List of Minister of Defence (Denmark)

This is a list of all Danish Minister of Defences.

Flag of the Minister of Defense.

The current office was established in 1905, merging the two previous positions of War Minister (for army matters) and Navy Minister.

List of Ministers of Defence (1905–present)

No.		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 II
2		Niels Thomasius Neergaard (1854–1936)	12 October 1908	16 September 1909	339 days	Moderate Venstre	Neergaard I
(1)		Jens Christian Christensen (1856–1930)	16 September 1909	18 October 1909	32 days	Venstre Reform	Holstein-Ledreborg
3		Ludvig Holstein-Ledreborg (1839–1912)	18 October 1909	28 October 1909	10 days	Nonpartisan	Holstein-Ledreborg
4		Christopher Krabbe (1833–1913)	28 October 1909	5 July 1910	250 days	Social Liberals	Zahle I
5		Klaus Berntsen (1844–1927)	5 July 1910	21 June 1913	2 years, 351 days	Moderate Venstre	Berntsen
6		Peter Rochegune Munch (1870–1948)	21 June 1913	30 March 1920	6 years, 283 days	Social Liberals	Zahle II
7		Henri Konow (1862–1939)	30 March 1920	5 April 1920	6 days	Nonpartisan	Liebe
8		Michael Pedersen Friis (1857–1944)	5 April 1920	5 May 1920	30 days	Nonpartisan	Friis
9		Klaus Berntsen (1844–1927)	5 May 1920	9 October 1922	2 years, 157 days	Venstre	Neergaard II
10		Søren Brorsen (1875–1961)	9 October 1922	23 April 1924	1 year, 197 days	Venstre	Neergaard III
11		Laust Rasmussen (1862–1941)	23 April 1924	14 December 1926	2 years, 235 days	Social Democrats	Stauning I
(10)		Søren Brorsen (1875–1961)	14 December 1926	30 April 1929	5 years, 7 days	Venstre	Madsen-Mygdal
(11)		Laust Rasmussen (1862–1941)	30 April 1929	24 November 1932	3 years, 208 days	Social Democrats	Stauning II
12		Hans Peter Hansen (Politician) (1872–1953)	24 November 1932	31 May 1933	188 days	Social Democrats	Stauning II
13		Thorvald Stauning (1873–1942)	31 May 1933	4 November 1935	2 years, 157 days	Social Democrats	Stauning II
14		Alsing Andersen (1893–1962)	4 November 1935	10 April 1940	4 years, 158 days	Social Democrats	Stauning III–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 Buhl I Scavenius
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
16		Harald Petersen (1893–1970)	4 May 1942	29 August 1943	1 year, 117 days	Venstre	Kristensen
17		Hans Rasmus Hansen (1896–1971)	13 November 1947	30 October 1950	3 years, 17 days	Social Democrats	Hedtoft I
(16)		Harald Petersen (1893–1970)	30 October 1950	30 September 1953	2 years, 335 days	Venstre	Eriksen
(17)		Hans Rasmus Hansen (1896–1971)	30 September 1953	25 May 1956	2 years, 238 days	Social Democrats	Hedtoft II Hansen I
18		Poul Hansen (1913–1966)	25 May 1956	15 November 1962	6 years, 174 days	Social Democrats	Hansen I Kampmann I Krag I
19		Victor Gram (1910–1969)	15 November 1962	2 February 1968	5 years, 79 days	Social Democrats	Krag I–II
20		Erik Ninn-Hansen (1922–2014)	2 February 1968	17 March 1971	3 years, 43 days	Conservative	Baunsgaard
21		Knud Østergaard (1922–1993)	17 March 1971	11 October 1971	208 days	Conservative	Baunsgaard
22		Kjeld Olesen (born 1932)	11 October 1971	27 September 1973	1 year, 351 days	Social Democrats	Krag III Jørgensen I
23		Orla Møller (1916–1979)	27 September 1973	19 December 1973	83 days	Social Democrats	Jørgensen I
24		Erling Brøndum (1930–2017)	19 December 1973	13 February 1975	1 year, 56 days	Venstre	Hartling
(23)		Orla Møller (1916–1979)	13 February 1975	1 October 1977	2 years, 230 days	Social Democrats	Jørgensen II
25		Poul Søgaard (1923–2016)	1 October 1977	10 September 1982	4 years, 344 days	Social Democrats	Jørgensen II–III–IV–V
26		Hans Engell (born 1948)	10 September 1982	10 September 1987	5 years, 0 days	Conservative	Schlüter I
27		Bernt Johan Collet (born 1941)	10 September 1987	3 June 1988	267 days	Conservative	Schlüter II
28		Knud Enggaard (born 1929)	3 June 1988	25 January 1993	4 years, 236 days	Venstre	Schlüter III–IV
29		Hans Hækkerup (1945–2013)	25 January 1993	21 December 2000	7 years, 331 days	Social Democrats	P.N. Rasmussen I–II–III–IV
30		Jan Trøjborg (1955–2012)	21 December 2000	27 November 2001	341 days	Social Democrats	P.N. Rasmussen IV
31		Svend Aage Jensby (born 1940)	27 November 2001	24 April 2004	2 years, 149 days	Venstre	A.F. Rasmussen I
32		Søren Gade (born 1963)	24 April 2004	23 February 2010	5 years, 305 days	Venstre	A.F. Rasmussen I–II–III L.L. Rasmussen I
33		Gitte Lillelund Bech (born 1969)	23 February 2010	3 October 2011	1 year, 222 days	Venstre	L.L. Rasmussen I
34		Nick Hækkerup (born 1968)	3 October 2011	9 August 2013	1 year, 310 days	Social Democrats	Thorning-Schmidt I
35		Nicolai Wammen (born 1971)	9 August 2013	28 June 2015	1 year, 323 days	Social Democrats	Thorning-Schmidt I–II
36		Carl Holst (born 1970)	28 June 2015	30 September 2015	94 days	Venstre	L.L. Rasmussen II
37		Peter Christensen (born 1975)	30 September 2015	28 November 2016	1 year, 59 days	Venstre	L.L. Rasmussen II
38		Claus Hjort Frederiksen (born 1947)	28 November 2016	27 June 2019	2 years, 211 days	Venstre	L.L. Rasmussen III
39		Trine Bramsen (born 1981)	27 June 2019	Incumbent	1 year, 222 days	Social Democrats	Frederiksen

Notes