Anatoly Kvashnin

General of the Army Anatoly Vasiliyevich Kvashnin (; born 15 August 1946, Ufa) was the Chief of the Russian General Staff from 1997 to 2004, when he was dismissed by President Vladimir Putin.
Kvashnin graduated from the Kurgan Machine-building Institute in 1969 and served in the armed forces from this time. He began serving in the military as deputy commander of a tank company then moved on to hold various command and staff positions. He later attended the Malinovsky Tank Academy graduating in 1976. It was reported that he commanded the 78th Tank Division in the Central Asia Military District from 1982 to 1987. He graduated from the USSR Armed Forces General Staff Academy in 1989. He holds a candidate degree in sociological sciences, a doctorate in military sciences and is a corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Missile and Artillery Science.
Kvashnin had previously served as commander of the North Caucasus Military District. As of 2007, he served as the President's Representative in the Siberian Federal District.
As Chief of the Russian General Staff he had some success in reforming the command structure for the strategic deterrent forces, but feuded with Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov and many of his subordinates. Kvashnin also proved to be indecisive at times, he split then merged the Volga-Urals Military District, combined the Strategic Rocket Forces with the Russian Space Forces and the Early Warning System, then restored their independence.