Chief of the Defence (Bulgaria)
Professional head of the Bulgarian Armed Forces
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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.
Reports toMinister of Defence
AppointerPresident of Bulgaria
Formation9 September 1885
First holderCaptain Racho Petrov
| Chief of the Defence | |
|---|---|
| Началник на отбраната Načalnik na Otbranata | |
Coat of arms of the Bulgarian Armed Forces | |
| Bulgarian Armed Forces | |
| Reports to | Minister of Defence |
| Appointer | President of Bulgaria |
| Formation | 9 September 1885 |
| First holder | Captain Racho Petrov |
| Website | Official website |
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List of the Chiefs
Ward of Stroevo (1879−1890)
| 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) | Major Racho Petrov (1861–1942) | 23 October 1887 | 15 April 1894 | 6 years, 174 days |
![Stefan Paprikov [bg]](#/media/File:S.paprikov.jpg)
General Staff of the Bulgarian Land Army (1890−1895)
| 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)
| 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 | Colonel Varban Vinarov (1856–1908) | 24 June 1899 | 18 February 1900 | 239 days |
![Varban Vinarov [bg]](#/media/File:ГенВърбанВинаров.jpg)
General Staff (1900−1903)
| No. | Portrait | Chief of the General Staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Colonel Stefan Ilyev (1859–1913) | 18 February 1900 | 1 January 1904 | 3 years, 317 days |
![Stefan Ilyev [bg]](#/media/File:No_image.png)
Army Staff (1903−1949)
| 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 | Major General Vicho Dikov (1861–1928) | 28 March 1907 | 2 November 1907 | 219 days | |
| 8 | Major General Atanas Nazlamov (1863–1935) | 2 November 1907 | 27 March 1910 | 2 years, 145 days | |
| 9 | Major General Ivan Fichev (1860–1931) | 27 March 1910 | 14 January 1914 | 3 years, 293 days | |
| 10 | Major General Pravoslav Tenev (1862–1942) | 6 March 1914 | 15 April 1915 | 1 year, 40 days | |
| 11 | Major General Kliment Boyadzhiev (1861–1933) | 15 April 1915 | 7 September 1915 | 145 days | |
| 12 | Major General Konstantin Zhostov (1867–1916) | 7 September 1915 | 30 August 1916 † | 358 days | |
| 13 | Colonel Ivan Lukov (1871–1926) | 1 September 1916 | 30 December 1917 | 1 year, 120 days | |
| 14 | Major General Hristo Burmov (1869–1936) | 17 July 1918 | 10 October 1918 | 85 days | |
| (13) | Major General Ivan Lukov (1871–1926) | 10 October 1918 | 27 October 1919 | 1 year, 17 days | |
| 15 | Major General Stefan Nerezov (1867–1925) | 2 November 1919 | 3 September 1920 | 306 days | |
| 16 | Colonel Petar Midilev (1875–1939) | 3 September 1920 | 3 December 1920 | 91 days | |
| 17 | Colonel Nikola Topaldzhikov (1875–1925) | 3 December 1920 | 20 April 1923 | 2 years, 138 days | |
| – | Colonel Stefan Noykov (1876–1925) Acting | 18 May 1923 | 9 June 1923 | 22 days | |
| 18 | Colonel Aleksandar Davidov (1878–1925) | 9 June 1923 | 3 July 1923 | 24 days | |
| 19 | Colonel Vladimir Stoyanov (1879–?) | 4 July 1923 | 1 June 1926 | 2 years, 332 days | |
| 20 | Colonel Nikola Bakardzhiev (1881–1954) | 1 June 1926 | 11 January 1929 | 2 years, 224 days | |
| 21 | Major General Sotir Marinkov (1880–?) | November 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 | Major General Mihail Yovov (1886–1951) | 18 May 1934 | 19 May 1934 | 1 day | |
| 23 | Major General Todor Georgiev (1882–1971) | 21 May 1934 | 26 December 1936 | 2 years, 219 days | |
| 24 | Major General Yordan Peev (1884–1938) | 29 January 1937 | 10 October 1938 † | 1 year, 254 days | |
| 25 | Major General Nikola Hadzhipetkov (1891–1949) | 10 December 1938 | 11 August 1941 | 2 years, 305 days | |
| 26 | Lieutenant General Konstantin Lukash (1890–1945) | 11 August 1941 | 11 May 1944 | 2 years, 274 days | |
| 27 | Major General Trifon Trifonov (1895–1945) | 11 May 1944 | 6 September 1944 | 118 days | |
| 28 | Major General Kiril Yanchulev (1896–1961) | 6 September 1944 | 13 September 1944 | 7 days | |
| 29 | Major General Raycho Slavkov (1896–1961) | 13 September 1944 | 15 December 1944 | 93 days | |
| 30 | Major General Ivan Kinov (1893–1967) | 15 December 1944 | 10 December 1949 | 5 years, 86 days |
![Vicho Dikov [bg]](#/media/File:BASA-3K-7-429-1-Vicho_Dikov.jpeg)
![Atanas Nazlamov [bg]](#/media/File:AtanasNazlamov.jpg)
![Petar Midilev [bg]](#/media/File:Petar_Midilev.jpg)
![Nikola Topaldzhikov [bg]](#/media/File:Nikola_Topladzhikov.jpg)
![Nikola Bakardzhiev [bg]](#/media/File:BASA-373K-1-710-1-Nikola_Bakardzhiev,_1931-1932.jpeg)
![Mihail Yovov [bg]](#/media/File:Mihail_Jovov-Bulgaria.png)
![Todor Georgiev [bg]](#/media/File:Lieutenant_general_Todor_Georgiev.jpg)
![Trifon Trifonov [bg]](#/media/File:Trifon_and_Ivan_Trifonovi.jpg)
General Staff (1949−2009)
| No. | Portrait | Chief of the General Staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch | Nation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32 | Lieutenant General Asen Grekov (1893–1954) | 10 December 1949 | 14 December 1950 | 1 year, 4 days | Army |  People's Republic of Bulgaria | |
| 33 | Colonel General Ivan Bachvarov (1912–1966) | 14 December 1950 | 25 January 1960 | 9 years, 42 days | Army | People's Republic of Bulgaria | |
| 34 | Lieutenant General Ivan Vrachev (1921–1994) | 25 January 1960 | 22 March 1962 | 2 years, 56 days | Army | People's Republic of Bulgaria | |
| 35 | Colonel General Atanas Semerdzhiev (1924–2015) | 22 March 1962 | 28 December 1989 | 27 years, 281 days | Army | People's Republic of Bulgaria | |
| 36 | Colonel General Hristo Dobrev (1923–2013) | 28 December 1989 | 15 August 1990 | 230 days | Army | People's Republic of Bulgaria | |
| 37 | Lieutenant General Radniu Minchev (1928–2001) | 15 August 1990 | 2 August 1991 | 352 days | Army | People's Republic of Bulgaria Bulgaria | |
| 38 | General of the Army Lyuben Petrov (born 1938) | 2 August 1991 | 2 September 1994 | 3 years, 31 days | Army | Bulgaria | |
| 39 | Colonel General Tsvetan Totomirov (born 1943) | 2 September 1994 | 11 June 1997 | 2 years, 282 days | Army | Bulgaria | |
| 40 | Colonel General Miho Mihov (born 1949) | 11 June 1997 | 11 June 2002 | 5 years, 0 days | Air Force | Bulgaria | |
| 41 | General Nikola Kolev (1951–2021) | 11 June 2002 | 1 June 2006 | 3 years, 355 days | Air Force | Bulgaria | |
| 42 | General Zlatan Stoykov (born 1951) | 1 June 2006 | 7 July 2009 | 3 years, 36 days | Army | Bulgaria |
![Miho Mihov [bg]](#/media/File:Mikho_Mikhov_(43NS).png)
.jpg)
Chief of the Defence (2009−present)
| No. | Portrait | Chief of the Defence | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 43 | General Simeon Simeonov (born 1955) | 7 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 | General Constantin Popov (born 1961) | 9 February 2016 | 19 January 2017 | 345 days | Air Force | |
| – | Vice Admiral Emil Eftimov (born 1961) Acting | 19 January 2017 | 2 March 2017 | 42 days | Navy | |
| 46 | General Andrey Botsev (1959–2020) | 2 March 2017 | 27 February 2020 † | 2 years, 362 days |  Land Forces | |
| – | Vice Admiral Emil Eftimov (born 1961) Acting | 27 February 2020 | 30 March 2020 | 32 days | Navy | |
| 47 | Admiral Emil Eftimov (born 1961) | 30 March 2020 | Incumbent | 6 years, 36 days | Navy |
![Simeon Simeonov [bg]](#/media/File:Simeon_Simeonov_(44NS).png)
![Constantin Popov [bg]](#/media/File:K_popov.jpg)
![Andrey Botsev [bg]](#/media/File:SACEUR_visit_Bulgaria_(cropped).jpg)