Military ranks of Socialist Yugoslavia

The Military ranks of Socialist Yugoslavia are the military insignia used by the Yugoslav People's Army.

Ranks (1945–1946)

Officers

The rank insignia of commissioned officers.

Rank group	General / flag officers	Senior officers	Junior officers
Yugoslav Army^[1]
Maršal Jugoslavije^[a]	General-pukovnik	General-lajtant	General-major	Pukovnik	Potpukovnik	Major	Kapetan	Poručnik	Potporučnik	Zastavnik
Rank group	General / flag officers	Senior officers	Junior officers

Other ranks

The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel.

Rank group	Senior NCOs	Junior NCOs	Enlisted
Yugoslav Army^[1]					No insignia
Stariji vodnik	Vodnik	Mlađi vodnik	Desetar	Borac
Rank group	Senior NCOs	Junior NCOs	Enlisted

Ranks (1946–1953)

Officers

The rank insignia of commissioned officers.

Before the introduction of the rank of Kapetan prve klase on April 6, 1952, according to an official handbook of the JA from 1948, the number of stars used by the junior officer ranks were as follows:

-Zastavnik: one star

-Potporučnik: two stars

-Poručnik: three stars

-Kapetan: four stars

After the rank of Kapetan prve klase was introduced, the rank of Zastavnik was abolished as a junior officer rank, and became the most senior NCO rank, using no stars as its rank insignia.

Rank group	General / flag officers	Senior officers	Junior officers
Yugoslav Ground Forces
Maršal Jugoslavije^[a]	General armije	General-pukovnik	General-lajtnant^[b]	General-major	Pukovnik	Potpukovnik	Major	Kapetan prve klase^[c]	Kapetan	Poručnik	Potporučnik	Zastavnik^[d]
Yugoslav Navy
1946–1952	Maršal Jugoslavije^[a]	Admiral	Viceadmiral	Kontraadmiral	Kapetan I ranga	Kapetan II ranga	Kapetan III ranga	—	Poručnik I ranga	Poručnik II ranga	Poručnik III ranga	Zastavnik
1952–1953	Kapetan bojnog broda	Kapetan Fregate	Kapetan korvete	Poručnik bojnog broda^[c]	Poručnik fregate	Poručnik korvete	Potporučnik	—^[d]
Yugoslav Air Force
Maršal Jugoslavije^[a]		General-pukovnik	General-lajtnant^[b]	General-major	Pukovnik	Potpukovnik	Major	Kapetan prve klase^[c]	Kapetan	Poručnik	Potporučnik	Zastavnik^[d]
People's Defence Corps of Yugoslavia
General-lajtnant^[b]	General-major	Pukovnik	Potpukovnik	Major	Kapetan prve klase^[c]	Kapetan	Poručnik	Potporučnik	Zastavnik^[d]
Rank group	General / flag officers	Senior officers	Junior officers

Other ranks

The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel.

Rank group	Senior NCOs	Junior NCOs	Enlisted
Yugoslav Ground Forces
Stariji vodnik	Vodnik	Mlađi vodnik	Desetar	Vojnik
Yugoslav Navy
Stariji vodnik	Vodnik	Mlađi vodnik	Desetar	Mornar
Yugoslav Air Force
Stariji vodnik	Vodnik	Mlađi vodnik	Desetar	Vojnik
People's Defence Corps of Yugoslavia
Stariji vodnik	Vodnik	Mlađi vodnik	Desetar	Vojnik
Rank group	Senior NCOs	Junior NCOs	Enlisted

Ranks (1953–1982)

This table shows the rank structure in use by Yugoslav People's Army from 1953 to 1982.^[2]

Officers

The rank insignia of commissioned officers.

Rank group	General / flag officers	Senior officers	Junior officers
Yugoslav Ground Forces^[3]
Maršal Jugoslavije^[a]	General^[e]	General armije	General-pukovnik	General-potpukovnik	General-major	Pukovnik	Potpukovnik	Major	Kapetan prve klase	Kapetan	Poručnik	Potporučnik
Yugoslav Navy
Maršal Jugoslavije^[a]	Admiral flote^[f]	Admiral	Viceadmiral	Kontraadmiral	Kapetan bojnog broda	Kapetan Fregate	Kapetan korvete	Poručnik bojnog broda	Poručnik fregate	Poručnik korvete	Potporučnik
Yugoslav Air Force
Maršal Jugoslavije^[a]		General-pukovnik	General-potpukovnik	General-major	Pukovnik	Potpukovnik	Major	Kapetan prve klase	Kapetan	Poručnik	Potporučnik
Rank group	General / flag officers	Senior officers	Junior officers

Other ranks

The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel.^[4]

Rank group	NCOs	Enlisted
Yugoslav Ground Forces^[3]
Zastavnik I klase	Zastavnik	Stariji vodnik I klase	Stariji vodnik	Vodnik I klase	Vodnik	Mlađi vodnik	Desetar	Razvodnik	Vojnik
Yugoslav Navy
Zastavnik I klase	Zastavnik	Stariji vodnik I klase	Stariji vodnik	Vodnik I klase	Vodnik	Mlađi vodnik	Desetar	Razvodnik	Mornar
Yugoslav Air Force
Zastavnik I klase	Zastavnik	Stariji vodnik I klase	Stariji vodnik	Vodnik I klase	Vodnik	Mlađi vodnik	Desetar	Razvodnik	Vojnik
Rank group	NCOs	Enlisted

Ranks (1982–1992)

Officers

The rank insignia of commissioned officers.

Rank group	General / flag officers	Senior officers	Junior officers
Yugoslav Ground Forces^[5]^[6]
General armije	General-pukovnik	General-potpukovnik	General-major	Pukovnik	Potpukovnik	Major	Kapetan 1. klase	Kapetan	Poručnik	Potporučnik
Yugoslav Navy^[5]^[6]
Admiral flote	Admiral	Vice admiral	Kontraadmiral	Kapetan bojnog broda	Kapetan fregate	Kapetan korvete	Poručnik bojnog broda	Poručnik fregate	Poručnik korvete	Potporučnik
Yugoslav Air Force^[5]^[6]
General armije^[g]	General-pukovnik	General-potpukovnik	General-major	Pukovnik	Potpukovnik	Major	Kapetan 1. klase	Kapetan	Poručnik	Potporučnik
Rank group	General / flag officers	Senior officers	Junior officers

Other ranks

The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel.

Rank group	NCOs	Enlisted
Yugoslav Ground Forces^[5]^[6]
Zastavnik I klase	Zastavnik	Stariji vodnik I klase	Stariji vodnik	Vodnik I klase	Vodnik	Mlađi vodnik	Desetar	Razvodnik	Vojnik
Yugoslav Navy^[6]
Zastavnik I klase	Zastavnik	Stariji vodnik I klase	Stariji vodnik	Vodnik I klase	Vodnik	Mlađi vodnik	Desetar	Razvodnik	Mornar
Yugoslav Air Force^[6]
Zastavnik I klase	Zastavnik	Stariji vodnik I klase	Stariji vodnik	Vodnik I klase	Vodnik	Mlađi vodnik	Desetar	Razvodnik	Vojnik
Rank group	NCOs	Enlisted

In 1988, wartime insignia for Members of the Presidency were instituted (effective January 1st, 1989)^[7]^[8] for wear in their collective capacity as supreme commander-in-chief,^[9] but were never used.

Rank group	Supreme Command
Yugoslav People's Army
Članovi Predsedništva

Notes

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Marshal of Yugoslavia was an highest military distinction of the Supreme Commander of Armed Forces and not a military rank. The first and the only one was given to Josip Broz Tito, who (beside the title of Maršal and Supreme Commander), also held the lifelong function of the President of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the leader of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia.
1 2 3 Renamed in 1952 as General-potpukovnik.
1 2 3 4 Established 1952.
1 2 3 4 Abolished 1952 as Junior officer and moved to Senior NCO in 1953.
↑ General was highest military rank for deputy supreme commander. Established 1955 and abolished 1974. Ivan Gošnjak, while serving as a defence minister and deputy supreme commander of SFRY, was considered for promotion to this rank. No officers were promoted to this rank.
↑ Established 1955.
↑ Established 1982. No officers were promoted to this rank.

References

1 2 Thomas & Abbott 1983, p. 26.
↑ Army Lexicon. Belgrade: Military Publishing Institute of the Yugoslav People's Army. 1981. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
1 2 Landser 1975, pp. 61–62.
↑ "Army Ranks 1946 - 1982". Kokosar. Archived from the original on 18 February 2020. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
1 2 3 4 Soper 1992, p. 264.
1 2 3 4 5 6 Military Publishing and Newspaper Center 1989, pp. 175–190.
↑ Naredba o ratnoj vojnoj uniformi članova Presedništva SFRJ (Službeni vojni list, br. 3/88), transl. Order on the wartime military uniform of the members of the Presidency of the SFRY (Official Military Gazette, No. 3/88)
↑ Chapter VII, Section IV "Military uniform of the members of the Presidency of the SFRY", Article 221 of the Military Uniforms Regulation of the Armed Forces of the SFRY as published in the Official Military Gazette, No. 828/1988.
↑ Articles 313 and 328 of the 1974 Yugoslav Constitution

Soper, Karl Wheele (1992). "National Security". In Curtis, Glenn E. (ed.). Yugoslavia: a country study. Area Handbook (3rd ed.). Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress. LCCN 91040323. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
Thomas, Nigel; Abbott, Peter (1983). Windrow, Martin (ed.). Partisan Warfare 1941-45. Men-at-Arms. Hong Kong: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 0-85045-513-8.
"Die jugoslawische Armee" [The Yugoslav Army]. Der Landser (in German). Hamburg: Erich Pabel Verlag. December 1975.
Pravilo О Vojnim Uniformama Oruzanih Snaga SFRJ (in Serbian). Beograd: Military Publishing and Newspaper Center. 1989. pp. 175–190. Retrieved 15 July 2024.

External links

"Yugoslavia 1943–1992 (Socialist Federal Republic)". uniforminsignia.org. The International Encyclopedia of Uniform Insignia. Retrieved 19 October 2021.

[fn1-2] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Marshal of Yugoslavia was an highest military distinction of the Supreme Commander of Armed Forces and not a military rank. The first and the only one was given to Josip Broz Tito, who (beside the title of Maršal and Supreme Commander), also held the lifelong function of the President of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the leader of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia.

[fn2-3] 1 2 3 Renamed in 1952 as General-potpukovnik.

[fn3-4] 1 2 3 4 Established 1952.

[fn4-5] 1 2 3 4 Abolished 1952 as Junior officer and moved to Senior NCO in 1953.

[8] General was highest military rank for deputy supreme commander. Established 1955 and abolished 1974. Ivan Gošnjak, while serving as a defence minister and deputy supreme commander of SFRY, was considered for promotion to this rank. No officers were promoted to this rank.

[9] Established 1955.

[13] Established 1982. No officers were promoted to this rank.

[FOOTNOTEThomasAbbott198326-1] 1 2 Thomas & Abbott 1983, p. 26.

[armylex-6] Army Lexicon. Belgrade: Military Publishing Institute of the Yugoslav People's Army. 1981. Retrieved 15 November 2022.

[FOOTNOTELandser197561–62-7] 1 2 Landser 1975, pp. 61–62.

[kokosar-10] "Army Ranks 1946 - 1982". Kokosar. Archived from the original on 18 February 2020. Retrieved 15 November 2022.

[FOOTNOTESoper1992264-11] 1 2 3 4 Soper 1992, p. 264.

[FOOTNOTEMilitary_Publishing_and_Newspaper_Center1989175–190-12] 1 2 3 4 5 6 Military Publishing and Newspaper Center 1989, pp. 175–190.

[14] Naredba o ratnoj vojnoj uniformi članova Presedništva SFRJ (Službeni vojni list, br. 3/88), transl. Order on the wartime military uniform of the members of the Presidency of the SFRY (Official Military Gazette, No. 3/88)

[15] Chapter VII, Section IV "Military uniform of the members of the Presidency of the SFRY", Article 221 of the Military Uniforms Regulation of the Armed Forces of the SFRY as published in the Official Military Gazette, No. 828/1988.

[16] Articles 313 and 328 of the 1974 Yugoslav Constitution

[1]

[a]

[b]

[c]

[d]

[2]

[3]

[e]

[f]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[g]

[7]

[8]

[9]

v t e Yugoslav People's Army
Leadership	Commander-in-Chief Federal Secretary of People's Defence Chief of the General Staff
Branches	Yugoslav Ground Forces Yugoslav Navy Ships Yugoslav Air Force Territorial Defense
Counterintelligence	KOS
Personnel	Yugoslav People's Army ranks
Decorations	Orders, decorations, and medals

Ranks (1945–1946)

Officers

Other ranks

Ranks (1946–1953)

Officers

Other ranks

Ranks (1953–1982)

Officers

Other ranks

Ranks (1982–1992)

Officers

Other ranks

See also

Notes

References

External links