# Chief of the General Staff (Yugoslavia)

The Chief of the General Staff of Yugoslavia (Serbo-Croatian: Начелник Генералштаба / Načelnik Generalštaba; Slovene: Načelnik Generalštaba; Macedonian: Началник на Генералштабот, romanized: Načalnik na Generalštabot) refers of the chief of the General Staff of the Royal Yugoslav Army from 1918 to 1941, the Yugoslav People's Army from 1945 to 1992 and the Armed Forces of Serbia and Montenegro (officially named the Armed Forces of Yugoslavia between 1992 and 2003) from 1992 to 2006.

## List of chiefs of the general staff

† denotes people who died in office.

### Royal Yugoslav Army and Navy (1918–1920)

| No. | Portrait | Chief of Staff of the Supreme Command | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch |
| 1 | | Mišić, ŽivojinField Marshal Živojin Mišić (1855–1921) | 1 December 1918 | 5 May 1920 | 1 year, 156 days | Royal Army |

### Royal Yugoslav Armed Forces (1920–1941)

| No. | Chief of the General Staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch |
| 1 | Mišić, ŽivojinField Marshal Živojin Mišić (1855–1921) | 5 May 1920 | 20 January 1921 † | 260 days | Royal Army |
| – | Pešić, PetarGeneral Petar Pešić (1871–1944) Acting | 21 January 1921 | 10 March 1921 | 48 days | Royal Army |
| 2 | Bojović, PetarField Marshal Petar Bojović (1858–1945) | 10 March 1921 | 8 December 1921 | 273 days | Royal Army |
| 3 | Pešić, PetarGeneral Petar Pešić (1871–1944) | 8 December 1921 | 4 November 1922 | 331 days | Royal Army |
| – | Milovanović, MilanGeneral (when appointed) Divisional general (since 1923) Milan Milovanović (1874–1942) Acting | 4 November 1922 | 30 July 1924 | 1 year, 269 days | Royal Army |
| (3) | Pešić, PetarArmy general Petar Pešić (1871–1944) | 30 July 1924 | 11 April 1929 | 4 years, 255 days | Royal Army |
| 4 | Milovanović, MilanArmy general Milan Milovanović (1874–1942) | 11 April 1929 | 18 April 1934 | 5 years, 7 days | Royal Army |
| – | Kosić, PetarDivisional general Petar Kosić (1881–1949) Acting | 18 April 1934 | 1 June 1934 | 44 days | Royal Army |
| 5 | Nedić, MilanArmy general Milan Nedić (1877–1946) | 1 June 1934 | 9 March 1935 | 281 days | Royal Army |
| – | Kosić, PetarDivisional general Petar Kosić (1881–1949) Acting | 10 March 1935 | 12 May 1935 | 63 days | Royal Army |
| 6 | Marić, LjubomirArmy general Ljubomir Marić (1878–1960) | 12 May 1935 | 8 March 1936 | 301 days | Royal Army |
| – | Kosić, PetarDivisional general Petar Kosić (1881–1949) Acting | 8 March 1936 | 6 September 1936 | 182 days | Royal Army |
| – | Nedić, MilutinDivisional general Milutin Nedić (1882–1945) Acting | 6 September 1936 | 6 September 1937 | 1 year | Royal Army |
| 7 | Nedić, MilutinArmy general Milutin Nedić (1882–1945) | 6 September 1937 | 25 August 1938 | 353 days | Royal Army |
| – | Bodi, MihailoDivisional general Mihailo D. Bodi (1884–1953) Acting | 25 August 1938 | 15 September 1938 | 21 days | Royal Army |
| 8 | Simović, DušanArmy general Dušan Simović (1882–1962) | 15 September 1938 | 3 January 1940 | 1 year, 110 days | Royal Air Force |
| 9 | Kosić, PetarArmy general Petar Kosić (1881–1949) | 3 January 1940 | 27 March 1941 | 1 year, 83 days | Royal Army |
| (8) | Simović, DušanArmy general Dušan Simović (1882–1962) | 27 March 1941 | 14 April 1941 | 18 days | Royal Air Force |
| – | Kalafatović, DaniloArmy general Danilo Kalafatović (1875–1946) Acting | 15 April 1941 | 17 April 1941 | 2 days | Royal Army |

### Yugoslav Army Outside the Homeland (1941–1942)

| No. | Portrait | Chief of Staff of the Supreme Command | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch |
| 1 | | Lozić, MiodragLieutenant colonel Miodrag Lozić | 1941 | 1942 | 0–1 years | JVvO |

### Yugoslav Army in the Homeland (1942–1945)

| No. | Portrait | Chief of Staff of the Supreme Command | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch |
| 1 | | Mihailović, DragoljubArmy general Dragoljub Mihailović (1893–1946) | 1942 | 1944 | 1–2 years | JVuO |
| 2 | | Damjanović, MiodragBrigadier general Miodrag Damjanović (1893–1956) | 1944 | 1945 | 0–1 years | JVuO |

### National Liberation Army (1941–1945)

| No. | Portrait | Name | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party | Defence branch |
| N/A | | Tito, Josip BrozMarshal of Yugoslavia Josip Broz Tito (1892–1980) Commander of the Supreme Headquarters and Commander-in-Chief | 27 June 1941 | 1 March 1945 | 3 years, 247 days | SKJ | NOV i POJ |
| N/A | | Jovanović, ArsoLt. Col. General Arso Jovanović (1907–1948) Chief of the Supreme Headquarters | 12 December 1941 | 1 March 1945 | 3 years, 79 days | SKJ | NOV i POJ |

### 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 the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) during its existence from 1945 to 1992. He was appointed by the President (after 1980 Presidency) of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, who was the commander-in-chief. While the Federal Secretary of People's Defence (defence minister) headed the Federal Secretariat of People's Defence (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.
| No. | Chief of the General Staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party | Defence branch |
| 1 | Jovanović, ArsoColonel general Arso Jovanović (1907–1948) | 1 March 1945 | 15 September 1945 | 198 days | SKJ | Ground Forces |
| 2 | Popović, KočaColonel general Koča Popović (1908–1992) | 15 September 1945 | 27 January 1953 | 4 years, 134 days | SKJ | Ground Forces |
| 3 | Dapčević, PekoColonel general Peko Dapčević (1913–1999) | 27 January 1953 | 29 April 1955 | 2 years, 92 days | SKJ | Ground Forces |
| 4 | Vučković, LjuboColonel general Ljubo Vučković (1915–1976) | 29 April 1955 | 16 June 1961 | 6 years, 48 days | SKJ | Ground Forces |
| 5 | Hamović, RadeColonel general Rade Hamović (1916–2009) | 16 June 1961 | 15 June 1967 | 5 years, 364 days | SKJ | Ground Forces |
| 6 | Šumonja, MilošColonel general Miloš Šumonja (1918–2006) | 15 June 1967 | 5 January 1970 | 2 years, 204 days | SKJ | Ground Forces |
| 7 | Bubanj, ViktorColonel general Viktor Bubanj (1918–1972) | 5 January 1970 | 15 October 1972 † | 2 years, 284 days | SKJ | Air Force |
| 8 | Potočar, StaneColonel general Stane Potočar (1919–1997) | 15 October 1972 | 10 July 1979 | 6 years, 268 days | SKJ | Ground Forces |
| 9 | Mamula, BrankoAdmiral Branko Mamula (1921–2021) | 10 July 1979 | 5 May 1982 | 2 years, 299 days | SKJ | Navy |
| 10 | Gračanin, PetarColonel general Petar Gračanin (1923–2004) | 5 May 1982 | 1 September 1985 | 3 years, 119 days | SKJ | Ground Forces |
| 11 | Čanadi, ZorkoColonel general Zorko Čanadi (1925–2003) | 1 September 1985 | 15 September 1987 | 2 years, 14 days | SKJ | Ground Forces |
| 12 | Mirković, StevanColonel general Stevan Mirković (1927–2015) | 15 September 1987 | 29 September 1989 | 2 years, 14 days | SKJ | Ground Forces |
| 13 | Adžić, BlagojeColonel general Blagoje Adžić (1932–2012) | 29 September 1989 | 27 February 1992 | 2 years, 151 days | SKJ | Ground Forces |
| 14 | Panić, ŽivotaColonel general Života Panić (1933–2003) | 27 February 1992 | 20 May 1992 | 83 days | Independent | Ground Forces |

#### Timeline
### Armed Forces of Yugoslavia / Serbia and Montenegro (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 state union called Serbia and Montenegro. In 2006 both countries declared independence and parted ways.
| No. | Chief of the General Staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch |
| 1 | Panić, ŽivotaColonel general Života Panić (1933–2003) | 20 May 1992 | 26 August 1993 | 1 year, 98 days | Ground Forces |
| 2 | Perišić, MomčiloColonel general Momčilo Perišić (born 1944) | 26 August 1993 | 26 November 1998 | 5 years, 92 days | Ground Forces |
| 3 | Ojdanić, DragoljubColonel general Dragoljub Ojdanić (1941–2020) | 26 November 1998 | 7 February 2000 | 1 year, 73 days | Ground Forces |
| 4 | Pavković, NebojšaColonel general Nebojša Pavković (born 1946) | 7 February 2000 | 24 June 2002 | 2 years, 137 days | Ground Forces |
| 5 | Krga, BrankoColonel general Branko Krga (born 1945) | 24 June 2002 | 23 December 2004 | 2 years, 182 days | Ground Forces |
| 6 | Paskaš, DraganLt. Col. General Dragan Paskaš (born 1951) | 23 December 2004 | 6 October 2005 | 287 days | Ground Forces |
| 7 | Jokić, LjubišaLt. Col. General Ljubiša Jokić (born 1958) | 6 October 2005 | 3 June 2006 | 240 days | Air Force |