Chief of the General Staff (Yugoslavia)

The Chiefs of the General Staff of Yugoslavia refers to the Chiefs of the General Staffs of the Royal Yugoslav Army from 1918 to 1945 and the Yugoslav People's Army from 1945 to 1992. It may also refer to the Chief of the General Staff of the Military of FR Yugoslavia between 1992 and 2003 (officially named Military of Serbia and Montenegro 2003–2006).

List of chiefs of the general staff

Chief of Staff of the Supreme Command of the Royal Yugoslav Army (1918–1920)

#NameImageBorn–DiedRankStartEndNote
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)

#NameImageBorn–DiedRankStartEndNote
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)

#NameImageBorn–DiedRankStartEndNote
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)

#NameImageBorn–DiedRankStartEndNote
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 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.

#NameImageBorn–DiedRankStartEndNote
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 1918–1970 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
11 Zorko Čanadi 1925–2003 Colonel General 1 September 1985 15 September 1987
12 Stevan Mirković 1927– 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 Military of FR Yugoslavia

Chiefs of the General Staff of the Military of FR Yugoslavia (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 political union called Serbia and Montenegro. In 2006 both countries declared independence and parted ways.

#NameImageBorn–DiedRankStartEndNote
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– Major 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 Military of Serbia and Montenegro
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 Military of Serbia and Montenegro

See also

Source