List of German defence ministers

For pre-1919 Prussian ministers of war, see List of war ministers of Prussia.

Federal Minister of Defence

Bundesminister der Verteidigung

Coat of arms

State flag

Incumbent
Boris Pistorius

since 19 January 2023

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

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.

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 current Federal Minister of Defence is Boris Pistorius, since 19 January 2023.[3]

## List of officeholders

[edit]

### Ministers of defence, 1919–1935

[edit]

No. | Portrait  | Minister of Defence | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party | Cabinet

|
|
|
|
|
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| Noske, GustavGustav Noske
(1868–1946)| 13 February 1919| 22 March 1920| 1 year, 38 days| SPD| Scheidemann
Bauer

| Gessler, OttoOtto 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

| Groener, WilhelmWilhelm Groener
(1867–1939)| 19 January 1928| 30 May 1932| 4 years, 132 days| Independent| Marx IV
Müller II
Brüning I−II

| Schleicher, KurtKurt von Schleicher
(1882–1934)| 1 June 1932| 28 January 1933| 243 days| Independent| Papen
Schleicher

| Blomberg, WernerWerner von Blomberg
(1878–1946)| 29 January 1933| 21 May 1935| 2 years, 112 days| Independent| Schleicher
Hitler

### Minister of war, 1935–1938

[edit]

No. | Portrait  | Minister of War | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party | Cabinet

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| Blomberg, WernerWerner 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.

### Chiefs of the OKW (de facto ministers of war, 1938–1945)

[edit]

No. | Portrait  | Chief of the OKW | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party | Cabinet

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| Keitel, WilhelmWilhelm Keitel
(1882–1946)| 4 February 1938| 13 May 1945| 7 years, 98 days| Independent| Hitler
Goebbels
Schwerin von Krosigk

| Jodl, AlfredAlfred Jodl
(1890–1946)| 13 May 1945| 23 May 1945| 10 days| Independent| Schwerin von Krosigk

### Minister of war, 1945

[edit]

No. | Portrait  | Minister of War | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party | Cabinet

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|
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| Dönitz, KarlKarl Dönitz
(1891–1980)| 30 April 1945| 23 May 1945| 23 days| NSDAP| Goebbels
Schwerin von Krosigk

Karl Dönitz was named as Minister of War in Hitler's testament.

### Ministers of defence of the GDR, 1956–1990

[edit]

No. | Portrait  | Minister of Defence | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party | Chairman

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| Stoph, WilliWilli Stoph
(1914–1999)| 1 March 1956| 14 July 1960| 4 years, 135 days| SED| Grotewohl

| Hoffmann, HeinzHeinz Hoffmann
(1910–1985)| 14 July 1960| 2 December 1985 †| 25 years, 141 days| SED| Grotewohl
Stoph
Sindermann
Stoph

| Kessler, HeinzHeinz Kessler
(1920–2017)| 3 December 1985| 18 November 1989| 3 years, 351 days| SED| Stoph
Modrow

| Hoffmann, TheodorTheodor Hoffmann
(1935–2018)| 18 November 1989| 12 April 1990| 145 days| SED| Modrow

| Eppelmann, RainerRainer Eppelmann
(born 1943)| 12 April 1990| 2 October 1990| 173 days| DA| de Maizière

### Ministers of defence (Bundesminister der Verteidigung), since 1955

[edit]

No. | Portrait  | Name | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party | Cabinet

|
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|
|
|
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| Blank, TheodorTheodor Blank
(1905–1972)| 7 June 1955| 16 October 1956| 1 year, 131 days| CDU| Adenauer II

| Strauß, FranzFranz Josef Strauss
(1915–1988)| 16 October 1956| 9 January 1963| 6 years, 85 days| CSU| Adenauer II–V

| Hassel, Kai-UweKai-Uwe von Hassel
(1913–1997)| 9 January 1963| 1 December 1966| 3 years, 326 days| CDU| Erhard I–II

| Schröder, GerhardGerhard Schröder
(1910–1989)| 1 December 1966| 21 October 1969| 2 years, 324 days| CDU| Kiesinger I

| Schmidt, HelmutHelmut Schmidt
(1918–2015)| 22 October 1969| 7 July 1972| 2 years, 259 days| SPD| Brandt I

| Leber, GeorgGeorg Leber
(1920–2012)| 7 July 1972| 16 February 1978| 5 years, 224 days| SPD| Brandt I–II
Schmidt I–II

| Apel, HansHans Apel
(1932–2011)| 17 February 1978| 1 October 1982| 4 years, 226 days| SPD| Schmidt II–III

| Wörner, ManfredManfred Wörner
(1934–1994)| 4 October 1982| 18 May 1988| 5 years, 227 days| CDU| Kohl I–II–III

| Scholz, RupertRupert Scholz
(born 1937)| 18 May 1988| 21 April 1989| 338 days| CDU| Kohl III
10|

| Stoltenberg, GerhardGerhard Stoltenberg
(1928–2001)| 21 April 1989| 31 March 1992| 2 years, 345 days| CDU| Kohl III–IV
11|

| Rühe, VolkerVolker Rühe
(born 1942)| 1 April 1992| 26 October 1998| 6 years, 188 days| CDU| Kohl IV–V
12|

| Scharping, RudolfRudolf Scharping
(born 1947)| 27 October 1998| 19 July 2002| 3 years, 265 days| SPD| Schröder I
13|

| Struck, PeterPeter Struck
(1943–2012)| 19 July 2002| 22 November 2005| 3 years, 126 days| SPD| Schröder II
14|

| Jung, FranzFranz Josef Jung
(born 1949)| 22 November 2005| 28 October 2009| 3 years, 340 days| CDU| Merkel I
15|

| Guttenberg, Karl-TheodorKarl-Theodor zu Guttenberg
(born 1971)| 28 October 2009| 3 March 2011| 1 year, 126 days| CSU| Merkel II
16|

| Maizière, ThomasThomas de Maizière
(born 1954)| 3 March 2011| 17 December 2013| 2 years, 289 days| CDU| Merkel II
17|

| Leyen, UrsulaUrsula von der Leyen
(born 1958)| 17 December 2013| 17 July 2019| 5 years, 212 days| CDU| Merkel III–IV
18|

| Kramp, AnnegretAnnegret Kramp-Karrenbauer
(born 1962)| 17 July 2019| 8 December 2021| 2 years, 144 days| CDU| Merkel IV
19|

| Lambrecht, ChristineChristine Lambrecht
(born 1965)| 8 December 2021| 19 January 2023| 1 year, 42 days| SPD| Scholz
20|

| Pistorius, BorisBoris Pistorius
(born 1960)| 19 January 2023| Incumbent| 2 years, 192 days| SPD| Scholz
Merz

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Art 65a Basic Law". Gesetze-im-internet.de. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
2. ^ "Art 115b Basic Law". Gesetze-im-internet.de. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
3. ^ tagesschau.de. "Pistorius tritt Amt an – Treffen mit Austin". tagesschau.de (in German). Retrieved 19 January 2023.

## External links

[edit]

* bmvg.de

* v
* t
* e

Defence ministers of Germany

Weimar Republic (1918–33) |

* Gustav Noske
* Otto Gessler
* Wilhelm Groener
* Kurt von Schleicher

Nazi Germany (1933–45) |

* Werner von Blomberg (1933–1938)
* Karl Dönitz (1945)

German Democratic Republic1 (1949–90) |

* Willi Stoph
* Heinz Hoffmann
* Heinz Kessler
* Theodor Hoffmann
* Rainer Eppelmann

Federal Republic of Germany (1949–present) |

* Theodor Blank
* Franz Josef Strauss
* Kai-Uwe von Hassel
* Gerhard Schröder
* Helmut Schmidt
* Georg Leber
* Hans Apel
* Manfred Wörner
* Rupert Scholz
* Gerhard Stoltenberg
* Volker Rühe
* Rudolf Scharping
* Peter Struck
* Franz Josef Jung
* Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg
* Thomas de Maizière
* Ursula von der Leyen
* Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer
* Christine Lambrecht
* Boris Pistorius

1 East Germany
*[No.]: Number
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