Chief of the Defence (Bulgaria)

Coat of Arms of the Bulgarian Army

The Chief of the Defence (Bulgarian: Началник на отбраната / Načalnik na Otbranata), until 2009 the Chief of the General Staff (Bulgarian: Началник на Генерален щаб / Načalnik na Generalen Shtab),[1] is the chief of the Defence Staff and the Bulgarian Army. The chief is appointed by the President of Bulgaria, who is the commander-in-chief. The position dates back to the Principality of Bulgaria. The current Chief of the Defence is Vice Admiral Rumen Nikolov.

List of chiefs

#NameImageBorn–DiedRankStartEndNote
1 Racho Petrov 1861–1942 Captain 9 September 1885 29 April 1887 1st Term
2 Stefan Paprikov 1858–1920 Major 18 August 1887 23 October 1887 1st Term
3 Racho Petrov 1861–1942 Major 23 October 1887 15 April 1894 2nd Term
4 Nikola Ivanov 1861–1940 Lt. Colonel 10 May 1894 29 November 1896
5 Stefan Paprikov 1858–1920 Colonel 30 November 1896 18 January 1899 2nd Term
6 Varban Vinarov 1856–1908 Colonel 24 June 1899 18 February 1900
7 Stefan Ilyev 1859–1913 Colonel 18 February 1900 1 January 1904
8 Radko Dimitriev 1859–1918 Major General 1 January 1904 28 March 1907
9 Vicho Dikov 1861–1928 Major General 28 March 1907 2 November 1907
10 Atanas Nazlamov 1863–1935 Major General 2 November 1907 27 March 1910
11 Ivan Fichev 1860–1931 Major General 27 March 1910 14 January 1914
12 Pravoslav Tenev 1862–1942 Major General 6 March 1914 15 April 1915
13 Kliment Boyadzhiev 1861–1933 Major General 15 April 1915 7 September 1915
14 Konstantin Zhostov 1867–1916 Major General 7 September 1915 30 August 1916 Died in office
15 Ivan Lukov 1871–1926 Colonel 1 September 1916 30 December 1917 1st Term
16 Hristo Burmov 1869–1936 Major General 17 July 1918 10 October 1918
17 Ivan Lukov 1871–1926 Major General 10 October 1918 27 October 1918 2nd Term
18 Stefan Nerezov 1867–1925 Major General 2 November 1919 3 September 1920
19 Petar Midilev 1875–1939 Colonel 3 September 1920 3 December 1920
20 Nikola Topaldzikov 1875–1925 Colonel 3 December 1920 20 April 1923
21 Stefan Noykov 1876–1925 Colonel 18 May 1923 9 June 1923
22 Aleksandar Davidov 1878–1925 Colonel 9 June 1923 3 July 1923
23 Vladimir Stoyanov 1879–? Colonel 4 July 1923 1 June 1926
24 Nikola Bakardzhiev 1881–1954 Major General 1 June 1926 11 January 1929 1st Term
25 Sotir Marinkov 1880–? Major General November 1929 31 January 1931
26 Nikola Bakardzhiev 1881–1954 Lt. General 31 January 1931 6 May 1934 2nd Term
27 Mihail Yovov 1886–1951 Major General 18 May 1934 19 May 1934
28 Todor Georgiev 1882–1971 Major General 21 May 1934 26 December 1936
29 Yordan Peev 1884–1938 Major General 29 January 1937 10 October 1938 Assassinated
30 Nikola Hadzipetkov 1891–1949 Major General 10 December 1938 11 August 1941
31 Constantine Lukasz 1890–1945 Lt. General 11 August 1941 11 May 1944
32 Trifon Trifonov 1895–1945 Major General 11 May 1944 6 September 1944
33 Kiril Yanchulev 1896–1961 Major General 6 September 1944 13 September 1944
34 Raycho Slavkov 1898–1953 Major General 14 September 1944 15 December 1944
35 Ivan Kinov 1893–1967 Major General 15 December 1944 10 December 1949
36 Asen Grekov 1893–1954 Lt. General 10 December 1949 14 December 1950
37 Ivan Bachvarov 1912–1966 Colonel General 14 December 1950 25 January 1960
38 Ivan Vrachev 1921–1994 Lt. General 25 January 1960 22 March 1962
39 Atanas Semerdziev 1924– Colonel General 22 March 1962 28 December 1989
40 Hristo Dobrev 1923–2013 Colonel General 28 December 1989 15 August 1990
41 Radniu Minchev 1928– Lt. General 15 August 1990 2 August 1991
42 Lyuben Petrov 1938– General of the Army 2 August 1991 2 September 1994
43 Tsvetan Totomirov 1943– Colonel General 2 September 1994 11 June 1997
44 Miho Mihov 1949– Colonel General 11 June 1997 11 June 2002
45 Nikola Kolev 1951– General 11 June 2002 1 June 2006
46 Zlatan Stoykov 1951– General 1 June 2006 7 July 2009
47 Simeon Simeonov 1955– General 7 July 2009 30 June 2014
48 Rumen Nikolov 1957– Vice Admiral 30 June 2014 Present

See also

References

  1. "Закон за отбраната и въоръжените сили на Република България" [Law on Defence and Armed Forces of the Republic of Bulgaria] (PDF) (in Bulgarian). Ministry of Defence of Bulgaria. 27 April 2012.

External links

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