Chief of the General Staff (Czech Republic)
| Chief of the General Staff | |
|---|---|
| Náčelník generálního štábu | |
 Insignia of the general staff | |
.svg.png) Flag of the General Staff | |
| Ministry of Defence | |
| Reports to | Minister of Defence |
| Seat | Prague, Czech Republic |
| Nominator | Government |
| Appointer | President |
| Term length | 3 years Renewable |
| Precursor | Chief of the Czechoslovak General Staff |
| Formation | 1 January 1993 |
| First holder | General of the Army Karel Pezl |
| Website | www.mo.gov.cz |
The Chief of the General Staff (Czech: Náčelník Generálního štábu) is the highest-ranking and most senior military officer of the Czech Armed Forces, the military of the Czech Republic. Candidate nominated to the position by the government is formally appointed by the president of the Czech Republic, who is the formal commander-in-chief, after being approved by defense committee of the Chamber of Deputies.[1] Chief of the General Staff reports to the Minister of Defence and President of the republic removes him if government proposes his removal.[1]
The current Chief of the general staff since July 2026 is Lieutenant general Miroslav Hlaváč.[2]
List of officeholders
For period from 1919 to 1992, see Chief of the General Staff of Czechoslovakia.
| No. | Portrait | Chief of the General Staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | General of the Army Karel Pezl (1927–2022) | 1 January 1993 | 30 June 1993 | 180 days |  Army | – | |
| 2 | General of the Army Jiří Nekvasil (born 1948) | 1 July 1993 | 30 April 1998 | 4 years, 303 days | Army | – | |
| 3 | General of the Army Jiří Šedivý (born 1953) | 1 May 1998 | 30 November 2002 | 4 years, 213 days | Army | – | |
| 4 | General of the Army Pavel Štefka (born 1954) | 1 December 2002 | 28 February 2007 | 4 years, 89 days | Army | – | |
| 5 | General of the Army Vlastimil Picek (born 1956) [a] | 1 March 2007 | 30 June 2012 | 5 years, 121 days |  Air Force | – | |
| 6 | General of the Army Petr Pavel (born 1961) [b] | 1 July 2012 | 1 May 2015 | 2 years, 304 days | Army | – | |
| 7 | General of the Army Josef Bečvář (born 1958) | 1 May 2015 | 1 May 2018 | 3 years, 0 days | Army | – | |
| 8 | General of the Army Aleš Opata (born 1964) | 1 May 2018 | 1 July 2022 | 4 years, 61 days | Army | – | |
| 9 | General of the Army Karel Řehka (born 1975) | 1 July 2022 | 30 June 2026 | 3 years, 364 days |  Special Forces | – | |
| 10 | Lieutenant general Miroslav Hlaváč (born 1965) | 1 July 2026 | Incumbent | 58 days | Army | – |
![Karel Pezl [cs]](./_assets_/0c70a452f799bfe840676ee341124611/No_image.png)
![Jiří Nekvasil [cs]](./_assets_/0c70a452f799bfe840676ee341124611/Ji%C5%99%C3%AD_Nekvasil_(4483427015).jpg)
![Pavel Štefka [cs]](./_assets_/0c70a452f799bfe840676ee341124611/Pavel_%C5%A0tefka_USMC-050503-M-3827M-004.jpg)
_(cropped).jpg)
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See also
Notes
- ↑ Afterwards served as the Minister of Defence from 2013 to 2014.
- ↑ Left the office due to appointment as Chairman of the NATO Military Committee.
References
- 1 2 § 7 section 4 of law no. 219/1999 Col., about Armed forces of the Czech republic
- ↑ Pohanka, Vít (30 June 2026). "General Hlaváč takes over Czech military, pledges stronger army and closer NATO readiness". Radio Prague (in Czech). Czech Radio. Retrieved 1 July 2026.