List of German defence ministers

The Federal Minister of Defence (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 (Grundgesetz), the Federal Minister of Defence is commander-in-chief (Inhaber der Befehls- und Kommandogewalt) of the German armed forces, the Bundeswehr, in peacetime. Conversely, when a state of defence is declared, the Federal Chancellor becomes commander-in-chief. The highest-ranking military officer in the Bundeswehr is the Inspector General of the Bundeswehr (Generalinspekteur der Bundeswehr).

The current Federal Minister of Defence is Boris Pistorius, since 19 January 2023.

Minister of War, 1935–1938
In 1938 the Ministry of War was abolished and replaced by the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (OKW), as a result of the Blomberg–Fritsch affair.

Ministers of Defence (Bundesminister der Verteidigung), since 1955

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