List of German defence ministers
The Federal Minister of Defence (German: Bundesminister der Verteidigung) is the head of the Federal Ministry of Defence and a member of the Federal Cabinet.
| Federal Minister of Defence | |
|---|---|
| Bundesminister der Verteidigung | |
 | |
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| Federal Ministry of Defence | |
| Reports to | The Federal Chancellor |
| Appointer | The President, upon advice of the Federal Chancellor |
| Formation | 13 February 1919 |
| First holder | Gustav Noske (Weimar Republic) Theodor Blank (Federal Republic of Germany) |
| Website | bmvg.de |
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According to Article 65a of the German Constitution (German: Grundgesetz), the Federal Minister of Defence is commander-in-chief (German: Inhaber der Befehls- und Kommandogewalt) of the German armed forces, the Bundeswehr, in peacetime.[1] Conversely, when a state of defence is declared, the Federal Chancellor becomes commander-in-chief.[2] The highest-ranking military officer in the Bundeswehr is the Inspector General of the Bundeswehr (German: Generalinspekteur der Bundeswehr).
The most recent individual to have served as Federal Minister of Defence is Christine Lambrecht, who served from 8 December 2021 until her resignation from the office of Federal Minister of Defence on 16 January 2023. As of 19 January 2023, Boris Pistorius is the incumbent Federal Minister of Defence.[3]
List of officeholders
Ministers of Defence, 1919–1935
| No. | Portrait | Minister of Defence | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party | Cabinet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gustav Noske (1868–1946) | 13 February 1919 | 22 March 1920 | 1 year, 38 days | SPD | Scheidemann Bauer | |
| 2 | Otto Gessler (1875–1955) | 27 March 1920 | 19 January 1928 | 7 years, 298 days | DDP | Müller I Fehrenbach Wirth I−II Cuno Stresemann I−II Marx I−II Luther I−II Marx III−IV | |
| 3 | Wilhelm Groener (1867–1939) | 19 January 1928 | 30 May 1932 | 4 years, 132 days | Independent | Marx IV Müller II Brüning I−II | |
| 4 | Kurt von Schleicher (1882–1934) | 1 June 1932 | 28 January 1933 | 243 days | Independent | Papen Schleicher | |
| 5 | Werner von Blomberg (1878–1946) | 28 January 1933 | 21 May 1935 | 2 years, 113 days | Independent | Schleicher Hitler |
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Minister of War, 1935–1938
| No. | Portrait | Minister of War | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party | Cabinet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Werner von Blomberg (1878–1946) | 21 May 1935 | 27 January 1938 | 2 years, 251 days | Independent | Hitler |
In 1938 the Ministry of War was abolished and replaced by the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (OKW), as a result of the Blomberg–Fritsch affair.
Chief of the OKW (de facto Minister of War, 1938–1945)
| No. | Portrait | Chief of the OKW | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party | Cabinet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wilhelm Keitel (1882–1946) | 4 February 1938 | 8 May 1945 | 7 years, 93 days | Independent | Hitler Goebbels Schwerin von Krosigk |
Minister of War, 1945
| No. | Portrait | Minister of War | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party | Cabinet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Karl Dönitz (1891–1980) | 30 April 1945 | 23 May 1945 | 23 days | NSDAP | Goebbels Schwerin von Krosigk |
Ministers of Defence of the GDR, 1956–1990
| No. | Portrait | Minister of Defence | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party | Chairman |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Willi Stoph (1914–1999) | 1 March 1956 | 14 July 1960 | 4 years, 135 days | SED | Grotewohl | |
| 2 | Heinz Hoffmann (1910–1985) | 14 July 1960 | 2 December 1985 † | 25 years, 141 days | SED | Grotewohl Stoph Sindermann Stoph | |
| 3 | Heinz Kessler (1920–2017) | 3 December 1985 | 18 November 1989 | 3 years, 351 days | SED | Stoph Modrow | |
| 4 | Theodor Hoffmann (1935–2018) | 18 November 1989 | 12 April 1990 | 145 days | SED | Modrow | |
| 5 | Rainer Eppelmann (born 1943) | 12 April 1990 | 2 October 1990 | 173 days | DA | de Maizière |
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Ministers of Defence (Bundesminister der Verteidigung), since 1955
| No. | Portrait | Name | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party | Cabinet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Theodor Blank (1905–1972) | 7 June 1955 | 16 October 1956 | 1 year, 131 days | CDU | Adenauer II | |
| 2 | Franz Josef Strauß (1915–1988) | 16 October 1956 | 9 January 1963 | 6 years, 85 days | CSU | Adenauer II–V | |
| 3 | Kai-Uwe von Hassel (1913–1997) | 9 January 1963 | 1 December 1966 | 3 years, 326 days | CDU | Erhard I–II | |
| 4 | Gerhard Schröder (1910–1989) | 1 December 1966 | 21 October 1969 | 2 years, 324 days | CDU | Kiesinger I | |
| 5 | Helmut Schmidt (1918–2015) | 22 October 1969 | 7 July 1972 | 2 years, 259 days | SPD | Brandt I | |
| 6 | Georg Leber (1920–2012) | 7 July 1972 | 16 February 1978 | 5 years, 224 days | SPD | Brandt I–II Schmidt I–II | |
| 7 | Hans Apel (1932–2011) | 17 February 1978 | 1 October 1982 | 4 years, 226 days | SPD | Schmidt II–III | |
| 8 | Manfred Wörner (1934–1994) | 4 October 1982 | 18 May 1988 | 5 years, 227 days | CDU | Kohl I–II–III | |
| 9 | Rupert Scholz (born 1937) | 18 May 1988 | 21 April 1989 | 338 days | CDU | Kohl III | |
| 10 | Gerhard Stoltenberg (1928–2001) | 21 April 1989 | 31 March 1992 | 2 years, 345 days | CDU | Kohl III–IV | |
| 11 | Volker Rühe (born 1942) | 1 April 1992 | 26 October 1998 | 6 years, 188 days | CDU | Kohl IV–V | |
| 12 | Rudolf Scharping (born 1947) | 27 October 1998 | 19 July 2002 | 3 years, 265 days | SPD | Schröder I | |
| 13 | Peter Struck (1943–2012) | 19 July 2002 | 22 November 2005 | 3 years, 126 days | SPD | Schröder II | |
| 14 | Franz Josef Jung (born 1949) | 22 November 2005 | 28 October 2009 | 3 years, 340 days | CDU | Merkel I | |
| 15 | Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg (born 1971) | 28 October 2009 | 3 March 2011 | 1 year, 126 days | CSU | Merkel II | |
| 16 | Thomas de Maizière (born 1954) | 3 March 2011 | 17 December 2013 | 2 years, 289 days | CDU | Merkel II | |
| 17 | Ursula von der Leyen (born 1958) | 17 December 2013 | 17 July 2019 | 5 years, 212 days | CDU | Merkel III–IV | |
| 18 | Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (born 1962) | 17 July 2019 | 8 December 2021 | 2 years, 144 days | CDU | Merkel IV | |
| 19 | Christine Lambrecht (born 1965) | 8 December 2021 | 19 January 2023 | 1 year, 42 days | SPD | Scholz | |
| 20 | Boris Pistorius (born 1960) | 19 January 2023 | Incumbent | 120 days | SPD | Scholz |
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References
- "Art 65a Basic Law". Gesetze-im-internet.de. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
- "Art 115b Basic Law". Gesetze-im-internet.de. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
- tagesschau.de. "Pistorius tritt Amt an - Treffen mit Austin". tagesschau.de (in German). Retrieved 19 January 2023.
External links
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