# Chief of the General Staff (Albania)

The Chief of the General Staff (Albanian: Shef i Shtabit të Përgjithshëm) is the chief of the General Staff and Albanian Armed Forces. The chief of staff is appointed by the President of Albania, who is the commander-in-chief. The position was established on 4 May 1913 as part of the Provisional Government of Albania.

## List of chiefs of the general staff
### Provisional Government of Albania / Principality of Albania

Date of term's end is based on start of successor's term.
| No. | Chief of the General Staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office |
| 1 | Shkupi, Ali ShefqetLieutenant Colonel Ali Shefqet Shkupi (1883–1953) | 4 May 1913 | November 1920 | 7 years, 5 months |
| 2 | Kolonja, Ali RizaBrigadier General Ali Riza Kolonja (1880–1930) | November 1920 | December 1921 | 1 year, 1 month |
| 3 | Leskoviku, XhavidMajor Xhavid Leskoviku (1882–1945?) | December 1921 | June 1923 | 1 year, 6 months |
| 4 | Fevziu, BajramMajor Bajram Fevziu (1884–1928) Term ended with dissolution of the Ministry of War | June 1923 | 24 December 1924 | 1 year, 6 months |

### Albanian Republic / Albanian Kingdom

In 1925, Prime Minister Ahmet Zogolli created a new constitution for Albania, forming the Albanian Republic. On 1 September 1928, Zogolli amended the constitution, dissolved parliament, and proclaimed himself King, creating the Albanian Kingdom. The Kingdom collapsed following the Italian invasion of Albania.
| No. | Portrait | Chief of the General Staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office | President of Albania | Ref. |
| Albanian National Army ||||||||
| 5 | | von Myrdacz, GustavDivisional General Gustav von Myrdacz (1874–1945) | 18 January 1925 | 1 September 1928 | 3 years, 227 days | Ahmet Zogolli | |
| Royal Albanian Army | Royal Albanian Army | Royal Albanian Army | Royal Albanian Army | Royal Albanian Army | Royal Albanian Army | King of Albania | Ref. |
| (5) | | von Myrdacz, GustavGeneral Gustav von Myrdacz (1874–1945) | 1 September 1928 | 7 April 1939 | 10 years, 218 days | Zog I of Albania | |

### Communist Albania

The following individuals served during the era of communism in Albania, serving the National Liberation Movement, the Democratic Government of Albania, and the People's Socialist Republic of Albania. In this time, the powers of Commander-in-chief were held by the First Secretary of the Party of Labour of Albania.
| No. | Chief of the General Staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office | First Secretary |
| Albanian National Liberation Army ||||||||
| 6 | Moisiu, SpiroMajor General Spiro Moisiu (1900–1981) | 10 July 1943 | 24 May 1944 | 319 days | Enver Hoxha |
| Albanian People's Army ||||||||
| (6) | Moisiu, SpiroMajor General Spiro Moisiu (1900–1981) | 24 May 1944 | August 1946 | 2 years, 2 months | Enver Hoxha |
| 7 | Shehu, MehmetColonel General Mehmet Shehu (1913–1981) | August 1946 | 28 January 1948 | 1 year, 5 months | Enver Hoxha |
| 8 | Balluku, BeqirLieutenant General Beqir Balluku (1917–1974) | 28 January 1948 | 1952 | 3–4 years | Enver Hoxha |
| 9 | Dume, PetritLieutenant General Petrit Dume (1920–1975) | 1952 | 1954 | 1–2 years | Enver Hoxha |
| 10 | Hasko, ArifLieutenant General Arif Hasko (1918–1991) | 1954 | 1956 | 1–2 years | Enver Hoxha |
| (9) | Dume, PetritLieutenant General Petrit Dume (1920–1975) | 1956 | July 1974 | 17–18 years | Enver Hoxha |
| 11 | Meçollari, SamiSami Meçollari (born 1937) | July 1974 | December 1974 | 5 months | Enver Hoxha |
| 12 | Llakaj, VeliVeli Llakaj [sq] (1935–2011) | December 1974 | 13 October 1982 | 7 years, 10 months | Enver Hoxha |
| 13 | Mustaqi, KiçoKiço Mustaqi (1938–2019) | 13 October 1982 | February 1991 | 8 years, 3 months | Enver Hoxha (1941 – 1985) Ramiz Alia (1985 – 1991) |

### Republic of Albania

The following individuals served following the fall of communism in Albania and the formation of the Republic of Albania. The new Albanian constitution shifted the powers of Commander in Chief to the newly formed office of the President of Albania.
| No. | Chief of the General Staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office | President of Albania | Ref. |
| 14 | Abazi, HalimColonel Halim Abazi (born 1944) | February 1991 | June 1991 | 4 months | Ramiz Alia | |
| 15 | Karoli, KostaqGeneral Kostaq Karoli [sq] (born 1945) | June 1991 | August 1992 | 1 year, 2 months | Ramiz Alia (1991 – 1992) Kastriot Islami (1992 – 1992) Pjetër Arbnori (1992 – 1992) Sali Berisha (1992 – 1997) | |
| 16 | Vasho, IliaGeneral Ilia Vasho (born 1944) | August 1992 | 1994 | 1–2 years | Sali Berisha | |
| 17 | Kosovo, ShemeGeneral Sheme Kosova (born 1949) | 1994 | 2 March 1997 | 2–3 years | Sali Berisha | |
| 18 | Çopani, AdemMajor General Adem Çopani (1944–2018) | 2 March 1997 | August 1997 | 1 year, 2 months | Sali Berisha (1992 – 1997) Rexhep Meidani (1997 – 2002) | |
| 19 | Andoni, AleksBrigadier General Aleks Andoni (born 1956) | September 1997 | 2000 | 2–3 years | Rexhep Meidani | |
| 20 | Qazimi, PëllumbGeneral Pëllumb Qazimi (born 1957) | 2000 | 2006 | 5–6 years | Rexhep Meidani (1997 – 2002) Alfred Moisiu (2002 – 2007) | |
| 21 | Hoxha, LuanLieutenant General Luan Hoxha (born 1960) | October 2006 | June 2008 | 1 year, 8 months | Alfred Moisiu (2002 – 2007) Bamir Topi (2007 – 2012) | |
| 22 | Malaj, MaksimMajor General Maksim Malaj [sq] (born 1958) | June 2008 | 8 August 2011 | 3 years, 2 months | Bamir Topi | |
| 23 | Gjunkshi, XhemalMajor General Xhemal Gjunkshi (born 1963) | 8 August 2011 | 8 November 2013 | 2 years, 92 days | Bamir Topi (2007 – 2012) Bujar Nishani (2012 – 2017) | |
| 24 | Bazo, JeronimMajor General Jeronim Bazo (born 1960) | 8 November 2013 | January 2017 | 3 years, 1 month | Bujar Nishani | |
| 25 | Kollçaku, BardhylBrigadier General Bardhyl Kollçaku (born 1967) | 28 October 2017 | 29 July 2020 | 2 years, 275 days | Ilir Meta | . |
| 26 | Begaj, BajramMajor General Bajram Begaj (born 1967) | 29 July 2020 | 4 June 2022 | 1 year, 310 days | Ilir Meta | . |
| 27 | Kingji, ArbenLieutenant General Arben Kingji | 3 August 2022 | Incumbent | 2 years, 122 days | Bajram Begaj | |