Jump to content

Chief of the General Staff (Russia)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Chief of the General Staff
Начальник Генерального штаба (Russian)
Flag of the Chief of the General Staff
Incumbent
Army General Valery Gerasimov
since 9 November 2012
General Staff of the Armed Forces
TypeChief of staff
Member of
Reports toMinister of Defence of Russia
President of Russia (sometimes)
SeatGeneral Staff Building, Znamenka 14/1, Moscow
AppointerPresident of Russia
Formation9 August 1812 (historical)
10 June 1992 (current)
First holderGeneral-Adjutant Pavel Gavrilovich Gagarin [ru]
DeputyFirst Deputy Chief of the General Staff
Websitewww.mil.ru

The Chief of the General Staff (Russian: Начальник Генерального штаба) is the head of the General Staff and the highest ranking officer of the Russian Armed Forces or is also the senior-most uniformed military officer. He is appointed by the President of Russia, who is the Supreme Commander-in-Chief. The position dates to the period of the Russian Empire. The current Chief of the General Staff is Army General Valery Gerasimov.

List of chiefs of the general staff[edit]

† denotes people who died in office.

Imperial Russian Army (1812–1917)[edit]

Director of the Inspection Department of the Ministry of War[edit]

No. Portrait Director of the Inspection Department of the Ministry of War Took office Left office Time in office Defence branch
1
Pavel Gavrilovich Gagarin [ru]
Gagarin, PavelGeneral-Adjutant
Pavel Gavrilovich Gagarin [ru]
(1777–1850)
9 August 181213 December 18142 years, 126 days Imperial Russian Army
2
Andrey Kleinmikhel [ru]
Kleinmikhel, AndreyLieutenant General
Andrey Kleinmikhel [ru]
(1757–1815)
13 December 181425 June 1815194 days Imperial Russian Army

Chief of the Main Staff[edit]

No. Portrait Chief of the Main Staff Took office Left office Time in office Defence branch
1
Fyodor Geyden
Geyden, FyodorLieutenant General
Fyodor Geyden
(1821–1900)
1 January 186622 May 188115 years, 141 days Imperial Russian Army
2
Nikolai Obruchev
Obruchev, NikolaiLieutenant General
General of the Infantry
Nikolai Obruchev
(1830–1904)
10 June 188131 December 189716 years, 204 days Imperial Russian Army
3
Viktor Sakharov
Sakharov, ViktorLieutenant General
Viktor Sakharov
(1848–1905)
20 January 189811 March 19046 years, 51 days Imperial Russian Army
4
Pyotr A. Frolov [ru]
Frolov, PyotrLieutenant General
Pyotr A. Frolov [ru]
(1852–?)
11 March 190428 June 19051 year, 109 days Imperial Russian Army

Chief of the General Directorate of the General Staff[edit]

No. Portrait Chief of the General Directorate of the General Staff Took office Left office Time in office Defence branch
1
Fyodor Palitsyn
Palitsyn, FyodorGeneral of the Cavalry
Fyodor Palitsyn
(1851–1923)
28 June 19052 December 1908157 days Imperial Russian Army
2
Vladimir Sukhomlinov
Sukhomlinov, VladimirGeneral of the Cavalry
Vladimir Sukhomlinov
(1848–1926)
2 December 190811 March 190999 days Imperial Russian Army
3
Alexander Myshlayevsky
Myshlayevsky, AlexanderGeneral of the Infantry
Alexander Myshlayevsky
(1856–1920)
11 March 1909September 19095 months Imperial Russian Army
4
Evgeny Gerngross [ru]
Gerngross, EvgenyLieutenant General
Evgeny Gerngross [ru]
(1855–1912)
September 190922 February 19111 year, 5 months Imperial Russian Army
5
Yakov Zhilinsky
Zhilinskiy, YakovGeneral of the Cavalry
Yakov Zhilinsky
(1853–1918)
22 February 19114 March 19143 years, 10 days Imperial Russian Army
6
Nikolai Yanushkevich
Yanushkevich, NikolaiMajor General
Nikolai Yanushkevich
(1868–1918)
5 March 19141 August 1914149 days Imperial Russian Army
7
Mikhail Belyaev
Belyaev, MikhailMajor General
Mikhail Belyaev
(1863–1918)
1 August 191410 August 19162 years, 9 days Imperial Russian Army
8
Pyotr Averyanov [ru]
Averyanov, PyotrLieutenant General
Pyotr Averyanov [ru]
(1867–1937)
10 August 191615 May 1917278 days Imperial Russian Army
9
Ivan Romanovsky
Romanovsky, IvanLieutenant General
Ivan Romanovsky
(1877–1920)
18 July 191726 September 1917134 daysRussian Army (1917)
10
Vladimir Marushevsky
Marushevsky, VladimirMajor General
Vladimir Marushevsky
(1874–1952)
26 September 191723 November 191758 daysRussian Army (1917)

Council of People's Commissars on War and Navy Affairs (1917–1918)[edit]

No. Portrait Chief of the General Staff Took office Left office Time in office Defence branch
1
Nikolay Potapov
Potapov, NikolayMajor General
Nikolay Potapov
(1871–1946)
23 November 19178 May 1918166 days Red Army

Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic (1918–1921)[edit]

No. Portrait Chief of the All-Russian Main Staff Took office Left office Time in office Defence branch
1
Nikolai Stogov
Stogov, NikolaiLieutenant General
Nikolai Stogov
(1873–1959)
8 May 19182 August 19191 year, 86 days Red Army
2
Alexander Svechin
Svechin, Alexander AndreyevichMajor General
Alexander Svechin
(1878–1938)
2 August 191922 October 191981 days Red Army
3
Nikolay Rattel
Rattel, NikolayMajor General
Nikolay Rattel
(1875–1939)
22 October 191910 February 19211 year, 111 days Red Army
No. Portrait Chief of the Field Staff Took office Left office Time in office Defence branch
1
Nikolay Rattel
Rattel, NikolayMajor General
Nikolay Rattel
(1875–1939)
6 September 191821 October 191845 days Red Army
2
Fyodor Kostyayev
Kostyayev, FyodorMajor General
Fyodor Kostyayev
(1878–1925)
21 October 191818 June 1919240 days Red Army
3
Mihail Bonch-Bruyevich
Bonch-Bruyevich, Mikhail DmitriyevichMajor General
Mihail Bonch-Bruyevich
(1870–1956)
18 June 191922 July 191934 days Red Army
4
Pavel Lebedev
Lebedev, PavelMajor General
Pavel Lebedev
(1872–1933)
22 July 191910 February 19211 year, 203 days Red Army

Red Army (1921–1946)[edit]

Chief of the Staff[edit]

No. Portrait Chief of the Staff Took office Left office Time in office Defence branch
1
Pavel Lebedev
Lebedev, PavelMajor General
Pavel Lebedev
(1872–1933)
10 February 1921April 19243 years, 1 month Red Army
2
Mikhail Frunze
Frunze, MikhailMajor General
Mikhail Frunze
(1885–1925)
April 1924January 19259 months Red Army
3
Sergei Kamenev
Kamenev, SergeiKomandarm 1st rank
Sergei Kamenev
(1881–1936)
January 1925November 192510 months Red Army
4
Mikhail Tukhachevsky
Tukhachevsky, MikhailMarshal of the Soviet Union
Mikhail Tukhachevsky
(1893–1937)
November 1925May 19282 years, 6 months Red Army
5
Boris Shaposhnikov
Shaposhnikov, BorisKomandarm 1st rank
Boris Shaposhnikov
(1882–1945)
May 1928April 19312 years, 11 months Red Army
6
Vladimir Triandafillov
Triandafillov, VladimirGeneral
Vladimir Triandafillov
(1894–1931)
[a]
May 193112 July 1931 †2 months Red Army
7
Alexander Yegorov
Yegorov, AlexanderMarshal of the Soviet Union
Alexander Yegorov
(1883–1939)
July 1931September 19354 years, 2 months Red Army

Chief of the General Staff[edit]

No. Portrait Chief of the General Staff Took office Left office Time in office Defence branch
1
Alexander Yegorov
Yegorov, AlexanderMarshal of the Soviet Union
Alexander Yegorov
(1883–1939)
September 193510 May 19371 year, 8 months Red Army
2
Boris Shaposhnikov
Shaposhnikov, BorisMarshal of the Soviet Union
Boris Shaposhnikov
(1882–1945)
10 May 1937August 19403 years, 2 months Red Army
3
Kirill Meretskov
Shaposhnikov, BorisArmy General
Kirill Meretskov
(1897–1968)
August 1940January 19415 months Red Army
4
Georgy Zhukov
Zhukov, GeorgyArmy General
Georgy Zhukov
(1896–1974)
February 194129 July 19415 months Red Army
(2)
Boris Shaposhnikov
Shaposhnikov, BorisMarshal of the Soviet Union
Boris Shaposhnikov
(1882–1945)
29 July 194111 May 1942286 days Red Army
5
Aleksandr Vasilevsky
Vasilevsky, AleksandrMarshal of the Soviet Union
Aleksandr Vasilevsky
(1895–1977)
26 June 1942February 19452 years, 7 months Red Army
6
Aleksei Antonov
Antonov, AlekseiArmy General
Aleksei Antonov
(1896–1962)
February 194522 March 19461 year, 1 month Red Army

Soviet Armed Forces (1946–1991)[edit]

No. Portrait Chief of the General Staff Took office Left office Time in office Defence branch
1
Aleksandr Vasilevsky
Vasilevsky, AleksandrMarshal of the Soviet Union
Aleksandr Vasilevsky
(1895–1977)
22 March 1946November 19482 years, 7 months Soviet Army
2
Sergei Shtemenko
Shtemenko, SergeiArmy General
Sergei Shtemenko
(1907–1976)
November 1948June 19523 years, 7 months Soviet Army
3
Vasily Sokolovsky
Sokolovsky, VasilyMarshal of the Soviet Union
Vasily Sokolovsky
(1897–1968)
June 1952April 19607 years, 10 months Soviet Army
4
Matvei Zakharov
Zakharov, MatveiMarshal of the Soviet Union
Matvei Zakharov
(1898–1972)
April 1960March 19632 years, 11 months Soviet Army
5
Sergey Biryuzov
Biryuzov, SergeyMarshal of the Soviet Union
Sergey Biryuzov
(1904–1964)
[a]
March 196319 October 1964 †1 year, 7 months Soviet Army
(4)
Matvei Zakharov
Zakharov, MatveiMarshal of the Soviet Union
Matvei Zakharov
(1898–1972)
November 1964September 19716 years, 9 months Soviet Army
6
Viktor Kulikov
Kulikov, ViktorMarshal of the Soviet Union
Viktor Kulikov
(1921–2013)
September 19717 January 19775 years, 4 months Soviet Army
7
Nikolai Ogarkov
Ogarkov, NikolaiMarshal of the Soviet Union
Nikolai Ogarkov
(1917–1994)
[1]
7 January 19776 September 19847 years, 238 days Soviet Army
8
Sergey Akhromeyev
Akhromeyev, SergeyMarshal of the Soviet Union
Sergey Akhromeyev
(1923–1991)
[1]
6 September 19842 November 19884 years, 62 days Soviet Army
9
Mikhail Moiseev
Moiseev, MikhailColonel General
Army General
Mikhail Moiseev
(1939–2022)
December 198823 August 19912 years, 8 months Soviet Army
10
Vladimir Lobov
Lobov, VladimirArmy General
Vladimir Lobov
(born 1935)
25 August 199125 December 1991122 days Soviet Army

Russian Armed Forces (1992–present)[edit]

No. Portrait Chief of the General Staff Took office Left office Time in office Defence branch
1
Viktor Dubynin
Dubynin, ViktorArmy General
Viktor Dubynin
(1943–1992)
10 June 199222 November 1992 †165 days Russian Ground Forces
2
Mikhail Kolesnikov
Kolesnikov, MikhailArmy General
Mikhail Kolesnikov
(1939–2007)
22 November 199218 October 19963 years, 331 days Russian Ground Forces
3
Viktor Samsonov
Samsonov, ViktorArmy General
Viktor Samsonov
(born 1941)
18 October 199622 May 1997216 days Russian Ground Forces
4
Anatoly Kvashnin
Kvashnin, AnatolyArmy General
Anatoly Kvashnin
(1946–2022)
22 May 199719 July 20047 years, 58 days Russian Ground Forces
5
Yuri Baluyevsky
Baluyevsky, YuriArmy General
Yuri Baluyevsky
(born 1947)
19 July 20043 June 20083 years, 320 days Russian Ground Forces
6
Nikolai Makarov
Makarov, NikolaiArmy General
Nikolai Makarov
(born 1949)
3 June 20089 November 20124 years, 159 days Russian Ground Forces
7
Valery Gerasimov
Gerasimov, ValeryArmy General
Valery Gerasimov
(born 1955)
9 November 2012Incumbent11 years, 229 days Russian Ground Forces

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ a b Died in a plane crash.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Garthoff, Raymond L. (1994). The Great Transition: American-Soviet Relations and the End of the Cold War. Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution. p. 186. ISBN 0-8157-3060-8. The decision was taken at the regular Politburo meeting [on 6 September] and appeared to have been sudden

Further reading[edit]

  • V.I. Feskov, K.A. Kalashnikov, V.I. Golikov, The Soviet Army in the Years of the Cold War 1945–91, Tomsk University Publishing House, Tomsk, 2004 (for Soviet era list of CGSs).

External links[edit]