This is a list of all Danish Minister of Defences.
The current office was established in 1905, merging the two previous positions of War Minister (for army matters) and Navy Minister.
No. | Portrait | Minister of Defence | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party | Cabinet |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Jens Christian Christensen (1856–1930) | 14 January 1905 | 12 October 1908 | 3 years, 272 days | Venstre Reform | Christensen Cabinet | |
2 | Niels Thomasius Neergaard (1854–1936) | 12 October 1908 | 16 September 1909 | 339 days | Moderate Venstre | Neergaard I Cabinet | |
(1) | Jens Christian Christensen (1856–1930) | 16 September 1909 | 18 October 1909 | 32 days | Venstre Reform | Holstein-Ledreborg Cabinet | |
3 | Ludvig Holstein-Ledreborg (1839–1912) | 18 October 1909 | 28 October 1909 | 10 days | Nonpartisan | Holstein-Ledreborg Cabinet | |
4 | Christopher Krabbe (1833–1913) | 28 October 1909 | 5 July 1910 | 250 days | Social Liberals | Zahle I Cabinet | |
5 | Klaus Berntsen (1844–1927) | 5 July 1910 | 21 June 1913 | 2 years, 351 days | Moderate Venstre | Berntsen Cabinet | |
6 | Peter Rochegune Munch (1870–1948) | 21 June 1913 | 30 March 1920 | 6 years, 283 days | Social Liberals | Zahle II Cabinet | |
7 | Henri Konow (1862–1939) | 30 March 1920 | 5 April 1920 | 6 days | Nonpartisan | Liebe Cabinet | |
8 | Michael Pedersen Friis (1857–1944) | 5 April 1920 | 5 May 1920 | 30 days | Nonpartisan | Friis Cabinet | |
9 | Klaus Berntsen (1844–1927) | 5 May 1920 | 9 October 1922 | 2 years, 157 days | Venstre | Neergaard II Cabinet | |
10 | Søren Brorsen (1875–1961) | 9 October 1922 | 23 April 1924 | 1 year, 197 days | Venstre | Neergaard III Cabinet | |
11 | Laust Rasmussen (1862–1941) | 23 April 1924 | 14 December 1926 | 2 years, 235 days | Social Democrats | Stauning I Cabinet | |
(10) | Søren Brorsen (1875–1961) | 14 December 1926 | 30 April 1929 | 5 years, 7 days | Venstre | Madsen-Mygdal Cabinet | |
(11) | Laust Rasmussen (1862–1941) | 30 April 1929 | 24 November 1932 | 3 years, 208 days | Social Democrats | Stauning II Cabinet | |
12 | Hans Peter Hansen (Politician) (1872–1953) | 24 November 1932 | 31 May 1933 | 188 days | Social Democrats | Stauning II Cabinet | |
13 | Thorvald Stauning (1873–1942) | 31 May 1933 | 4 November 1935 | 2 years, 157 days | Social Democrats | Stauning II Cabinet | |
14 | Alsing Andersen (1893–1962) | 4 November 1935 | 10 April 1940 | 4 years, 158 days | Social Democrats | Stauning III Cabinet–IV–V | |
None (10 April 1940 – 8 July 1940) (Alsing Emanuel Andersen) | |||||||
None (8 July 1940 – 4 May 1942) (Søren Brorsen) | |||||||
(10) | Søren Brorsen (1875–1961) | 4 May 1942 | 29 August 1943 | 1 year, 117 days | Venstre | Stauning VI Cabinet Buhl I Cabinet Scavenius Cabinet | |
None (29 August 1943 – 5 May 1945) (Søren Brorsen) | |||||||
15 | Ole Bjørn Kraft (1893–1980) | 4 May 1942 | 29 August 1943 | 1 year, 117 days | Conservative | Buhl II Cabinet | |
16 | Harald Petersen (1893–1970) | 4 May 1942 | 29 August 1943 | 1 year, 117 days | Venstre | Kristensen Cabinet | |
17 | Hans Rasmus Hansen (1896–1971) | 13 November 1947 | 30 October 1950 | 3 years, 17 days | Social Democrats | Hedtoft I Cabinet | |
(16) | Harald Petersen (1893–1970) | 30 October 1950 | 30 September 1953 | 2 years, 335 days | Venstre | Eriksen Cabinet | |
(17) | Hans Rasmus Hansen (1896–1971) | 30 September 1953 | 25 May 1956 | 2 years, 238 days | Social Democrats | Hedtoft II Cabinet Hansen I Cabinet | |
18 | Poul Hansen (1913–1966) | 25 May 1956 | 15 November 1962 | 6 years, 174 days | Social Democrats | Hansen I Cabinet Kampmann I Cabinet Krag I Cabinet | |
19 | Victor Gram (1910–1969) | 15 November 1962 | 2 February 1968 | 5 years, 79 days | Social Democrats | Krag I Cabinet–II | |
20 | Erik Ninn-Hansen (1922–2014) | 2 February 1968 | 17 March 1971 | 3 years, 43 days | Conservative | Baunsgaard Cabinet | |
21 | Knud Østergaard (1922–1993) | 17 March 1971 | 11 October 1971 | 208 days | Conservative | Baunsgaard Cabinet | |
22 | Kjeld Olesen (born 1932) | 11 October 1971 | 27 September 1973 | 1 year, 351 days | Social Democrats | Krag III Cabinet Jørgensen I Cabinet | |
23 | Orla Møller (1916–1979) | 27 September 1973 | 19 December 1973 | 83 days | Social Democrats | Jørgensen I Cabinet | |
24 | Erling Brøndum (1930–2017) | 19 December 1973 | 13 February 1975 | 1 year, 56 days | Venstre | Hartling Cabinet | |
(23) | Orla Møller (1916–1979) | 13 February 1975 | 1 October 1977 | 2 years, 230 days | Social Democrats | Jørgensen II Cabinet | |
25 | Poul Søgaard (1923–2016) | 1 October 1977 | 10 September 1982 | 4 years, 344 days | Social Democrats | Jørgensen II Cabinet–III–IV–V | |
26 | Hans Engell (born 1948) | 10 September 1982 | 10 September 1987 | 5 years, 0 days | Conservative | Schlüter I Cabinet | |
27 | Bernt Johan Collet (born 1941) | 10 September 1987 | 3 June 1988 | 267 days | Conservative | Schlüter II Cabinet | |
28 | Knud Enggaard (born 1929) | 3 June 1988 | 25 January 1993 | 4 years, 236 days | Venstre | Schlüter III Cabinet–IV | |
29 | Hans Hækkerup (1945–2013) | 25 January 1993 | 21 December 2000 | 7 years, 331 days | Social Democrats | Poul Nyrup Rasmussen I Cabinet–II–III–IV | |
30 | Jan Trøjborg (1955–2012) | 21 December 2000 | 27 November 2001 | 341 days | Social Democrats | Poul Nyrup Rasmussen IV Cabinet | |
31 | Svend Aage Jensby (born 1940) | 27 November 2001 | 24 April 2004 | 2 years, 149 days | Venstre | Anders Fogh Rasmussen I Cabinet | |
32 | Søren Gade (born 1963) | 24 April 2004 | 23 February 2010 | 5 years, 305 days | Venstre | Anders Fogh Rasmussen I Cabinet–II–III Lars Løkke Rasmussen I Cabinet | |
33 | Gitte Lillelund Bech (born 1969) | 23 February 2010 | 3 October 2011 | 1 year, 222 days | Venstre | Lars Løkke Rasmussen I Cabinet | |
34 | Nick Hækkerup (born 1968) | 3 October 2011 | 9 August 2013 | 1 year, 310 days | Social Democrats | Thorning-Schmidt I Cabinet | |
35 | Nicolai Wammen (born 1971) | 9 August 2013 | 28 June 2015 | 1 year, 323 days | Social Democrats | Thorning-Schmidt I Cabinet–II | |
36 | Carl Holst (born 1970) | 28 June 2015 | 30 September 2015 | 94 days | Venstre | Lars Løkke Rasmussen II Cabinet | |
37 | Peter Christensen (born 1975) | 30 September 2015 | 28 November 2016 | 1 year, 59 days | Venstre | Lars Løkke Rasmussen II Cabinet | |
38 | Claus Hjort Frederiksen (born 1947) | 28 November 2016 | 27 June 2019 | 2 years, 211 days | Venstre | Lars Løkke Rasmussen III Cabinet | |
39 | Trine Bramsen (born 1981) | 27 June 2019 | 4 February 2022 | 2 years, 222 days | Social Democrats | Frederiksen Cabinet | |
40 | Morten Bødskov (born 1970) | 4 February 2022 | Incumbent | 175 days | Social Democrats | Frederiksen Cabinet |
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