Chief of the General Staff of Yugoslav People's Army

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 Yugoslav People's Army. He was appointed by the President of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, who was the commander-in-chief.

The first Chief of the General Staff was Lt. General Arso Jovanović, the Chief of the Main Staff of People's Liberation Army of Yugoslavia (NOVJ), who became chief of staff when NOVJ became JA (Yugoslav Army) in 1945. The Yugoslav Army later in 1951 was renamed to Yugoslav Peoples Army, and it existed until the breakup of Yugoslavia. The last chief of staff was Colonel General Života Panić, as Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, who became the Chief of the General Staff of "new" Military of Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

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Chiefs of the General Staff of the Yugoslav Army (1945-1951)

# Name Born–Died Rank Start End Note
1 Arso Jovanović 1907–1948 Lt. 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 Lt. General 15 September 1948 22 December 1951 Since 22 December 1951 Chief of the General Staff of the Yugoslav People's Army

Chiefs of the General Staff of the Yugoslav People's Army (1951-1989)

# Name Born–Died Rank Start End Note
1 Koča Popović 1908–1992 Colonel General 22 December 1951 27 January 1953 Until 22 December 1951 Chief of the General Staff of the Yugoslav Army
2 Peko Dapčević 1913–1999 Colonel General 27 January 1953 29 April 1955
3 Ljubo Vučković 1915–1976 Colonel General 29 April 1955 16 June 1961
4 Rade Hamović 1916–2009 Colonel General 16 June 1961 15 June 1967
5 Miloš Šumonja 1918–2006 Colonel General 15 June 1967 5 January 1970
6 Viktor Bubanj 1918–1970 Colonel General 5 January 1970 15 October 1972 Died in office
7 Stane Potočar 1919–1997 Colonel General 15 October 1972 10 July 1979
8 Branko Mamula 1921– Admiral 10 July 1979 5 May 1982
9 Petar Gračanin 1923–2004 Colonel General 5 May 1982 1 September 1985
10 Zorko Čanadi 1925–2003 Colonel General 1 September 1985 15 September 1987
11 Stevan Mirković 1927– Colonel General 15 September 1987 29 September 1989

Chiefs of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (1989-1992)

# Name Born–Died Rank Start End Note
1 Blagoje Adžić 1932– Colonel General 29 September 1989 27 February 1992
2 Života Panić 1933–2003 Colonel General 27 February 1992 20 May 1992 Since 20 May 1992 Chief of the General Staff of the Military of FR Yugoslavia

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