Chief of the General Staff (Czechoslovakia)

Summary

The Chief of the General Staff of Czechoslovakia refers to the chief of the General Staff of the Czechoslovak Army and the Czechoslovak People's Army, during the existence of Czechoslovakia from 1918 to 1992. The first two Chiefs of the General Staff of Czechoslovakia were French, as the General Staff was founded by the French Military Mission to Czechoslovakia [cs].

Chief of the General Staff
Czech: Náčelník Generálního štábu
Slovak: Náčelník Generálneho štábu
Longest in office
Colonel General Karel Rusov [cs]

19 April 1968 – 26 November 1979
 Czechoslovak Army (1918–54; 1990–92)
 Czechoslovak People's Army (1954–90)
TypeChief of staff
Member ofGeneral Staff
Reports toMinister of Defence of Czechoslovakia
SeatPrague, Czechoslovakia
AppointerPresident of Czechoslovakia
Term lengthNo fixed length
PrecursorChief of the Austro-Hungarian General Staff
Formation17 December 1919
First holderDivisional General Maurice Pellé
Final holderLieutenant General Karel Pezl [cs]
Abolished31 December 1992
Superseded byChief of the General Staff (Czech Republic)
Chief of the General Staff (Slovakia)
DeputyDeputy Chief of the General Staff

List of chiefs of the general staff edit

Czechoslovak Armed Forces (1919–1939) edit

Chief of the Main Staff
No. Portrait Chief of the Main Staff Took office Left office Time in office Defence branch
1
 
Pellé, MauriceDivisional General
Maurice Pellé
(1863–1924)
17 December 191931 December 19201 year, 14 days  French Army
2
 
Pellé, MauriceDivisional General
Eugène Mittelhauser
(1873–1949)
1 January 192131 December 19254 years, 364 days  French Army
3
 
Syrový, JanGeneral of the Army
Jan Syrový
(1888–1970)
[a]
1 January 192611 November 19337 years, 314 days  Czechoslovak Army
4
 
Syrový, JanGeneral of the Army
Ludvík Krejčí
(1890–1972)
11 November 193323 September 19384 years, 316 days  Czechoslovak Army
5
 
Kajdoš, VladimírBrigadier General
Vladimír Kajdoš [cs]
(1893–1970)
23 September 19384 October 193811 days  Czechoslovak Army
(4)
 
Syrový, JanGeneral of the Army
Ludvík Krejčí
(1890–1972)
20 December 19381 March 193971 days  Czechoslovak Army
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces
No. Portrait Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Took office Left office Time in office Defence branch
1
 
Syrový, JanGeneral of the Army
Ludvík Krejčí
(1890–1972)
23 September 193820 December 193888 days  Czechoslovak Army

Czechoslovak military administration (France, 1940) edit

No. Portrait Chief of Staff Took office Left office Time in office Defence branch
1
 
Neumann, BedřichBrigadier General
Bedřich Neumann
(1891–1964)
1 February 194012 June 194088 days  Czechoslovak Army

Ministry of National Defense (United Kingdom, 1940–1945) edit

Chief of Staff
No. Portrait Chief of Staff Took office Left office Time in office Defence branch
1
 
Čihák, JaroslavBrigadier General
Jaroslav Čihák
(1891–1944)
23 July 194013 January 1941174 days  Czechoslovak Army
2
 
Sklenovský, BrunoBrigadier General
Bruno Sklenovský [cs]
(1893–1957)
13 January 194112 April 19454 years, 89 days  Czechoslovak Army
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces
No. Portrait Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Took office Left office Time in office Defence branch
1
 
Ingr, SergějGeneral of the Army
Sergěj Ingr
(1894–1956)
19 September 19445 April 1945198 days  Czechoslovak Army
2
 
Svoboda, LudvíkGeneral of the Army
Ludvík Svoboda
(1895–1979)
12 April 194531 December 1945263 days  Czechoslovak Army

Czechoslovak Armed Forces (1945–1950) edit

No. Portrait Chief of the Main Staff Took office Left office Time in office Defence branch
1
 
Boček, BohumilGeneral of the Army
Bohumil Boček [cs]
(1894–1952)
12 April 19451 August 19483 years, 142 days  Czechoslovak Army
2
 
Drgáč, ŠimonGeneral of the Army
Šimon Drgáč [cs]
(1892–1980)
1 August 194826 April 19501 year, 237 days  Czechoslovak Army

Czechoslovak Army (1950–1954) edit

No. Portrait Chief of the General Staff Took office Left office Time in office Defence branch
1
 
Procházka, JaroslavGeneral of the Army
Jaroslav Procházka [cs]
(1897–1980)
26 April 195031 January 19521 year, 280 days  Czechoslovak Army
2
 
Kratochvíl, VáclavColonel General
Václav Kratochvíl [cs]
(1903–1988)
31 January 19521 June 19542 years, 121 days  Czechoslovak Army

Czechoslovak People's Army (1954–1990) edit

No. Portrait Chief of the General Staff Took office Left office Time in office Defence branch
1
 
Kratochvíl, VáclavColonel General
Václav Kratochvíl [cs]
(1903–1988)
1 June 195428 July 19584 years, 57 days  Czechoslovak People's Army
2
 
Kratochvíl, VáclavGeneral of the Army
Otakar Rytíř [cs]
(1913–1979)
28 July 195819 April 19689 years, 266 days  Czechoslovak People's Army
3
 
Rusov, KarelColonel General
Karel Rusov [cs]
(1924–2013)
19 April 196826 November 197911 years, 221 days  Czechoslovak People's Army
4
 
Blahník, MiloslavColonel General
Miloslav Blahník [cs]
(1927–2017)
26 November 197913 October 19877 years, 321 days  Czechoslovak People's Army
5
 
Vacek, MiroslavColonel General
Miroslav Vacek
(1935–2022)
13 October 198727 December 19892 years, 75 days  Czechoslovak People's Army
6
 
Slimák, AntonLieutenant General
Anton Slimák [he]
(1941–2020)
27 December 198914 March 199077 days  Czechoslovak People's Army

Czechoslovak Army (1990–1992) edit

No. Portrait Chief of the General Staff Took office Left office Time in office Defence branch
1
 
Slimák, AntonLieutenant General
Anton Slimák [he]
(1941–2020)
14 March 19901 May 19911 year, 48 days  Czechoslovak Army
2
 
Pezl, KarelLieutenant General
Karel Pezl [cs]
(1927–2022)
1 May 199131 December 19921 year, 244 days  Czechoslovak Army

See also edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ Also served as the Minister of Defence from 18 March 1926 to 11 October 1926.

External links edit

  • Chiefs of the General Staff of Czechoslovakia 1919–1992