Chief of Defence Staff
Șeful Statului Major General
Coat of arms of the Romanian General Staff
Identification flag of the Romanian General Staff (obverse and reverse)
Incumbent General Gheorghiță Vlad since 30 November 2023
Romanian Armed Forces
Appointer	President of Romania
Term length	4 years, can be extended up to 5 years
Constituting instrument	Law no. 346 from 21 July 2006 (art. 12)[1]
Formation	12 November 1859
First holder	Grigore Gărdescu
Website	Official website

The Chief of General Staff (Romanian: Șeful Statului Major General) is the highest professional military authority in the Romanian Armed Forces. He is appointed by the President of Romania, at the National Defense Minister's proposal (with the approval of the Prime Minister) on a four-year period, with the possibility of one-year extension. The Deputy Chief of General Staff or one of the Chiefs of the Services can be appointed in this position.

Role of the General Staff

According to Law no. 346 from 21 July 2006 (art. 12), the General Staff provides for:

• Force command;
• Organization;
• Planning and making operational;
• Gradual increase of readiness levels;
• Mobilization;
• Conduct of joint operations;
• Troops' training;
• Basic and specialty training of the active-duty and reserve military personnel;
• Military personnel individual career management;
• Armaments planning;
• Standardization in the military field;
• Implementation of the C4ISR, logistic and infrastructure system;
• Conduct of the international military relations;
• Religious assistance in the MoND;
• Signing technical agreements with other states armed forces;
• Promotion of the military culture and civil education values.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee is established at the level of the General Staff. The committee is a deliberative structure, having a consultative role. The Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee meets to discuss important topics with regard to the Romanian Armed Forces’ activity, usually quarterly or whenever necessary.

The Chief of General Staff is also the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee.

The Gallery of the Chiefs of General Staff consists of 48 Flag and Commissioned Officers in the 1859–2006 timeframe.

List of the Chiefs

United Principalities (1860–1881)

No.	Portrait	Chief of the General Staff	Took office	Left office	Time in office
1		Gărdescu, GrigoreColonel Grigore Gărdescu	8 January 1860	29 January 1860	21 days
2		Sămășescu, IstratieMajor Istratie Sămășescu	29 January 1860	30 May 1860	122 days
3		Florescu, Ion EmanuelGeneral Ion Emanuel Florescu (1819–1893)	30 May 1860	30 August 1860	92 days
(3)		Florescu, Ion EmanuelGeneral Ion Emanuel Florescu (1819–1893)	21 April 1864	1 May 1866	2 years, 10 days
4		Slăniceanu, GheorgheColonel Gheorghe Slăniceanu (1835–1885)	27 April 1877	18 August 1877	113 days
5		Barozzi, ConstantinColonel Constantin Barozzi (1833–1921)	18 August 1877	20 October 1877	63 days
6		Fălcoianu, ȘtefanGeneral Ștefan Fălcoianu (1835–1905)	20 October 1877	1878	0–1 years
(4)		Slăniceanu, GheorgheColonel Gheorghe Slăniceanu (1835–1885)	1878	22 February 1879	0–1 years

Kingdom of Romania (1881–1947)

No.	Portrait	Chief of the General Staff	Took office	Left office	Time in office
7		Cernat, AlexandruGeneral Alexandru Cernat (1828–1893)	1881	1882	0–1 years
(4)		Slăniceanu, GheorgheColonel Gheorghe Slăniceanu (1835–1885)	1882	15 April 1883	0–1 years
(6)		Fălcoianu, ȘtefanGeneral Ștefan Fălcoianu (1835–1905)	15 April 1883	23 May 1884	1 year, 38 days
8		Dona, NicolaeColonel Nicolae Dona (1833–1916)	23 May 1884	13 January 1886	1 year, 235 days
(6)		Fălcoianu, ȘtefanGeneral Ștefan Fălcoianu (1835–1905)	13 January 1886	18 June 1894	8 years, 156 days
9		Lahovary, IacobGeneral Iacob Lahovary (1846–1907)	1 October 1894	1 October 1895	1 year
(5)		Barozzi, ConstantinColonel Constantin Barozzi (1833–1921)	1 October 1895	1 October 1898	3 years
10		Poenaru, ConstantinGeneral Constantin Poenaru (1842–1912)	1 October 1898	1 April 1901	2 years, 182 days
11		Cărcăleteanu, AlexandruGeneral de brigadă Alexandru Cărcăleteanu (1843–1936)	1 April 1901	1 April 1904	3 years
12		Tătărăscu, NicolaeGeneral de brigadă Nicolae Tătărăscu (1850–1916)	1 April 1904	1 April 1907	3 years
13		Crăiniceanu, GrigoreGeneral Grigore C. Crăiniceanu (1852–1935)	1 April 1907	1 November 1909	2 years, 214 days
14		Istrati, IoanGeneral Adjutant Ioan Istrati (1860–1942)	1 November 1909	31 March 1911	1 year, 150 days
15		Zottu, VasileGeneral de Divizie Vasile Zottu (1853–1916)	31 March 1911	18 November 1911	232 days
16		Averescu, AlexandruGeneral Alexandru Averescu (1859–1938)	18 November 1911	2 December 1913	2 years, 14 days
17		Cristescu, ConstantinGeneral Constantin Cristescu (1866–1923)	2 December 1913	1 April 1914	120 days
(15)		Zottu, VasileGeneral de Divizie Vasile Zottu (1853–1916)	1 April 1914	25 October 1916	2 years, 207 days
–		Iliescu, DumitruGeneral de brigadă Dumitru Iliescu (1865–1940) Acting	25 October 1916	5 December 1916	41 days
18		Prezan, ConstantinGeneral de Divizie Adjutant Constantin Prezan (1861–1943)	5 December 1916	1 April 1918	117 days
(17)		Cristescu, ConstantinGeneral Constantin Cristescu (1866–1923)	1 April 1918	28 October 1918	210 days
(18)		Prezan, ConstantinGeneral de Divizie Adjutant Constantin Prezan (1861–1943)	28 October 1918	20 March 1920	1 year, 144 days
(17)		Cristescu, ConstantinGeneral Constantin Cristescu (1866–1923)	1 April 1920	8 May 1923	3 years, 37 days
–		Gorsky, AlexandruGeneral de brigadă Alexandru Gorsky (1875–?) Acting	8 May 1923	1 October 1923	146 days
19		Lupescu, AlexandruGeneral de Divizie Alexandru Lupescu (1865–1934)	1 October 1923	21 June 1927	3 years, 263 days
20		Samsonovici, NicolaeGeneral de Divizie Nicolae Samsonovici (1877–1950)	21 June 1927	11 August 1932	5 years, 51 days
21		Lăzărescu, ConstantinGeneral de Divizie Constantin Lăzărescu	11 August 1932	30 November 1933	1 year, 111 days
22		Antonescu, IonGeneral Ion Antonescu (1882–1946)	1 December 1933	11 December 1934	1 year, 10 days
(20)		Samsonovici, NicolaeGeneral de Divizie Nicolae Samsonovici (1877–1950)	11 December 1934	1 February 1937	2 years, 52 days
–		Sichitiu, IonGeneral de Divizie Ion Sichitiu (1878–1952) Acting	1 February 1937	1 November 1937	273 days
23		Ionescu, ŞtefanGeneral de Divizie Ștefan Ionescu (1881–?)	1 November 1937	1 February 1939	1 year, 92 days
24		Țenescu, FloreaGeneral de Divizie Adjutant Florea Țenescu (1884–1941)	1 February 1939	23 August 1940	1 year, 204 days
25		Mihail, GheorgheGeneral de Divizie Adjutant Gheorghe Mihail (1887–1982)	23 August 1940	6 September 1940	14 days
26		Ioanițiu, AlexandruGeneral de Brigadă Alexandru Ioanițiu (1890–1941)	6 September 1940	17 September 1941	359 days
27		Iacobici, IosifGeneral de Corp de Armată Adjutant Iosif Iacobici (1884–1952)	22 September 1941	20 January 1942	153 days
28		Șteflea, IlieGeneral de Corp de Armată Ilie Șteflea (1888–1946)	20 January 1942	23 August 1944	2 years, 216 days
(26)		Mihail, GheorgheGeneral de Divizie Adjutant Gheorghe Mihail (1887–1982)	23 August 1944	12 October 1944	50 days
29		Rădescu, NicolaeGeneral de Corp de Armată Adjutant Nicolae Rădescu (1874–1953)	15 October 1944	6 December 1944	52 days
30		Sănătescu, ConstantinGeneral de Corp de Armată Constantin Sănătescu (1885–1947)	11 December 1944	20 June 1945	221 days
31		Ionașcu, ConstinGeneral de Corp de Armată Costin Ionașcu (1890–1969)	20 June 1945	27 December 1947	2 years, 190 days

Communist Romania (1947–1989)

No.	Portrait	Chief of the General Staff	Took office	Left office	Time in office
33		Popescu, ConstantinColonel General Constantin Gh. Popescu (1893–1985)	30 January 1948	18 March 1950	2 years, 47 days
34		Sălăjan, LeontinArmy General Leontin Sălăjan (1913–1966)	18 March 1950	26 April 1954	4 years, 39 days
35		Tutoveanu, IonGeneral Ion Tutoveanu (1914–2014)	26 April 1954	15 June 1965	11 years, 50 days
36		Gheorghe, IonGeneral Gheorghe Ion (1923–2009)	15 June 1965	29 November 1974	9 years, 167 days
37		Coman, IonLieutenant General Ion Coman (born 1926)	29 November 1974	16 June 1976	1 year, 200 days
38		Hortopan, IonLieutenant General Ion Hortopan (1925–2000)	1 July 1976	31 March 1980	3 years, 274 days
39		Milea, VasileColonel General Vasile Milea (1927–1989)	31 March 1980	16 February 1985	4 years, 322 days
40		Gușă, ȘtefanColonel General Ștefan Gușă (1940–1994)	25 September 1986	28 December 1989	3 years, 97 days

Romania (1989–present)

No.	Portrait	Chief of the General Staff	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Defence branch
41		Ionel, VasileGeneral Vasile Ionel (1927–2015)	29 December 1989	2 May 1991	1 year, 124 days	Army
42		Cioflină, DumitruGeneral Dumitru Cioflină (born 1942)	3 May 1991	22 January 1997	5 years, 264 days	Army
43		Degeratu, ConstantinGeneral Constantin Degeratu (born 1948)	22 January 1997	7 March 2000	3 years, 45 days	Army
44		Chelaru, MirceaLieutenant General Mircea Chelaru (born 1949)	7 March 2000	31 October 2000	238 days	Army
45		Popescu, Mihail EugenGeneral Mihail Eugen Popescu (1948–2013)	31 October 2000	25 October 2004	3 years, 360 days	Army
46		Bădălan, EugenGeneral Eugen Bădălan (born 1951)	25 October 2004	13 September 2006	1 year, 323 days	Army
47		Marin, GheorgheAdmiral Gheorghe Marin (born 1952)	13 September 2006	31 December 2010	4 years, 109 days	Navy
48		Dănilă, ȘtefanGeneral Ștefan Dănilă (born 1965)	1 January 2011	31 December 2014	3 years, 364 days	Air Force
49		Ciucă, NicolaeGeneral Nicolae Ciucă (born 1967)	1 January 2015	28 October 2019	4 years, 300 days	Army
50		Petrescu, DanielGeneral Daniel Petrescu (born 1971)	28 November 2019	30 November 2023	4 years, 2 days	Army
51		Vlad, GheorghițăGeneral Gheorghiță Vlad (born 1969)	30 November 2023	Incumbent	45 days	Army

See also

• Romanian Land Forces
• Romanian Air Force
• Romanian Naval Forces
• Army of the Socialist Republic of Romania

References

• Romanian Ministry of Defence website, ""Şefii Statului Major General"" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 January 2006. (119 KiB)
• General Staff website