# Chief of the Romanian General Staff

The Chief of General Staff (Romanian: Șeful Statului Major General) is the highest professional military authority in the Romanian Armed Forces. He is appointed by the President of Romania, at the National Defense Minister's proposal (with the approval of the Prime Minister) on a four-year period, with the possibility of one-year extension. The Deputy Chief of General Staff or one of the Chiefs of the Services can be appointed in this position.

## Role of the General Staff

According to Law no. 346 from 21 July 2006 (art. 12), the General Staff provides for:
* Force command;
* Organization;
* Planning and making operational;
* Gradual increase of readiness levels;
* Mobilization;
* Conduct of joint operations;
* Troops' training;
* Basic and specialty training of the active-duty and reserve military personnel;
* Military personnel individual career management;
* Armaments planning;
* Standardization in the military field;
* Implementation of the C4ISR, logistic and infrastructure system;
* Conduct of the international military relations;
* Religious assistance in the MoND;
* Signing technical agreements with other states armed forces;
* Promotion of the military culture and civil education values.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee is established at the level of the General Staff. The committee is a deliberative structure, having a consultative role. The Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee meets to discuss important topics with regard to the Romanian Armed Forces’ activity, usually quarterly or whenever necessary.
The Chief of General Staff is also the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee.
The Gallery of the Chiefs of General Staff consists of 48 Flag and Commissioned Officers in the 1859–2006 timeframe.

## List of the Chiefs
### United Principalities (1860–1881)

| No. | Chief of the General Staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office |
| 1 | Gărdescu, GrigoreColonel Grigore Gărdescu [ro] | 8 January 1860 | 29 January 1860 | 21 days |
| 2 | Sămășescu, IstratieMajor Istratie Sămășescu [ro] | 29 January 1860 | 30 May 1860 | 122 days |
| 3 | Florescu, Ion EmanuelGeneral Ion Emanuel Florescu (1819–1893) | 30 May 1860 | 30 August 1860 | 92 days |
| (3) | Florescu, Ion EmanuelGeneral Ion Emanuel Florescu (1819–1893) | 21 April 1864 | 1 May 1866 | 2 years, 10 days |
| 4 | Slăniceanu, GheorgheColonel Gheorghe Slăniceanu [ro] (1835–1885) | 27 April 1877 | 18 August 1877 | 113 days |
| 5 | Barozzi, ConstantinColonel Constantin Barozzi [ro] (1833–1921) | 18 August 1877 | 20 October 1877 | 63 days |
| 6 | Fălcoianu, ȘtefanGeneral Ștefan Fălcoianu (1835–1905) | 20 October 1877 | 1878 | 0–1 years |
| (4) | Slăniceanu, GheorgheColonel Gheorghe Slăniceanu [ro] (1835–1885) | 1878 | 22 February 1879 | 0–1 years |

### Kingdom of Romania (1881–1947)

| No. | Chief of the General Staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office |
| 7 | Cernat, AlexandruGeneral Alexandru Cernat (1828–1893) | 1881 | 1882 | 0–1 years |
| (4) | Slăniceanu, GheorgheColonel Gheorghe Slăniceanu [ro] (1835–1885) | 1882 | 15 April 1883 | 0–1 years |
| (6) | Fălcoianu, ȘtefanGeneral Ștefan Fălcoianu (1835–1905) | 15 April 1883 | 23 May 1884 | 1 year, 38 days |
| 8 | Dona, NicolaeColonel Nicolae Dona [ro] (1833–1916) | 23 May 1884 | 13 January 1886 | 1 year, 235 days |
| (6) | Fălcoianu, ȘtefanGeneral Ștefan Fălcoianu (1835–1905) | 13 January 1886 | 18 June 1894 | 8 years, 156 days |
| 9 | Lahovary, IacobGeneral Iacob Lahovary (1846–1907) | 1 October 1894 | 1 October 1895 | 1 year |
| (5) | Barozzi, ConstantinColonel Constantin Barozzi [ro] (1833–1921) | 1 October 1895 | 1 October 1898 | 3 years |
| 10 | Poenaru, ConstantinGeneral Constantin Poenaru (1842–1912) | 1 October 1898 | 1 April 1901 | 2 years, 182 days |
| 11 | Cărcăleteanu, AlexandruGeneral de brigadă Alexandru Cărcăleteanu [ro] (1843–1936) | 1 April 1901 | 1 April 1904 | 3 years |
| 12 | Tătărăscu, NicolaeGeneral de brigadă Nicolae Tătărăscu [ro] (1850–1916) | 1 April 1904 | 1 April 1907 | 3 years |
| 13 | Crăiniceanu, GrigoreGeneral Grigore C. Crăiniceanu (1852–1935) | 1 April 1907 | 1 November 1909 | 2 years, 214 days |
| 14 | Istrati, IoanGeneral Adjutant Ioan Istrati [ro] (1860–1942) | 1 November 1909 | 31 March 1911 | 1 year, 150 days |
| 15 | Zottu, VasileGeneral de Divizie Vasile Zottu [ro] (1853–1916) | 31 March 1911 | 18 November 1911 | 232 days |
| 16 | Averescu, AlexandruGeneral Alexandru Averescu (1859–1938) | 18 November 1911 | 2 December 1913 | 2 years, 14 days |
| 17 | Cristescu, ConstantinGeneral Constantin Cristescu (1866–1923) | 2 December 1913 | 1 April 1914 | 120 days |
| (15) | Zottu, VasileGeneral de Divizie Vasile Zottu [ro] (1853–1916) | 1 April 1914 | 25 October 1916 | 2 years, 207 days |
| – | Iliescu, DumitruGeneral de brigadă Dumitru Iliescu [ro] (1865–1940) Acting | 25 October 1916 | 5 December 1916 | 41 days |
| 18 | Prezan, ConstantinGeneral de Divizie Adjutant Constantin Prezan (1861–1943) | 5 December 1916 | 1 April 1918 | 117 days |
| (17) | Cristescu, ConstantinGeneral Constantin Cristescu (1866–1923) | 1 April 1918 | 28 October 1918 | 210 days |
| (18) | Prezan, ConstantinGeneral de Divizie Adjutant Constantin Prezan (1861–1943) | 28 October 1918 | 20 March 1920 | 1 year, 144 days |
| (17) | Cristescu, ConstantinGeneral Constantin Cristescu (1866–1923) | 1 April 1920 | 8 May 1923 | 3 years, 37 days |
| – | Gorsky, AlexandruGeneral de brigadă Alexandru Gorsky [ro] (1875–?) Acting | 8 May 1923 | 1 October 1923 | 146 days |
| 19 | Lupescu, AlexandruGeneral de Divizie Alexandru Lupescu [ro] (1865–1934) | 1 October 1923 | 21 June 1927 | 3 years, 263 days |
| 20 | Samsonovici, NicolaeGeneral de Divizie Nicolae Samsonovici (1877–1950) | 21 June 1927 | 11 August 1932 | 5 years, 51 days |
| 21 | Lăzărescu, ConstantinGeneral de Divizie Constantin Lăzărescu [ro] | 11 August 1932 | 30 November 1933 | 1 year, 111 days |
| 22 | Antonescu, IonGeneral Ion Antonescu (1882–1946) | 1 December 1933 | 11 December 1934 | 1 year, 10 days |
| (20) | Samsonovici, NicolaeGeneral de Divizie Nicolae Samsonovici (1877–1950) | 11 December 1934 | 1 February 1937 | 2 years, 52 days |
| – | Sichitiu, IonGeneral de Divizie Ion Sichitiu [ro] (1878–1952) Acting | 1 February 1937 | 1 November 1937 | 273 days |
| 23 | Ionescu, ŞtefanGeneral de Divizie Ștefan Ionescu [ro] (1881–?) | 1 November 1937 | 1 February 1939 | 1 year, 92 days |
| 24 | Țenescu, FloreaGeneral de Divizie Adjutant Florea Țenescu [ro] (1884–1941) | 1 February 1939 | 23 August 1940 | 1 year, 204 days |
| 25 | Mihail, GheorgheGeneral de Divizie Adjutant Gheorghe Mihail (1887–1982) | 23 August 1940 | 6 September 1940 | 14 days |
| 26 | Ioanițiu, AlexandruGeneral de Brigadă Alexandru Ioanițiu (1890–1941) | 6 September 1940 | 17 September 1941 | 359 days |
| 27 | Iacobici, IosifGeneral de Corp de Armată Adjutant Iosif Iacobici (1884–1952) | 22 September 1941 | 20 January 1942 | 153 days |
| 28 | Șteflea, IlieGeneral de Corp de Armată Ilie Șteflea (1888–1946) | 20 January 1942 | 23 August 1944 | 2 years, 216 days |
| (26) | Mihail, GheorgheGeneral de Divizie Adjutant Gheorghe Mihail (1887–1982) | 23 August 1944 | 12 October 1944 | 50 days |
| 29 | Rădescu, NicolaeGeneral de Corp de Armată Adjutant Nicolae Rădescu (1874–1953) | 15 October 1944 | 6 December 1944 | 52 days |
| 30 | Sănătescu, ConstantinGeneral de Corp de Armată Constantin Sănătescu (1885–1947) | 11 December 1944 | 20 June 1945 | 221 days |
| 31 | Ionașcu, ConstinGeneral de Corp de Armată Costin Ionașcu [ro] (1890–1969) | 20 June 1945 | 27 December 1947 | 2 years, 190 days |

### Communist Romania (1947–1989)

| No. | Chief of the General Staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office |
| 33 | Popescu, ConstantinColonel General Constantin Gh. Popescu [ro] (1893–1985) | 30 January 1948 | 18 March 1950 | 2 years, 47 days |
| 34 | Sălăjan, LeontinArmy General Leontin Sălăjan (1913–1966) | 18 March 1950 | 26 April 1954 | 4 years, 39 days |
| 35 | Tutoveanu, IonGeneral Ion Tutoveanu [ro] (1914–2014) | 26 April 1954 | 15 June 1965 | 11 years, 50 days |
| 36 | Gheorghe, IonGeneral Gheorghe Ion [ro] (1923–2009) | 15 June 1965 | 29 November 1974 | 9 years, 167 days |
| 37 | Coman, IonLieutenant General Ion Coman (born 1926) | 29 November 1974 | 16 June 1976 | 1 year, 200 days |
| 38 | Hortopan, IonLieutenant General Ion Hortopan [ro] (1925–2000) | 1 July 1976 | 31 March 1980 | 3 years, 274 days |
| 39 | Milea, VasileColonel General Vasile Milea (1927–1989) | 31 March 1980 | 16 February 1985 | 4 years, 322 days |
| 40 | Gușă, ȘtefanColonel General Ștefan Gușă (1940–1994) | 25 September 1986 | 28 December 1989 | 3 years, 97 days |

### Romania (1989–present)

| No. | Chief of the General Staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch |
| 41 | Ionel, VasileGeneral Vasile Ionel [ro] (1927–2015) | 29 December 1989 | 2 May 1991 | 1 year, 124 days | Army |
| 42 | Cioflină, DumitruGeneral Dumitru Cioflină [ro] (born 1942) | 3 May 1991 | 22 January 1997 | 5 years, 264 days | Army |
| 43 | Degeratu, ConstantinGeneral Constantin Degeratu [ro] (born 1948) | 22 January 1997 | 7 March 2000 | 3 years, 45 days | Army |
| 44 | Chelaru, MirceaLieutenant General Mircea Chelaru (born 1949) | 7 March 2000 | 31 October 2000 | 238 days | Army |
| 45 | Popescu, Mihail EugenGeneral Mihail Eugen Popescu [ro] (1948–2013) | 31 October 2000 | 25 October 2004 | 3 years, 360 days | Army |
| 46 | Bădălan, EugenGeneral Eugen Bădălan [ro] (born 1951) | 25 October 2004 | 13 September 2006 | 1 year, 323 days | Army |
| 47 | Marin, GheorgheAdmiral Gheorghe Marin [ro] (born 1952) | 13 September 2006 | 31 December 2010 | 4 years, 109 days | Navy |
| 48 | Dănilă, ȘtefanGeneral Ștefan Dănilă [ro] (born 1965) | 1 January 2011 | 31 December 2014 | 3 years, 364 days | Air Force |
| 49 | Ciucă, NicolaeGeneral Nicolae Ciucă (born 1967) | 1 January 2015 | 28 October 2019 | 4 years, 300 days | Army |
| 50 | Petrescu, DanielGeneral Daniel Petrescu [ro; de] (born 1971) | 28 November 2019 | 30 November 2023 | 4 years, 2 days | Army |
| 51 | Vlad, GheorghițăGeneral Gheorghiță Vlad [he] (born 1969) | 30 November 2023 | Incumbent | 1 year, 27 days | Army |