Života Panić

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Života Panić
November 3, 1933 - November 19, 2003 (aged 70)
Života Panić circa 1995
Place of birth	Gornja Crnisava, Yugoslavia
Place of death	Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro
Allegiance	Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
Service/branch	SFR Yugoslavia , FR Yugoslavia
Years of service	1970s-1993
Rank	Colonel General
Battles/wars	Yugoslav wars

Života Panić (Serbian Cyrillic: Живота Панић) (born November 3, 1933, Gornja Crnisava, Kingdom of Yugoslavia - died November 19, 2003, Belgrade, (former) Republic of Serbia and Montenegro) was the last acting minister of defence amd army chief of staff in the Yugoslav government.

Života Panić held the rank of General, he was in charge of the Yugoslav people's army after the resignation of general Blagoje Adžić in 1992. Panić was in office from until the dissolution of former yugoslavia in 1992. Panić held the rank of Chief of Staff in the successor to SFRY, the FRY until 1993 when he was sacked for scandals relating to his son Goran Panić who was supplying the army at supposed inflated prices.

Panić graduated from Yugoslavian military school as a tank commander and gradually rose through the ranks of the JNA through the 1970s and 1980s. He was given authority over the 1st Army District (Belgrade) and was the senior officer in charge of the units which fought in the battle of Vukovar.

When the complete dissolution of former Yugoslavia was steadily occurring around April 27, 1992, Panić's position was no longer applicable to the current political problems and complications. He was offered a position of Chief of Staff in the new VJ (Vojska Jugoslavije).

Panić began to re-align the Yugoslav army in 1993 with new battle-plans and strategies^{[citation needed]}, but was not prepared for the political power struggles that were occurring in Belgrade at the time and retired.

He died in Belgrade on November 19, 2003, shortly after his 70th birthday.

Military offices
Preceded by Blagoje Adžić	Chief of the General Staff of Yugoslav People's Army and Chief of the General Staff of Military of Yugoslavia ^{Army transofrmed 20 May 1992} 27 February 1992 - 26 August 1993	Succeeded by Momčilo Perišić
Preceded by Blagoje Adžić (acting)	Federal secretary of people's defense (acting) 27 February 1992 - 20 May 1992	Succeeded by Position abolished