This list represents the heads of the German Federal Ministry of Defense and the institutions performing the respective functions. It covers the historical period from the formation of the Weimar Republic to the present.
Content
Weimar Republic Ministers of Defense, 1919-1933
Coat of arms of the Weimar Republic
| Name | Date of taking office | Dismissal Date | The consignment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gustav Noske | February 13, 1919 | March 20, 1920 | SPD |
| Otto Gessler | March 27, 1920 | January 19, 1928 | NDP |
| Wilhelm GrΓΆner | January 19, 1928 | May 30, 1932 | - |
| Kurt von Schleicher | May 30, 1932 | January 30, 1933 | - |
| Ferdinand von Bredov (acting) | December 3, 1932 | January 30, 1933 | - |
Defense Ministers of the Third Reich, 1933-1945
Coat of arms of the Third Reich
Minister of Defense of the Third Reich, 1933-1935
| Name | Date of taking office | Dismissal Date | The consignment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Werner von Blomberg | January 30, 1933 | 1935 | - |
Minister of War of the Third Reich, 1935-1938
| Name | Date of taking office | Dismissal Date | The consignment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Werner von Blomberg | 1935 | January 27, 1938 | - |
In 1938, the Ministry of War was abolished and the β OKW - High Command of the Armed Forces of Germanyβ was created.
Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of the Third Reich, 1938-1945
| Name | Date of taking office | Dismissal Date | The consignment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adolf Gitler | February 4, 1938 | April 30, 1945 | NSDAP |
| Karl DΓΆnitz | April 30, 1945 | May 23, 1945 | NSDAP |
Minister of War of the Third Reich, 1945
On May 1, 1945, the War Ministry was re-established in the Government of Schwerin von Krozig . The first and last head of the restored ministry was Karl DΓΆnitz .
| Name | Date of taking office | Dismissal Date | The consignment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Karl DΓΆnitz | May 1, 1945 | May 23, 1945 | NSDAP |
Ministers of Defense of the Federal Republic of Germany, 1949-1990
Coat of arms of Germany
| Name | Date of taking office | Dismissal Date | The consignment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Theodore Blank | June 8, 1955 | October 15, 1956 | CDU |
| Franz Joseph Strauss | October 16, 1956 | January 8, 1963 | CSU |
| Kai-Uwe von Hassel | January 9, 1963 | November 30, 1966 | CDU |
| Gerhard Schroeder | December 1, 1966 | October 21, 1969 | CDU |
| Helmut Schmidt | October 22, 1969 | July 6, 1972 | SPD |
| Georg Leber | July 7, 1972 | February 15, 1978 | SPD |
| Hans Apel | February 16, 1978 | October 3, 1982 | SPD |
| Manfred Werner | October 4, 1982 | May 17, 1988 | CDU |
| Rupert Scholz | May 18, 1988 | April 20, 1989 | CDU |
| Gerhard Stoltenberg | April 21, 1989 | October 2, 1990 | CDU |
Ministers of National Defense of the German Democratic Republic, 1949-1990
Coat of arms of the GDR
Ministers of National Defense of the German Democratic Republic, 1949-1990
| Name | Date of taking office | Dismissal Date | The consignment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Willy Stoff | November 15, 1950 | July 13, 1960 | SED |
| Heinz Hoffmann | July 14, 1960 | December 2, 1985 | SED |
| Heinz Kessler | December 3, 1985 | November 17, 1989 | SED |
| Theodore Hoffman | November 18, 1989 | April 11, 1990 | SED |
Minister for Disarmament and Defense of the German Democratic Republic, 1990
| Name | Date of taking office | Dismissal Date | The consignment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rainer Eppelman | April 12, 1990 | October 2, 1990 | Democratic breakthrough |
Ministers of Defense of the Federal Republic of Germany, 1990-today
Coat of arms of Germany
| Name | Date of taking office | Dismissal Date | The consignment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gerhard Stoltenberg | October 2, 1990 | April 1, 1992 | CDU |
| Volker Ruge | April 1, 1992 | October 26, 1998 | CDU |
| Rudolph Sharping | October 27, 1998 | July 18, 2002 | SPD |
| Peter Struck | July 19, 2002 | November 21, 2005 | SPD |
| Franz Josef Jung | November 22, 2005 | October 27, 2009 | CDU |
| Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg | October 28, 2009 | March 1, 2011 | CSU |
| Thomas de Mezieres | March 3, 2011 | December 17, 2013 | CDU |
| Ursula von der Leyen | December 17, 2013 | July 17, 2019 | CDU |
| Annegret Crump-Carrenbauer | July 17, 2019 | CDU |
Links
- Ministry of Defense website (German)