# Chief of the Defence (Bulgaria)

The Chief of the Defence (Bulgarian: Началник на отбраната, romanized: Načalnik na Otbranata), until 2009 the Chief of the General Staff (Bulgarian: Началник на Генерален щаб / ‹See RfD› Načalnik na Generalen Shtab), is the principal head of the Bulgarian Armed Forces. 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 Admiral Emil Eftimov.

## List of the Chiefs
### Ward of Stroevo (1879−1890)

| No. | Ward of Stroevo | Took office | Left office | Time in office |
| 1 | Petrov, RachoCaptain Racho Petrov (1861–1942) | 9 September 1885 | 29 April 1887 | 1 year, 232 days |
| 2 | Paprikov, StefanMajor Stefan Paprikov [bg] (1858–1920) | 18 August 1887 | 23 October 1887 | 66 days |
| (1) | Petrov, RachoMajor Racho Petrov (1861–1942) | 23 October 1887 | 15 April 1894 | 6 years, 174 days |

### General Staff of the Bulgarian Land Army (1890−1895)

| No. | Portrait | Chief of the General Staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office |
| 3 | | Ivanov, NikolaLieutenant Colonel Nikola Ivanov (1861–1940) | 10 May 1894 | 29 November 1896 | 2 years, 203 days |

### Headquarters of the Bulgarian Army (1896−1899)

| No. | Portrait | Chief of the Headquarters | Took office | Left office | Time in office |
| (2) | | Paprikov, StefanColonel Stefan Paprikov [bg] (1858–1920) | 30 November 1896 | 18 January 1899 | 2 years, 49 days |
| 4 | | Vinarov, VarbanColonel Varban Vinarov [bg] (1856–1908) | 24 June 1899 | 18 February 1900 | 239 days |

### General Staff (1900−1903)

| No. | Portrait | Chief of the General Staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office |
| 5 | | Ilyev, StefanColonel Stefan Ilyev [bg] (1859–1913) | 18 February 1900 | 1 January 1904 | 3 years, 317 days |

### Army Staff (1903−1949)

| No. | Chief of the Army Staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office |
| 6 | Dimitriev, RadkoMajor General Radko Dimitriev (1859–1918) | 1 January 1904 | 28 March 1907 | 3 years, 86 days |
| 7 | Dikov, VichoMajor General Vicho Dikov [bg] (1861–1928) | 28 March 1907 | 2 November 1907 | 219 days |
| 8 | Nazlamov, AtanasMajor General Atanas Nazlamov [bg] (1863–1935) | 2 November 1907 | 27 March 1910 | 2 years, 145 days |
| 9 | Fichev, IvanMajor General Ivan Fichev (1860–1931) | 27 March 1910 | 14 January 1914 | 3 years, 293 days |
| 10 | Tenev, PravoslavMajor General Pravoslav Tenev (1862–1942) | 6 March 1914 | 15 April 1915 | 1 year, 40 days |
| 11 | Boyadzhiev, KlimentMajor General Kliment Boyadzhiev (1861–1933) | 15 April 1915 | 7 September 1915 | 145 days |
| 12 | Zhostov, KonstantinMajor General Konstantin Zhostov (1867–1916) | 7 September 1915 | 30 August 1916 † | 358 days |
| 13 | Lukov, IvanColonel Ivan Lukov (1871–1926) | 1 September 1916 | 30 December 1917 | 1 year, 120 days |
| 14 | Burmov, HristoMajor General Hristo Burmov (1869–1936) | 17 July 1918 | 10 October 1918 | 85 days |
| (13) | Lukov, IvanMajor General Ivan Lukov (1871–1926) | 10 October 1918 | 27 October 1919 | 1 year, 17 days |
| 15 | Nerezov, StefanMajor General Stefan Nerezov (1867–1925) | 2 November 1919 | 3 September 1920 | 306 days |
| 16 | Midilev, PetarColonel Petar Midilev [bg] (1875–1939) | 3 September 1920 | 3 December 1920 | 91 days |
| 17 | Topaldzhikov, NikolaColonel Nikola Topaldzhikov [bg] (1875–1925) | 3 December 1920 | 20 April 1923 | 2 years, 138 days |
| – | Noykov, StefanColonel Stefan Noykov [bg] (1876–1925) Acting | 18 May 1923 | 9 June 1923 | 22 days |
| 18 | Davidov, AleksandarColonel Aleksandar Davidov [bg] (1878–1925) | 9 June 1923 | 3 July 1923 | 24 days |
| 19 | Stoyanov, VladimirColonel Vladimir Stoyanov [bg] (1879–?) | 4 July 1923 | 1 June 1926 | 2 years, 332 days |
| 20 | Bakardzhiev, NikolaColonel Nikola Bakardzhiev [bg] (1881–1954) | 1 June 1926 | 11 January 1929 | 2 years, 224 days |
| 21 | Marinkov, SotirMajor General Sotir Marinkov [bg] (1880–?) | November 1929 | 31 January 1931 | 1 year, 2 months |
| (20) | Bakardzhiev, NikolaLieutenant General Nikola Bakardzhiev [bg] (1881–1954) | 31 January 1931 | 6 May 1934 | 3 years, 95 days |
| 22 | Yovov, MihailMajor General Mihail Yovov [bg] (1886–1951) | 18 May 1934 | 19 May 1934 | 1 day |
| 23 | Georgiev, TodorMajor General Todor Georgiev [bg] (1882–1971) | 21 May 1934 | 26 December 1936 | 2 years, 219 days |
| 24 | Peev, YordanMajor General Yordan Peev [bg] (1884–1938) | 29 January 1937 | 10 October 1938 † | 1 year, 254 days |
| 25 | Hadzhipetkov, NikolaMajor General Nikola Hadzhipetkov [bg] (1891–1949) | 10 December 1938 | 11 August 1941 | 2 years, 305 days |
| 26 | Lukash, KonstantinLieutenant General Konstantin Lukash (1890–1945) | 11 August 1941 | 11 May 1944 | 2 years, 274 days |
| 27 | Trifonov, TrifonMajor General Trifon Trifonov [bg] (1895–1945) | 11 May 1944 | 6 September 1944 | 118 days |
| 28 | Yanchulev, KirilMajor General Kiril Yanchulev (1896–1961) | 6 September 1944 | 13 September 1944 | 7 days |
| 29 | Slavkov, RaychoMajor General Raycho Slavkov [bg] (1896–1961) | 13 September 1944 | 15 December 1944 | 93 days |
| 30 | Kinov, IvanMajor General Ivan Kinov [bg] (1893–1967) | 15 December 1944 | 10 December 1949 | 5 years, 86 days |

### General Staff (1949−2009)

| No. | Chief of the General Staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch | Nation |
| 32 | Grekov, AsenLieutenant General Asen Grekov [bg] (1893–1954) | 10 December 1949 | 14 December 1950 | 1 year, 4 days | Army | People's Republic of Bulgaria |
| 33 | Bachvarov, IvanColonel General Ivan Bachvarov [bg] (1912–1966) | 14 December 1950 | 25 January 1960 | 9 years, 42 days | Army | People's Republic of Bulgaria |
| 34 | Vrachev, IvanLieutenant General Ivan Vrachev [bg] (1921–1994) | 25 January 1960 | 22 March 1962 | 2 years, 56 days | Army | People's Republic of Bulgaria |
| 35 | Semerdzhiev, AtanasColonel General Atanas Semerdzhiev (1924–2015) | 22 March 1962 | 28 December 1989 | 27 years, 281 days | Army | People's Republic of Bulgaria |
| 36 | Dobrev, HristoColonel General Hristo Dobrev (1923–2013) | 28 December 1989 | 15 August 1990 | 230 days | Army | People's Republic of Bulgaria |
| 37 | Minchev, RadniuLieutenant General Radniu Minchev [bg] (1928–2001) | 15 August 1990 | 2 August 1991 | 352 days | Army | People's Republic of Bulgaria Bulgaria |
| 38 | Petrov, LyubenGeneral of the Army Lyuben Petrov [bg] (born 1938) | 2 August 1991 | 2 September 1994 | 3 years, 31 days | Army | Bulgaria |
| 39 | Totomirov, TsvetanColonel General Tsvetan Totomirov [bg] (born 1943) | 2 September 1994 | 11 June 1997 | 2 years, 282 days | Army | Bulgaria |
| 40 | Mihov, MihoColonel General Miho Mihov [bg] (born 1949) | 11 June 1997 | 11 June 2002 | 5 years, 0 days | Air Force | Bulgaria |
| 41 | Kolev, NikolaGeneral Nikola Kolev [bg] (1951–2021) | 11 June 2002 | 1 June 2006 | 3 years, 355 days | Air Force | Bulgaria |
| 42 | Stoykov, ZlatanGeneral Zlatan Stoykov (born 1951) | 1 June 2006 | 7 July 2009 | 3 years, 36 days | Army | Bulgaria |

### Chief of the Defence (2009−present)

| No. | Chief of the Defence | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch |
| 43 | Simeonov, SimeonGeneral Simeon Simeonov [bg] (born 1955) | 7 July 2009 | 30 June 2014 | 4 years, 358 days | Air Force |
| 44 | Nikolov, RumenVice Admiral Rumen Nikolov [bg] (born 1957) | 30 June 2014 | 8 February 2016 | 1 year, 223 days | Navy |
| 45 | Popov, ConstantinGeneral Constantin Popov [bg] (born 1961) | 9 February 2016 | 19 January 2017 | 345 days | Air Force |
| – | Eftimov, EmilVice Admiral Emil Eftimov [bg] (born 1961) Acting | 19 January 2017 | 2 March 2017 | 42 days | Navy |
| 46 | Botsev, AndreyGeneral Andrey Botsev [bg] (1959–2020) | 2 March 2017 | 27 February 2020 † | 2 years, 362 days | Land Forces |
| – | Eftimov, EmilVice Admiral Emil Eftimov [bg] (born 1961) Acting | 27 February 2020 | 30 March 2020 | 32 days | Navy |
| 47 | Eftimov, EmilAdmiral Emil Eftimov [bg] (born 1961) | 30 March 2020 | Incumbent | 4 years, 348 days | Navy |