List of German defence ministers
Encyclopedia
This page contains a List of German defence ministers
For pre-1919 Prussian Ministers of War, see Prussian Minister of War
.
For pre-1919 Prussian Ministers of War, see Prussian Minister of War
Prussian Minister of War
The Prussian War Ministry was gradually established between 1808 and 1809 as part of a series of reforms initiated by the Military Reorganization Commission created after the disastrous Treaty of Paris. The War Ministry was to help bring the army under constitutional control, and, along with the...
.
Ministers of Defence, 1919–1935
- Gustav NoskeGustav NoskeGustav Noske was a German politician of the Social Democratic Party of Germany . He served as the first Minister of Defence of Germany between 1919 and 1920.-Biography:...
(SPDSocial Democratic Party of GermanyThe Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
) 1919–1920 - Otto Geßler (DDP) 1920–1928
- Wilhelm GroenerWilhelm GroenerKarl Eduard Wilhelm Groener was a German soldier and politician.-Biography:He was born in Ludwigsburg in the Kingdom of Württemberg, the son of a regimental paymaster. He entered the Württemberg Army in 1884, and attended the War Academy from 1893 to 1897, whereupon he was appointed to the General...
1928–1932 - Kurt von SchleicherKurt von SchleicherKurt von Schleicher was a German general and the last Chancellor of Germany during the era of the Weimar Republic. Seventeen months after his resignation, he was assassinated by order of his successor, Adolf Hitler, in the Night of the Long Knives....
1932 - Ferdinand von BredowFerdinand von BredowFerdinand von Bredow was a German Generalmajor and former head of the Abwehr in the Reich Defence Ministry and deputy defence minister in Kurt von Schleicher's cabinet .Bredow was, along with Schleicher, among Adolf Hitler's bitterest...
(acting) 1932–1933 - Werner von BlombergWerner von BlombergWerner Eduard Fritz von Blomberg was a German Generalfeldmarschall, Minister of War and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces until January 1938.-Early life:...
1933–1935
Ministers of War, 1935–1938
- Werner von BlombergWerner von BlombergWerner Eduard Fritz von Blomberg was a German Generalfeldmarschall, Minister of War and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces until January 1938.-Early life:...
1935–1938
- In 1938 the Ministry of War was abolished and replaced by the Oberkommando der WehrmachtOberkommando der WehrmachtThe Oberkommando der Wehrmacht was part of the command structure of the armed forces of Nazi Germany during World War II.- Genesis :...
.
Ministers of Defence of the German Democratic Republic, 1956–1990
- Willi StophWilli StophWilli Stoph was an East German politician. He served as Prime Minister of the German Democratic Republic from 1964 to 1973, and again from 1976 until 1989.-Biography:...
1956–1960 - Heinz HoffmannHeinz HoffmannHeinz Hoffmann was Minister of National Defense in the Council of Ministers of the German Democratic Republic, and since October 2, 1973 Member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Socialist Unity Party .-Youth:Hoffmann came from a working class family...
1960–1985 - Heinz KesslerHeinz KesslerHeinz Kessler was an Armeegeneral in the National People's Army of the German Democratic Republic ; Minister of Defense of the GDR; a member of the Politbüro of the Central Committee of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany ; and a deputy of the GDR's Volkskammer...
1985–1989 - Theodor HoffmannTheodor Hoffmann (admiral)Theodor Hoffmann East German Admiral who served as the head of the People's Navy and as the last Minister of National Defense of the Germany Democratic Republic and head of the National People's Army.-Early life:Hoffmann worked from 1949 to 1951 in agriculture...
1989–1990 - Rainer EppelmannRainer EppelmannRainer Eppelmann , is a German politician. Known for his opposition in the German Democratic Republic, he became Minister for Disarmament and Defense in the last cabinet. He is now a member of the CDU....
1990
Ministers of Defence of the Federal Republic, 1955-present
- Theodor BlankTheodor BlankTheodor Anton Blank was a German politician of the CDU. He was one of the founders of the CDU in 1945....
1955–1956 - Franz Josef StraußFranz Josef StraußFranz Josef Strauss was a German politician. He was the leader of the Christian Social Union, member of the federal cabinet in different positions and long-time minister-president of the state of Bavaria....
1956–1963 - Kai-Uwe von HasselKai-Uwe von HasselKai-Uwe von Hassel was a German politician from Schleswig-Holstein associated with the CDU party.Von Hassel was born in Gare, German East Africa ....
1963–1966 - Gerhard SchröderGerhard Schröder (CDU)Gerhard Schröder was a West German politician and member of the Christian Democratic Union Party.A lawyer by profession, Schröder joined the Nazi Party and the SA in 1933....
1966–1969 - Helmut SchmidtHelmut SchmidtHelmut Heinrich Waldemar Schmidt is a German Social Democratic politician who served as Chancellor of West Germany from 1974 to 1982. Prior to becoming chancellor, he had served as Minister of Defence and Minister of Finance. He had also served briefly as Minister of Economics and as acting...
1969–1972 - Georg LeberGeorg LeberGeorg Leber is a German politician in the Social Democratic Party of Germany .After serving in the Luftwaffe in World War 2, he joined the SPD in 1947...
1972–1978 - Hans ApelHans ApelHans Eberhard Apel was a German politician and a member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany . From 1972-74 he was Parliamentary State Secretary to the Foreign Minister...
1978–1982 - Manfred WörnerManfred WörnerManfred Hermann Wörner was a German politician and diplomat. He served as the defense minister of West Germany between 1982 and 1988. He then served as the seventh Secretary General of NATO from 1988 to 1994. His term as Secretary General saw the end of the Cold War and the German reunification...
1982–1988 - Rupert ScholzRupert ScholzRupert Scholz is a German politician of the Christian Democratic Union. He was Federal Minister of Defence from 1988 to 1989.Scholz is also a member of the Advisory Board of the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy....
1988–1989 - Gerhard StoltenbergGerhard StoltenbergGerhard Stoltenberg was a German politician and minister in the cabinets of Ludwig Erhard, Kurt Georg Kiesinger and Helmut Kohl. He served as minister-president of the German state of Schleswig-Holstein from 1971 to 1982 and as such as President of the Bundesrat in 1977/78.-Life:Stoltenberg was...
1989–1992 - Volker RüheVolker RüheVolker Rühe is a German politician affiliated with the CDU. He served as German Defence minister from April 1, 1992, succeeding Gerhard Stoltenberg during the first government of a reunified Germany in the fourth cabinet of Chancellor Kohl, to the end of the fifth Kohl Cabinet on October 27, 1998...
1992–1998 - Rudolf ScharpingRudolf ScharpingRudolf Scharping is a German politician .Scharping studied politics, sociology and law at the University of Bonn. He joined the Social Democratic Party in 1966. He was Member of the Rhineland-Palatine Parliament from 1975 to 1994. From 21 May 1991 to 15 October 1994 he was prime minister of the...
1998–2002 - Peter StruckPeter StruckPeter Struck was the German Minister of Defence under chancellor Gerhard Schröder from 22 October 2002 until 2005. A lawyer, Struck is a member of the Social Democratic Party.-Education:* 1962: Abitur...
2002–2005 - Franz Josef JungFranz Josef JungFranz Josef Jung is a German politician of the Christian Democratic Union . He became Federal Minister of Defence in the Grand coalition cabinet of Angela Merkel on 22 November 2005...
2005–2009 - Karl-Theodor zu GuttenbergKarl-Theodor zu GuttenbergKarl-Theodor Freiherr zu Guttenberg is a German politician of the Christian Social Union ....
2009–2011 - Thomas de MaizièreThomas de MaizièreKarl Ernst Thomas de Maizière is a German politician , currently serving as the Minister of Defence in the Second Cabinet of Chancellor Angela Merkel....
2011–