Chief of Defence Forces (Georgia)
{{Short description|Commander of the Defence Forces of Georgia}}{{Infobox official post
| post = Chief of Defence Forces
| body = Georgia
| native_name = საქართველოს თავდაცვის ძალების მეთაური
| flag = Flag of the Georgian Armed Forces.svg
| flagsize =
| flagborder =
| flagcaption = Flag of the Defence Forces
| insignia = Defense Forces of Georgia 2018 Emblem v 1 G1.png
| insigniasize =
| insigniacaption = Coat of Arms of the Defence Forces
| image =
| imagesize =
| alt =
| incumbent = Lieutenant General Giorgi Matiashvili
| acting =
| incumbentsince = 1 July 2020
| type =
| status =
| department = Ministry of Defence of Georgia
Defence Forces of Georgia
| style =
| member_of = National Security Council
| reports_to = Minister of Defence
Prime Minister
President
| residence = Tbilisi
| seat =
| nominator =
| appointer = President of Georgia
on the advice of the Prime Minister
| appointer_qualified =
| termlength = No fixed term
| termlength_qualified =
| constituting_instrument = Constitution of Georgia
Law on Defence of Georgia
| precursor = Chief of General Staff
| formation = 31 October 2018
| first = Vladimer Chachibaia
| last =
| abolished =
| succession =
| abbreviation =
| unofficial_names =
| deputy = Chief of General Staff
| salary =
| website =
}}
The Chief of Georgian Defence Forces ({{lang-ka|საქართველოს თავდაცვის ძალების მეთაური|tr}}) is a chief of defence and commander of the Defence Forces of Georgia, under the authority of the Government of Georgia.
History
The position was (re)introduced in accordance with the Georgian Law on Defence of 31 October 2018.{{cite act |title=საქართველოს თავდაცვის შესახებ |trans-title=On Defence of Georgia |type=Law |number=1030 |language=ka |date=31 October 2018 |article= |article-type= |page= |url=https://matsne.gov.ge/ka/document/view/28330?publication=16}} It had its precursor—the Commander-in-Chief of the Army—in the Democratic Republic of Georgia from 1918 to 1921. From the 1990s until 2018 the Chief of the General Staff was the highest-ranking military officer in the Georgian military, chief military adviser to the President, and wartime commander of the Armed Forces of Georgia.{{cite act |title=საქართველოს თავდაცვის სამინისტროს თავდაცვის ძალების გენერალური შტაბის დებულება |trans-title=Statutes of the General Staff of the Defence Forces of Georgia |type=Order of the Minister of Defence of Georgia |number=№298 |language=ka |date=13 December 2018 |article= |article-type= |page= |url=https://matsne.gov.ge/ka/document/view/4401383?publication=0}}
The first holder of the position was Lieutenant General Vladimer Chachibaia.{{cite news |title=მთავრობამ პრეზიდენტს თავდაცვის ძალების მეთაურის თანამდებობაზე ვლადიმერ ჩაჩიბაიას კანდიდატურა წარუდგინა |url=https://1tv.ge/news/mtavrobam-prezidents-tavdacvis-dzalebis-metauris-tanamdebobaze-vladimer-chachibaias-kandidatura-warudgina/ |accessdate=10 January 2019 |agency=1TV |date=19 December 2018 |language=ka}} The incumbent is Lieutenant General Giorgi Matiashvili.{{cite news |title=New Chief of Georgian Defence Forces Appointed |url=https://civil.ge/archives/357975 |accessdate=1 July 2020 |work=Civil Georgia |date=1 July 2020}}
Functions and responsibilities
The Chief of Georgian Defence Forces is a chief military officer in the Georgian Defence Forces (GDF). They oversee the coherence of the armed forces organization, combat readiness and mobilization as well as military development of the GDF, and are responsible for conduct of operations in war, including plans of use, general articulation of forces, and distribution of operational means between various groups of forces. The Chief of Georgian Defence Forces is aided, in their functions, by the General Staff of the Georgian Defence Forces. One of the Chief's deputies can, simultaneously, serve as the Chief of the General Staff.
The Chief of Georgian Defence Forces is appointed and dismissed by the President of Georgia (on the advice of the Prime Minister) after the candidacy has been nominated by the Minister of Defence and submitted to the Presidency by the Government of Georgia. The nominee must have the highest military rank and high military education. The Chief reports to the Minister of Defence, the Prime Minister, and the President.
List
=Commanders-in-Chief of the Democratic Republic of Georgia (1918–1921)=
{{Officeholder table start
| showorder = y
| showimage = y
| officeholder_title = Commander in Chief
| showtermlenght = y
| showparty = n
| showdefencebranch = n
}}
{{Officeholder table
| order = 1
| image = Giorgi Ivanes dze Kvinitadze - Chicovani in Tsarist Uniform.jpg
| military_rank = Major general
| officeholder = Giorgi Kvinitadze
| officeholder_sort = Kvinitadze, Giorgi
| officeholder_note =
| born_year = 1874
| died_year = 1970
| term_start = 26 May 1918
| term_end = 13 December 1920
| timeinoffice = {{ayd|1918|05|26|1920|12|13}}
}}
{{Officeholder table
| order = 2
| image = Ilia Odishelidze.jpg
| military_rank = General of the army
| officeholder = Ilia Odishelidze
| officeholder_sort = Odishelidze, Ilia
| officeholder_note =
| born_year = 1865
| died_year = 1924
| term_start = 13 December 1920
| term_end = 16 February 1921
| timeinoffice = {{ayd|1920|12|13|1921|02|16}}
}}
{{Officeholder table
| order = (1)
| image = Giorgi Ivanes dze Kvinitadze - Chicovani in Tsarist Uniform.jpg
| military_rank = Major general
| officeholder = Giorgi Kvinitadze
| officeholder_sort = Kvinitadze, Giorgi
| officeholder_note =
| born_year = 1874
| died_year = 1970
| term_start = 16 February 1921
| term_end = 17 March 1921
| timeinoffice = {{ayd|1921|02|16|1921|03|17}}
}}
{{Officeholder table end}}
= Chiefs of Georgian Defence Forces (Since 2018) =
{{Officeholder table start
| showorder = y
| showimage = y
| image_title = Portrait
| officeholder_title = Chiefs of Defence Forces
| showtermlenght = y
| showparty = n
| showdefencebranch = n
| showref = y
}}
{{Officeholder table
| order = 1
| image = Major General Chachibaia DFG.png
| military_rank = Lieutenant general
| officeholder = Vladimer Chachibaia
| officeholder_sort = Chachibaia, Vladimer
| officeholder_note =
| born_year = 1971
| died_year =
| term_start = 20 December 2018
| term_end = 1 July 2020
| timeinoffice = {{ayd|2018|12|20|2020|07|01}}
}}
{{Officeholder table
| order = 2
| image = Brig. Gen. Giorgi Matiashvili.jpg
| military_rank = Lieutenant general
| officeholder = Giorgi Matiashvili
| officeholder_sort = Matiashvili, Giorgi
| officeholder_note =
| born_year = 1977
| died_year =
| term_start = 1 July 2020
| timeinoffice = {{ayd|2020|07|01}}
}}
{{Officeholder table end}}