Chief of the Defence (Bulgaria)
Appearance
Chief of the Defence | |
---|---|
Началник на отбраната Načalnik na Otbranata | |
![]() Coat of arms of the Bulgarian Armed Forces | |
since 30 March 2020 | |
Bulgarian Armed Forces | |
Reports to | Minister of Defence |
Appointer | President of Bulgaria |
Formation | 9 September 1885 |
First holder | Captain Racho Petrov |
Website | Official website |
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 / Načalnik na Generalen Shtab),[1] 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
[edit]Ward of Stroevo (1879−1890)
[edit]No. | Portrait | Ward of Stroevo | Took office | Left office | Time in office |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Captain Racho Petrov (1861–1942) | 9 September 1885 | 29 April 1887 | 1 year, 232 days | |
2 | Major Stefan Paprikov (1858–1920) | 18 August 1887 | 23 October 1887 | 66 days | |
(1) | Racho Petrov (1861–1942) | Major23 October 1887 | 15 April 1894 | 6 years, 174 days |
General Staff of the Bulgarian Land Army (1890−1895)
[edit]No. | Portrait | Chief of the General Staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
3 | Lieutenant Colonel Nikola Ivanov (1861–1940) | 10 May 1894 | 29 November 1896 | 2 years, 203 days |
Headquarters of the Bulgarian Army (1896−1899)
[edit]No. | Portrait | Chief of the Headquarters | Took office | Left office | Time in office |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
(2) | Colonel Stefan Paprikov (1858–1920) | 30 November 1896 | 18 January 1899 | 2 years, 49 days | |
4 | Varban Vinarov (1856–1908) | Colonel24 June 1899 | 18 February 1900 | 239 days |
General Staff (1900−1903)
[edit]No. | Portrait | Chief of the General Staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
5 | Stefan Ilyev (1859–1913) | Colonel18 February 1900 | 1 January 1904 | 3 years, 317 days |
Army Staff (1903−1949)
[edit]No. | Portrait | Chief of the Army Staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
6 | Major General Radko Dimitriev (1859–1918) | 1 January 1904 | 28 March 1907 | 3 years, 86 days | |
7 | Vicho Dikov (1861–1928) | Major General28 March 1907 | 2 November 1907 | 219 days | |
8 | Atanas Nazlamov (1863–1935) | Major General2 November 1907 | 27 March 1910 | 2 years, 145 days | |
9 | Ivan Fichev (1860–1931) | Major General27 March 1910 | 14 January 1914 | 3 years, 293 days | |
10 | Pravoslav Tenev (1862–1942) | Major General6 March 1914 | 15 April 1915 | 1 year, 40 days | |
11 | Kliment Boyadzhiev (1861–1933) | Major General15 April 1915 | 7 September 1915 | 145 days | |
12 | Konstantin Zhostov (1867–1916) | Major General7 September 1915 | 30 August 1916 † | 358 days | |
13 | Ivan Lukov (1871–1926) | Colonel1 September 1916 | 30 December 1917 | 1 year, 120 days | |
14 | Hristo Burmov (1869–1936) | Major General17 July 1918 | 10 October 1918 | 85 days | |
(13) | Ivan Lukov (1871–1926) | Major General10 October 1918 | 27 October 1919 | 1 year, 17 days | |
15 | Stefan Nerezov (1867–1925) | Major General2 November 1919 | 3 September 1920 | 306 days | |
16 | Petar Midilev (1875–1939) | Colonel3 September 1920 | 3 December 1920 | 91 days | |
17 | Nikola Topaldzhikov (1875–1925) | Colonel3 December 1920 | 20 April 1923 | 2 years, 138 days | |
– | Stefan Noykov (1876–1925) Acting | Colonel18 May 1923 | 9 June 1923 | 22 days | |
18 | Aleksandar Davidov (1878–1925) | Colonel9 June 1923 | 3 July 1923 | 24 days | |
19 | Vladimir Stoyanov (1879–?) | Colonel4 July 1923 | 1 June 1926 | 2 years, 332 days | |
20 | Nikola Bakardzhiev (1881–1954) | Colonel1 June 1926 | 11 January 1929 | 2 years, 224 days | |
21 | Sotir Marinkov (1880–?) | Major GeneralNovember 1929 | 31 January 1931 | 1 year, 2 months | |
(20) | Lieutenant General Nikola Bakardzhiev (1881–1954) | 31 January 1931 | 6 May 1934 | 3 years, 95 days | |
22 | Mihail Yovov (1886–1951) | Major General18 May 1934 | 19 May 1934 | 1 day | |
23 | Todor Georgiev (1882–1971) | Major General21 May 1934 | 26 December 1936 | 2 years, 219 days | |
24 | Yordan Peev (1884–1938) | Major General29 January 1937 | 10 October 1938 † | 1 year, 254 days | |
25 | Nikola Hadzhipetkov (1891–1949) | Major General10 December 1938 | 11 August 1941 | 2 years, 305 days | |
26 | Konstantin Lukash (1890–1945) | Lieutenant General11 August 1941 | 11 May 1944 | 2 years, 274 days | |
27 | Trifon Trifonov (1895–1945) | Major General11 May 1944 | 6 September 1944 | 118 days | |
28 | Kiril Yanchulev (1896–1961) | Major General6 September 1944 | 13 September 1944 | 7 days | |
29 | Raycho Slavkov (1896–1961) | Major General13 September 1944 | 15 December 1944 | 93 days | |
30 | Ivan Kinov (1893–1967) | Major General15 December 1944 | 10 December 1949 | 5 years, 86 days |
General Staff (1949−2009)
[edit]No. | Portrait | Chief of the General Staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch | Nation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
32 | Asen Grekov (1893–1954) | Lieutenant General10 December 1949 | 14 December 1950 | 1 year, 4 days | Army | ![]() | |
33 | Colonel General Ivan Bachvarov (1912–1966) | 14 December 1950 | 25 January 1960 | 9 years, 42 days | Army | ![]() | |
34 | Ivan Vrachev (1921–1994) | Lieutenant General25 January 1960 | 22 March 1962 | 2 years, 56 days | Army | ![]() | |
35 | Atanas Semerdzhiev (1924–2015) | Colonel General22 March 1962 | 28 December 1989 | 27 years, 281 days | Army | ![]() | |
36 | Hristo Dobrev (1923–2013) | Colonel General28 December 1989 | 15 August 1990 | 230 days | Army | ![]() | |
37 | Radniu Minchev (1928–2001) | Lieutenant General15 August 1990 | 2 August 1991 | 352 days | Army | ![]() ![]() | |
38 | General of the Army Lyuben Petrov (born 1938) | 2 August 1991 | 2 September 1994 | 3 years, 31 days | Army | ![]() | |
39 | Tsvetan Totomirov (born 1943) | Colonel General2 September 1994 | 11 June 1997 | 2 years, 282 days | Army | ![]() | |
40 | Miho Mihov (born 1949) | Colonel General11 June 1997 | 11 June 2002 | 5 years, 0 days | Air Force | ![]() | |
41 | General Nikola Kolev (1951–2021) | 11 June 2002 | 1 June 2006 | 3 years, 355 days | Air Force | ![]() | |
42 | Zlatan Stoykov (born 1951) | General1 June 2006 | 7 July 2009 | 3 years, 36 days | Army | ![]() |
Chief of the Defence (2009−present)
[edit]No. | Portrait | Chief of the Defence | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
43 | Simeon Simeonov (born 1955) | General7 July 2009 | 30 June 2014 | 4 years, 358 days | ![]() Air Force | |
44 | Vice Admiral Rumen Nikolov (born 1957) | 30 June 2014 | 8 February 2016 | 1 year, 223 days | ![]() Navy | |
45 | Constantin Popov (born 1961) | General9 February 2016 | 19 January 2017 | 345 days | ![]() Air Force | |
– | Emil Eftimov (born 1961) Acting | Vice Admiral19 January 2017 | 2 March 2017 | 42 days | ![]() Navy | |
46 | Andrey Botsev (1959–2020) | General2 March 2017 | 27 February 2020 † | 2 years, 362 days | ![]() Army | |
– | Emil Eftimov (born 1961) Acting | Vice Admiral27 February 2020 | 30 March 2020 | 32 days | ![]() Navy | |
47 | Admiral Emil Eftimov (born 1961) | 30 March 2020 | Incumbent | 4 years, 153 days | ![]() Navy |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Закон за отбраната и въоръжените сили на Република България" [Law on Defence and Armed Forces of the Republic of Bulgaria] (PDF) (in Bulgarian). Ministry of Defence of Bulgaria. 27 April 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 October 2013. Retrieved 8 October 2013.