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 / 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.

Chief of the Defence
Началник на отбраната Načalnik na Otbranata
Coat of arms of the Bulgarian Armed Forces
Incumbent Admiral Emil Eftimov [bg] 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

List of the Chiefs

Ward of Stroevo (1879−1890)

No.	Portrait	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.	Portrait	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.	Portrait	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.	Portrait	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	5 years, 136 days	Navy

See also

• Bulgarian Land Forces
• Bulgarian Air Force
• Bulgarian Navy
• Bulgarian People's Army