# List of heads of state and government with a military background

This is a list of heads of state and government in any country who were military personnel. It does not include people who served in the military as part of mandatory peacetime military service or those who only held rank due to their position in government.
| Name | Countries | Official position | Service | Rank in military | Notes |
| Ahmad Shah Ahmadzai | Afghan mujahideen | Prime Minister of Afghanistan (1995–1996) | 1979–1992 | | Served in the Soviet–Afghan War. |
| Martti Ahtisaari | Finland | President of Finland (1994-2000) | | Reserve Captain | |
| Idi Amin | Uganda | President of Uganda (1971-1979) | 1946-1979 | Major-General Field Marshal (self-awarded) | |
| Jacobo Arbenz | Guatemala | President of Guatemala (1944-1945; 1951-1954) | 1932–1954 | Colonel | |
| Mustafa Kemal Atatürk | Ottoman Empire Turkey | President of Turkey (1923–1938) Prime Minister of the Grand National Assembly (1920–1921) | 1893–1919 1921–1927 | Major-General (Ottoman Empire) Marshal (Turkey) | Served in the Italo-Turkish War, Balkan Wars, World War I, and Turkish War of Independence. |
| Clement Attlee | United Kingdom | Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1945-1951) | 1914–1919 | Major | Served in World War I. |
| Aye Ko | Myanmar | Acting President of Burma (1988) | 1952–1985 | Lieutenant-General | |
| Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr | Ba'athist Iraq | President of Iraq (1968–1979) | 1938–1959 | Brigadier Marshal (as president) | Served in the Anglo-Iraqi War. |
| Ehud Barak | Israel | Prime Minister of Israel (1999–2001) | 1959–1995 | Lieutenant-General | Served in the Six-Day War, Yom Kippur War, and Operation Entebbe. |
| João de Deus Mena Barreto | Brazil | Member of the Brazilian Military Junta of 1930 | | Divisional General | |
| Bajram Begaj | Albania | President of Albania (Since 2022) | 1988–2022 | Major-General | |
| Menachem Begin | Second Polish Republic Israel | Prime Minister of Israel (1977–1983) | 1941–1942 1943–1948 | Corporal (Poland) | Served in the Jewish insurgency in Mandatory Palestine and 1947–1948 civil war in Mandatory Palestine. |
| Naftali Bennett | Israel | Prime Minister of Israel (2021–2022) | 1990–1996 2006 | Major | Served in the First Intifada, South Lebanon conflict (1985–2000), Second Intifada, and 2006 Lebanon War. |
| Pasteur Bizimungu | Rwanda | President of Rwanda (1994–2000) | 1990–1994 | | Served in the Rwandan Patriotic Front during the Rwandan Civil War. |
| Jair Bolsonaro | Brazil | President of Brazil (2019–2022) | 1973–1988 | Captain | |
| Leonid Brezhnev | Soviet Union | General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (1964-1982) Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet (1977-1982) | 1941–1982 | Major-General (Commissar) Marshal of the Soviet Union (as General Secretary) | Served in World War II. |
| George H. W. Bush | United States | President of the United States (1989–1993) | 1942–1955 | Lieutenant | |
| George W. Bush | United States | President of the United States (2001–2009) | 1968–1974 | First Lieutenant | |
| David Canabarro | Juliana Republic | President of the Juliana Republic (1839) | | Army General | |
| Cao Kun | Qing Dynasty Republic of China | President of the Republic of China (1923–1924) | | General | Served in the First Sino-Japanese War, National Protection War, and Warlord Era. |
| Karl Carstens | West Germany | President of West Germany (1979–1984) | 1939–1945 | Second Lieutenant | Served in World War II. |
| Jimmy Carter | United States | President of the United States (1977–1981) | 1946–1953 | Lieutenant | |
| Humberto de Alencar Castelo Branco | Brazil | President of Brazil (1964–1967) | 1918–1964 | Field marshal | |
| Charles X Gustavus of Sweden | Sweden | King of Sweden (1654-1660) | 1642-1660 | | Served in the Thirty Years' War Led the Swedish army in the Second Northern War (1655-1660) |
| Charles XI of Sweden | Sweden | King of Sweden (1660-1697) | 1660-1697 | | Led the Swedish army in the Scanian War (1675-1679) |
| Charles XII of Sweden | Sweden | King of Sweden (1697-1718) | 1697-1700 | | Led the Swedish army in the Great Northern War (1700-1718) |
| Charles XIII of Sweden | Sweden | King of Sweden (1809-1818) King of Norway (1814-1818) | | Admiral | Led the Swedish fleet (albeit mostly just nominally) in the Russo-Swedish War (1788–1790) |
| Charles XIV John of Sweden | Sweden | Prince of Pontecorvo (1805-1809) King of Sweden and Norway (1818-1844) | 1780-1809 (France) 1809-1814 (Sweden) | Marshal of France (France) Generalissimo (Sweden) | Raised to the highest ranks in the revolutionary and Napoelonic armies of France Led the Swedish army in the last years of the Napoleonic Wars (War of the Sixth Coalition) and in the Swedish–Norwegian War (1814) |
| Charles III of the United Kingdom | United Kingdom | King of the United Kingdom (2022–present) | 1971–1976 | Commander Admiral of the Fleet (as Prince of Wales) | |
| Chen Mingshu | Republic of China | Premier of the Republic of China (1931) | | | Also a leader of the Fujian People's Government. |
| Konstantin Chernenko | Soviet Union | General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (1984-1985) Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet (1984-1985) | 1930–1933 | | |
| Chiang Kai-shek | Empire of Japan Republic of China Taiwan | Chairman of the National Government of China (1943–1948) President of the Republic of China (1948–1949, 1950–1975) Premier of the Republic of China (1930–1931, 1935–1938, 1939–1945, 1947) | 1909–1975 | Generalissimo | Leader of Nationalist Chinese forces during the Northern Expedition, Chinese Civil War, and World War II. |
| Winston Churchill | United Kingdom | Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1940-1945, 1951-1955) | 1893–1924 | Lieutenant-Colonel | |
| Artur da Costa e Silva | Brazil | President of Brazil (1967–1969) | 1921–1969 | Field marshal | |
| René Coty | France | President of France (1954–1959) | 1914–1918 | | Served in World War I. |
| Deng Xiaoping | Communist China China | Paramount leader of China (1978–1989) Secretary-General of the Secretariat of the Chinese Communist Party (1956–1967) | 1929–1952 1975–1980 | Chief of the General Staff | Served in Communist Chinese forces during the Chinese Civil War and World War II. |
| Samuel Doe | Liberia | Chairman of the People's Redemption Council (1980–1986) President of Liberia (1986–1990) | 1969–1985 | Master Sergeant | Came to power in a coup d'etat. |
| Dong Biwu | Communist China | Chairman of the People's Republic of China (1972–1975) | 1927–1949 | | Served in Communist Chinese forces during the Chinese Civil War and World War II. |
| Du Xigui | Qing Dynasty Republic of China | President of the Republic of China (1926) Premier of the Republic of China (1926) | 1902–1933 | Admiral | Served in the Chinese Civil War. |
| Duan Qirui | Qing Dynasty Republic of China | Chief Executive of the Republic of China (1924–1926) Premier of the Republic of China (1916–1917, 1917, 1918) | 1885–1926 | General | Served in the Boxer Rebellion and Warlord Era. |
| Eurico Gaspar Dutra | Brazil | President of Brazil (1946–1951) | 1922–1974 | Field Marshal | |
| Dwight D. Eisenhower | United States | President of the United States (1953–1961) | 1915–1953 1961–1969 | General of the Army | Commander of American forces on Western Front during World War II. |
| António Ramalho Eanes | Portugal | President of Portugal (1976–1986) | 1952–1986 | General | |
| Alois Eliáš | Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia | Prime Minister of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia (1939–1941) | 1915–1942 | Major-General General (posthumous) | |
| Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom | United Kingdom | Queen of the United Kingdom (1952–2022) | 1945 | Junior Commander | Served in World War II. |
| Tage Erlander | Sweden | Prime Minister of Sweden (1948-1968) | | Reserve Lieutenant | |
| Feng Guozhang | Qing Dynasty Republic of China | President of the Republic of China (1917–1918) | | General officer | Served in the National Protection War. |
| João Figueiredo | Brazil | President of Brazil (1979–1985) | 1937–1979 | Army General | |
| Deodoro da Fonseca | Brazil | President of Brazil (1898–1991) | 1843–1892 | Generalissimo | |
| Hermes da Fonseca | Brazil | President of Brazil (1910–1914) | 1871–1906 | Field Marshal | |
| Augusto Tasso Fragoso | Brazil | Member of the Brazilian Military Junta of 1930 | | Army General | |
| Itamar Franco | Brazil | President of Brazil (1992–1995) | | Officer candidate | |
| Gerald Ford | United States | President of the United States (1974–1977) | 1942–1946 | Lieutenant Commander | Served in World War II. |
| Frederick I of Sweden | Hesse-Kassel Sweden | King of Sweden (1720-1751) | 1703-1706 1716-1718 | Lieutenant General (Hesse-Kassel) Generalissimo (Sweden) | Lead Hessian troops in the War of the Spanish Succession. Joined the campaign of Charles XII of Sweden against Norway in the last years of the Great Northern War |
| Muammar Gaddafi | Libya | Leader of Libya (1969–2011) | 1961–2011 | Colonel | |
| Charles de Gaulle | France | President of France (1959–1969) Prime Minister of France (1958–1959) Chairman of the Provisional Government of the French Republic (1944–1946) | 1912–1944 | Brigadier-General | Served in World War I. Leader of Free France. |
| Ernesto Geisel | Brazil | President of Brazil (1974–1979) | 1927–1969 | Army General | |
| George VI of the United Kingdom | United Kingdom | King of the United Kingdom (1936–1952) | 1913–1919 | Squadron Leader Admiral of the Fleet (as king) | Served in World War I. |
| Kiro Gligorov | Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia | President of Macedonia (1991–1999) | 1942–1945 | | Served in the Yugoslav partisans during World War II. |
| Ulysses S. Grant | United States | President of the United States (1869–1877) | 1839–1854 1861–1869 | General of the Army | Commanding General of the Union Army in the American Civil War. |
| Klement Gottwald | Czechoslovakia | President of Czechoslovakia (1948–1953) Prime Minister of Czechoslovakia (1946–1948) | 1915–1920 | Corporal | Served in World War I and Hungarian–Czechoslovak War. |
| Bento Gonçalves | Riograndense Republic | President of the Riograndense Republic (1836–1841) | 1811–1844 | | |
| Gustavus II Adolphus of Sweden | Sweden | King of Sweden (1611-1632) | 1611-1632 | | Led the Swedish army in the Polish–Swedish War (1626–1629) and the Thirty Years' War |
| Juvénal Habyarimana | Rwanda | President of Rwanda (1973–1994) | 1963–1994 | | Served during the Rwandan Civil War. |
| Sinan Hasani | Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia | President of the Presidency of Yugoslavia (1986–1987) | 1941–1944 | | Served in the Yugoslav partisans during World War II. |
| He Yingqin | Qing Dynasty Republic of China Taiwan | Premier of the Republic of China (1949) | 1908–1987 | General | Served during the Northern Expedition, Chinese Civil War, and World War II. |
| Gulbuddin Hekmatyar | Hezbi Islami Afghan mujahideen Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin | Prime Minister of Afghanistan (1993–1994, 1996–1997) | 1979–present | | Serving in the Afghanistan conflict (1978–present). |
| Maximiliano Hernández Martínez | El Salvador | President of El Salvador (1931–1934, 1935–1944) | 1899–1944 | Brigadier General | Served in the Third Totoposte War |
| Chaim Herzog | United Kingdom Israel | President of Israel (1983–1993) | 1943–1947 1948–1962 | Major (United Kingdom) Major-General (Israel) | Served in World War II and the 1948 Palestine war. |
| Isaac Herzog | Israel | President of Israel (2021–present) | 1978 | Major | |
| Paul von Hindenburg | Germany | President of Germany (1925–1934) | 1866–1911 1914–1918 | Field Marshal | Commander of the Imperial German Army during World War I. |
| Adolf Hitler | Nazi Germany | Führer of Germany (1934–1945) Chancellor of Germany (1933–1945) | 1914–1918 | Corporal | Served in World War I. |
| Enver Hoxha | People's Socialist Republic of Albania | First Secretary of the Party of Labour of Albania (1941–1985) Prime Minister of Albania (1944–1954) | 1941–1945 1944–1985 | General | Leader of Albanian communist partisans during World War II. |
| Hua Guofeng | Communist China | Premier of the People's Republic of China (1976–1980) Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party (1976–1981) | 1938–1949 | | Served in Communist Chinese forces during the Chinese Civil War and World War II. |
| Hu Yaobang | Communist China | General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (1982–1987) | 1927–1949 | | Served in Communist Chinese forces during the Chinese Civil War and World War II. Also participated in the encirclement campaigns. Child soldier. |
| Wojciech Jaruzelski | Poland | President of Poland (1989-1990) Prime Minister of Poland (1981-1985) | 1943–1991 | General | Served in World War II. |
| Jiang Chaozong | Qing Dynasty Republic of China | Premier of the Republic of China (1917) | | General | |
| Jin Yunpeng | Qing Dynasty Republic of China | Premier of the Republic of China (1919–1920, 1920–1921) | | General | |
| Andrew Johnson | United States | President of the United States (1865–1869) | 1862–1865 | Brigadier General | |
| Lyndon B. Johnson | United States | President of the United States (1963–1969) | 1941–1942 | Commander | Served in World War II. |
| Laurent-Désiré Kabila | Democratic Republic of the Congo | President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (1997–2001) | | | Served in the Simba Rebellion and First Congo War. |
| Joseph Kabila | Democratic Republic of the Congo | President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (2001–2019) | | Major-General | |
| Paul Kagame | Uganda Rwanda | President of Rwanda (2000–present) | 1979–2000 | | Served in the Ugandan Bush War. Commanded the Rwandan Patriotic Front during the Rwandan Civil War. |
| Urho Kekkonen | Finland | President of Finland (1956-1981) | 1918 | Sergeant (1920) | Served on the 'White' side in the Finnish Civil War in 1918. |
| John F. Kennedy | United States | President of the United States (1961–1963) | 1941–1945 | Lieutenant | Served in World War II. |
| Mohammad Khatami | Iran | President of Iran (1997–2005) | 1968–1970 | Second Lieutenant | |
| Khin Nyunt | Myanmar | Prime Minister of Myanmar (2003–2004) | 1960–2004 | General | |
| Nikita Khrushchev | Soviet Union | First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (1953-1964) Chairman of the Council of Ministers (1958-1964) | 1941–1945 | Lieutenant-General (Commissar) | Served in World War II. |
| Lazar Koliševski | Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia | President of the Presidency of Yugoslavia (1980) | 1941–1980 | Major-General | Served in the Yugoslav partisans during World War II. |
| Horst Köhler | Germany | President of Germany (2004–2010) | 1963–1965 | Reserve Lieutenant | |
| Mauno Koivisto | Finland | President of Finland (1982-1994) | 1939-1944 | Corporal | Served in the Winter War and the Continuation War. |
| Juscelino Kubitschek | Brazil | President of Brazil (1956–1961) | 1931–1933, 1937–1940 | Lieutenant colonel | |
| Arvid Lindman | Sweden | Prime Minister of Sweden (1906-1911 and 1928-1930) | 1882–1892 | Reserve Rear-Admiral | |
| Li Xiannian | Communist China | President of the People's Republic of China (1983–1988) | 1927–1949 | | Served in Communist Chinese forces during the Chinese Civil War and World War II. |
| Li Yuanhong | Qing Dynasty Republic of China | President of the Republic of China (1916–1917, 1922–1923) | 1889–1912 | | Served in the First Sino-Japanese War. |
| Liu Shaoqi | Communist China | Chairman of the People's Republic of China (1959–1968) | 1941–1949 | | Served in Communist Chinese forces during the Chinese Civil War and World War II. |
| Alexander Lukashenko | Belarus | President of Belarus (1994–present) | 1994–present | Lieutenant-Colonel | |
| Heinrich Lübke | West Germany | President of West Germany (1959–1969) | 1914–1918 | Captain | Served in World War I. |
| Gustaf Mannerheim | Finland | Regent of Finland (1918-1919) President of Finland (1944–1946) | 1891-1917 (Russia) 1918, 1939-1944 (Finland) | Lieutenant-General (Russia) Marshal of Finland (Finland) | Served in World War I for Imperial Russia. Led the Finnish government armed forces (the "White" forces) in the Finnish Civil War, led the Finnish armed forces in the Winter War, Continuation War, Lapland War |
| Mao Zedong | Communist China | Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party (1943–1976) Chairman of the People's Republic of China (1949–1959) | 1927–1949 | | Led Communist Chinese forces during the Chinese Civil War and World War II. |
| Maung Maung Kha | Empire of Japan Myanmar | Prime Minister of Burma (1977–1988) | 1941–1948 | Colonel | Served in World War II. |
| William McKinley | United States | President of the United States (1897–1901) | 1861–1865 | Brevet Major | Served in American Civil War. |
| Emílio Garrastazu Médici | Brazil | President of Brazil (1969–1974) | 1927–1969 | Army General | |
| Dmitry Medvedev | Russia | President of Russia (2008-2012) Prime Minister of Russia (2012-2020) | 2008-2012 | Colonel | |
| Márcio Melo | Brazil | Member of the Brazilian Military Junta of 1969 | | Marshal of the Air | |
| Min Aung Hlaing | Myanmar | Chairman of the State Administration Council (2021–present) Prime Minister of Myanmar (2021–present) | 1972–present | Senior General | |
| Mobutu Sese Seko | Belgian Congo Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville) Zaire | President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (1965–1971) President of Zaire (1971–1997) | 1949–1997 | NCO Field Marshal (as president) | Served in the Congo Crisis and First Congo War. |
| Alfred Moisiu | People's Socialist Republic of Albania | President of Albania (2002–2007) | 1949–1985 | General | |
| Sibghatullah Mojaddedi | Afghan mujahideen | President of Afghanistan (1992) | | 1979–1992 | Served in the Soviet–Afghan War. |
| Lazar Mojsov | Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia | President of the Presidency of Yugoslavia (1987–1988) | 1941–1945 | | Served in the Yugoslav partisans during World War II. |
| Yoweri Museveni | Uganda | President of Uganda (1986–present) | 1971–2004 | General (as president) | Served in the 1972 invasion of Uganda, Uganda–Tanzania War, Ugandan Bush War, First Congo War, and Second Congo War. |
| Myint Swe | Myanmar | President of Myanmar (2018, 2021–present) | Lieutenant-General | 1971–2010 | |
| Mohammed Najibullah | Democratic Republic of Afghanistan | General Secretary of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (1986–1992) | Major-General (KHAD) General (as General Secretary) | 1965–1992 | Served in the Soviet–Afghan War. |
| Ne Win | Empire of Japan Myanmar | President of Burma (1962–1981) Prime Minister of Burma (1958–1960, 1962–1974) | 1931–1974 | General | Served in World War II. |
| Richard M. Nixon | United States | President of the United States (1969-1974) | 1942-1946 | Commander | Served in World War II. |
| Isaías de Noronha | Brazil | Member of the Brazilian Military Junta of 1930 | | Vice Admiral | |
| Tito Okello | Uganda | President of Uganda (1985–1986) | 1940–1971 1979–1986 | General | Served in World War II, the 1972 invasion of Uganda, Uganda–Tanzania War, and the Ugandan Bush War. |
| Bazilio Olara-Okello | Uganda | President of Uganda (1985) | 1950–1971 1979–1986 | Lieutenant-General | Served in the 1972 invasion of Uganda, Uganda–Tanzania War, and Ugandan Bush War. |
| Petteri Orpo | Finland | Prime Minister of Finland (2023-) | | Reserve Captain | |
| Olof Palme | Sweden | Prime Minister of Sweden (1969-1976, 1982-1986) | | Reserve Captain | |
| Petr Pavel | Czech Republic | President of the Czech Republic (2023–present) | 1983–2018 | General | Served in United Nations Protection Force during which he led a military operation which save over 50 French soldiers. |
| Floriano Peixoto | Brazil | President of Brazil (1891–1894) | 1861–1889 | Field Marshal | |
| Józef Piłsudski | Poland | Prime Minister of Poland (1926-1928) Chief of State (1918–1922) | 1914–1935 | Marshal of Poland | Commander of Polish Legions in World War I. |
| Plaek Phibunsongkhram | Thailand | Prime Minister of Thailand (1938-1944; 1948-1957) | 1914-1957 | Field Marshal | |
| Augusto Pinochet | Chile | President of Chile (1974–1990) President of the Government Junta of Chile (1973–1981) | 1931–1998 | Captain General | |
| Vladimir Putin | Russia | President of Russia (1999-2008; 2012-current) Prime Minister of Russia (2008-2012) | 2000–present | Colonel (KGB) | |
| Abdul Qadir | Democratic Republic of Afghanistan | Head of state of Afghanistan (1978) | Colonel-General | 1962–1989 | Served in the Soviet–Afghan War. |
| Abd al-Karim Qasim | Iraq | Prime Minister of Iraq (1958–1963) | 1932–1963 | Major-General | Served in World War II. |
| Burhanuddin Rabbani | Afghan mujahideen | President of Afghanistan (1992–2001) | | 1979–1992 | Served in the Soviet–Afghan War. |
| Yitzhak Rabin | Israel | Prime Minister of Israel (1974–1977, 1992–1995) | 1948–1974 | Lieutenant-General | Served in the Syria–Lebanon campaign, Jewish insurgency in Mandatory Palestine, 1948 Palestine war, and Six-Day War. |
| Augusto Rademaker | Brazil | Member of the Brazilian Military Junta of 1969 | | Almirant | |
| Rumen Radev | Bulgaria | President of Bulgaria (2017-current) | 1987–2017 | Major general | |
| Ronald Reagan | United States | President of the United States (1981–1989) | 1942–1945 | Captain | Served on American Theater of World War II. |
| Theodore Roosevelt | United States | President of the United States (1901–1909) | 1882–1886 | Colonel | Served in Spanish–American War. |
| Sa Zhenbing | Qing Dynasty Republic of China | Premier of the Republic of China (1920) | 1869–1946 | Admiral | Served in the National Protection War. |
| San Yu | Myanmar | President of Burma (1981–1988) | General | 1942–1980 | |
| Saw Maung | Myanmar | Chairman of the State Law and Order Restoration Council (1988–1992) Prime Minister of Burma (1988–1992) | Senior General | 1945–1992 | |
| Walter Scheel | West Germany | President of West Germany (1974–1979) | 1939–1945 | First Lieutenant | Served as combat pilot during World War II. |
| Sein Lwin | Myanmar | Prime Minister of Burma (1974–1977) | 1943–1988 | Brigadier-General | |
| Sein Win | Empire of Japan Myanmar | Prime Minister of Burma (1974–1977) | 1942–1972 | Brigadier-General | Served in World War II. |
| Ariel Sharon | Israel | Prime Minister of Israel (2001–2006) | 1948–1974 | Major-General | Served in the 1948 Palestine war, Suez Crisis, Six-Day War, and Yom Kippur War. |
| Mehmet Shehu | People's Socialist Republic of Albania | Prime Minister of Albania (1954–1981) | 1936–1939 1942–1948 | General | Served in the Spanish Civil War, Albanian partisan leader during World War II. |
| Juha Sipilä | Prime Minister of Finland (2015-2019) | | Reserve Captain |
| Sao Shwe Thaik | United Kingdom | President of Burma (1948–1952) | | | Served in World War I. |
| Soe Win | Myanmar | Prime Minister of Myanmar (2004–2007) | General | 1965–2007 | |
| Ludvík Svoboda | Czechoslovakia | President of Czechoslovakia (1968–1975) | 1915–1950 | General | Served in World War I and Commanded Czechoslovak units on Eastern front during World War II. |
| Jan Syrový | Czechoslovakia | Prime Minister of Czechoslovakia (1938) | 1914-1938 | General | Served in World War I and commanded Czechoslovak Legion in Russia. |
| Aurélio de Lira Tavares | Brazil | Member of the Brazilian Military Junta of 1969 | | Army General | |
| Than Shwe | Myanmar | Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council (1992–2011) Prime Minister of Myanmar (1992–2003) | | Senior General | |
| Thein Sein | Myanmar | President of Myanmar (2011–2016) Prime Minister of Myanmar (2007–2010) First Secretary of the State Peace and Development Council (2004–2007) | | Senior General | |
| Tin Aung Myint Oo | Myanmar | First Secretary of the State Peace and Development Council (2007–2010) | | General | |
| Josip Broz Tito | Austria-Hungary Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia | President of Yugoslavia (1953–1980) Prime Minister of Yugoslavia (1944–1963) | 1913–1915 1918–1920 1941–1980 | Marshal (as president) | Served in World War I and the Russian Civil War, led the Yugoslav partisans during World War II. |
| Harry S. Truman | United States | President of the United States (1945–1953) | 1917–1919 | Colonel | Served in World War I. |
| Franjo Tuđman | Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Croatia | President of Croatia (1990–1999) | 1942–1961 1995–1999 | | Served in the Yugoslav partisans during World War II, led Croatian forces during the Croatian War of Independence. |
| Tun Tin | Myanmar | Prime Minister of Burma (1988) | | Brigadier-General | |
| Rafael Trujillo | Dominican Republic | Generalissimo of the Dominican Republic (1934-1961) President of the Dominican Republic (1930-1938; 1942-1952) | 1916-1961 | Generalissmo | |
| Getúlio Vargas | Brazil | President of Brazil (1930–1945, 1951–1954) | 1898–1903 | Second Sergeant | |
| George Washington | United States | President of the United States (1789–1797) | 1752–1799 | General of the Armies | |
| Wang Jingwei | Republic of China | President of the Republic of China (Reorganized National Government, 1940–1944) Premier of the Republic of China (1932–1935) | 1940–1944 | Generalissimo | Led collaborationist Chinese forces during World War II. |
| Ezer Weizmann | United Kingdom Israel | President of Israel (1993–2000) | 1942–1945 1946–1969 | Major-General | Served in World War II, the 1948 Palestine War, Suez Crisis, Six-Day War, and War of Attrition. |
| Richard von Weizsäcker | Germany | President of Germany (1984–1994) | 1938–1945 | Captain | Served in World War II. |
| Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington | United Kingdom | Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1828–1830, 1834) | 1787–1852 | Field Marshal | Served in the French Revolutionary Wars, Fourth Anglo-Mysore War, Maratha-Nizam War, Cotiote War, Second Anglo-Maratha War and the Napoleonic Wars, most notably at the Battle of Waterloo. |
| Yang Shangkun | Communist China | President of the People's Republic of China (1988–1993) | 1931–1949 | | Served in Communist Chinese forces during the Chinese Civil War and World War II. |
| Ye Jianying | Republic of China Communist China China | Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (1978–1983) | 1917–1985 | Lieutenant-General (Republic of China) Marshal (People's Republic of China) | Served in Communist Chinese forces during the Chinese Civil War and World War II. Also participated in the Nanchang uprising. |
| Yuan Shikai | Qing Dynasty Republic of China | Emperor of China (1915–1916) President of the Republic of China (1912–1915, 1916) Prime Minister of the Qing Dynasty (1911–1912) | 1881–1916 | Generalissimo | Served in the First Sino-Japanese War and National Protection War. |
| Antonín Zápotocký | Czechoslovakia | President of Czechoslovakia (1953–1957) Prime Minister of Czechoslovakia (1948–1953) | 1914–1918 | | Served in World War I. |
| Zhang Shaozeng | Qing Dynasty Republic of China | Premier of the Republic of China (1923) | | | |
| Zhang Zuolin | Qing Dynasty Republic of China | Generalissimo of the Military Government of China (1927–1928) | 1900–1928 | Grand Marshal Generalissimo | Served in the First Sino-Japanese War, Boxer Rebellion, Warlord Era, and Northern Expedition. |
| Zhao Ziyang | Communist China China | General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (1987–1989) Premier of the People's Republic of China (1980–1987) | | | Served in Communist Chinese forces during the Chinese Civil War and World War II. |
| Zhou Enlai | Republic of China Communist China China | Premier of the People's Republic of China (1949–1976) | 1937–1949 | Lieutenant general (Republic of China) | Served in Communist Chinese forces during the Chinese Civil War and World War II. Also served in the Northern Expedition, encirclement campaigns, and Nanchang uprising. |
| Zhou Ziqi | Qing Dynasty Republic of China | President of the Republic of China (1922) | | | |
| Zhu De | Republic of China Communist China China | Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (1975–1976) | 1927–1976 | General (Republic of China) Marshal (People's Republic of China) | Served in Communist Chinese forces during the Chinese Civil War and World War II. Also served in the Northern Expedition and encirclement campaigns. |

## Heads of state and government of unrecognized states

This list includes leaders of countries that were or are self-proclaimed as independent, but were or are neither members nor observers of the United Nations.
| Name | Countries | Official position | Service | Rank in military | Notes |
| Hibatullah Akhundzada | Taliban | Supreme Leader of Afghanistan (2016–present) | | until 1992 1996–2001 | Leader of the Taliban. Served during the Soviet–Afghan War, Afghan Civil War (1996–2001), and War in Afghanistan (2001–2021). |
| Anatoly Bibilov | Soviet Union South Ossetia Russia | President of South Ossetia (2017–2022) | Lieutenant-General | 1988–2008 | |
| Valery Bolotov | Soviet Union Luhansk People's Republic | Head of the Luhansk People's Republic (2014) | Senior Sergeant | 1988–1990 2014–2017 | |
| Agim Çeku | Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Croatia Kosovo | Prime Minister of Kosovo (2006–2008) | | before 1991–1999 1999–2001 | Served during the Croatian War of Independence and in the Kosovo Liberation Army during the Kosovo War. |
| Chen Cheng | Republic of China Taiwan | Premier of Taiwan (1950–1954, 1958–1963) | General | 1924–1950 | Served during the Northern Expedition, Chinese Civil War, and World War II. |
| Chiang Ching-kuo | Republic of China Taiwan | President of Taiwan (1978–1988) Premier of Taiwan (1972–1978) | General | 1937–1968 | |
| Dzhokhar Dudayev | Soviet Union Chechen Republic of Ichkeria | President of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria (1991–1996) | Major-General | 1962–1990 1991–1996 | Served in the Soviet–Afghan War and First Chechen War. |
| Ramush Haradinaj | Kosovo | Prime Minister of Kosovo (2004–2005, 2017–2020) | | 1996–2000 | Served in the Kosovo Liberation Army. |
| Hau Pei-tsun | Republic of China Taiwan | Premier of Taiwan (1990–1993) | Senior General | 1938–1989 | Served during the Chinese Civil War, World War II, and the Second Taiwan Strait Crisis. |
| Vadim Krasnoselsky | Transnistria | President of Transnistria (2016–present) | Major-General | 1988–2012 | |
| Lee Teng-hui | Empire of Japan | President of Taiwan (1988–2000) | Second Lieutenant | 1944–1945 | Served in World War II. |
| Ma Ying-jeou | Taiwan | President of Taiwan (2008–2016) | Lieutenant | 1972–1974 | |
| Aslan Maskhadov | Soviet Union Chechen Republic of Ichkeria | President of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria (1997–2005) | Colonel (Soviet Union) | 1972–1992 1992–2005 | Served in the First Chechen War and Second Chechen War. |
| Mullah Omar | Afghan mujahideen Taliban | Supreme Leader of Afghanistan (1996–2005) | | 1979–1991 1994–2013 | Founder and leader of the Taliban. Served during the Soviet–Afghan War and Afghan Civil War (1992–1996). |
| Igor Plotnitsky | Soviet Union Luhansk People's Republic | Head of the Luhansk People's Republic (2014–2017) | Major | 1982–1991 2014 | |
| Mohammad Rabbani | Afghan mujahideen Taliban | Prime Minister of Afghanistan (1996–2001) | | 1979–1991 | Served during the Soviet–Afghan War. |
| Bajram Rexhepi | Kosovo | Prime Minister of Kosovo (2002–2004) | | 1999 | Served in the Kosovo Liberation Army during the Kosovo War. |
| Tang Fei | Republic of China Taiwan | Premier of Taiwan (2000) | Senior General | 1944–1999 | Served during the Third Taiwan Strait Crisis. |
| Hashim Thaçi | Kosovo | President of Kosovo (2016–2020) Prime Minister of Kosovo (1999–2000, 2008–2014) | | 1993–1999 | Served in the Kosovo Liberation Army during the Kosovo War. |
| Yan Xishan | Republic of China Taiwan | Premier of Taiwan (1949–1950) | General | 1911–1949 | Served during the Northern Expedition, Central Plains War, Chinese Civil War, and World War II. |
| Alexander Zakharchenko | Donetsk People's Republic | Head of the Donetsk People's Republic (2014–2018) | Major-General | 2014–2018 | |