 | Branko Mamula | 1921– | Admiral | 10 July 1979 | 5 May 1982 | Afterwards served as the Minister of Defense from 1982 to 1988 | |
10 | Petar Gračanin | 1923–2004 | Colonel General | 5 May 1982 | 1 September 1985 | Later served as the President of the Presidency of Serbia from 1987 to 1989 | |
11 | Zorko Čanadi | 1925–2003 | Colonel General | 1 September 1985 | 15 September 1987 | ||
12 | Stevan Mirković | 1927–2015 | Colonel General | 15 September 1987 | 29 September 1989 | ||
13 | Blagoje Adžić | 1932–2012 | Colonel General | 29 September 1989 | 27 February 1992 | ||
14 | Života Panić | 1933–2003 | Colonel General | 27 February 1992 | 20 May 1992 | Since 20 May 1992 Chief of the General Staff of the Yugoslav Forces | |
Chiefs of the General Staff of the Yugoslav Forces / Serbia and Montenegro Military Forces (1992–2006)
Following the breakup of Yugoslavia and the secession of four out of six constituent republic in the SFR Yugoslavia the remaining two (Serbia and Montenegro) established a federation in 1992 called the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FR Yugoslavia). This lasted until 2003 when it was reconstituted as a state union called Serbia and Montenegro. In 2006 both countries declared independence and parted ways.
# | Name | Image | Born–Died | Rank | Start | End | Note |
1 | Života Panić | 1933–2003 | Colonel General | 20 May 1992 | 26 August 1993 | Until 20 May 1992 Chief of the General Staff of the Yugoslav People's Army | |
2 | Momčilo Perišić | 1944– | Colonel General | 26 August 1993 | 26 November 1998 | ||
3 | Dragoljub Ojdanić | 1941– | Colonel General | 26 November 1998 | 7 February 2000 | Afterwards served as the Minister of Defense in 2000 | |
4 | Nebojša Pavković | 1946– | Colonel General | 7 February 2000 | 24 June 2002 | ||
5 | Branko Krga | 1945– | Colonel General | 24 June 2002 | 23 December 2004 | Since 7 March 2003 Chief of the General Staff of the Serbia and Montenegro Military Forces | |
6 | Dragan Paskaš | 1951– | Lt. General | 23 December 2004 | 6 October 2005 | ||
7 | Ljubiša Jokić | 1958– | Lt. General | 6 October 2005 | 3 June 2006 | Last Chief of the General Staff of the Serbia and Montenegro Military Forces | |
See also
- Chiefs of Joint Staff of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia
- Chief of the General Staff of the Army of the Republic of Macedonia
- Chief of the General Staff (Montenegro)
- Chief of the Serbian General Staff
- Chief of the General Staff (Slovenia)
Sources
- Chief of the General Staff: 1876-2000, Ivetić Velimir, Belgrade 2000.