List of ministers of defence (Denmark)

Flag of the Minister of Defense.

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.

List of Ministers of Defence (1905–present)

No.	Portrait	Minister of Defence	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Party	Cabinet
1		Christensen, Jens ChristianJens Christian Christensen (1856–1930)	14 January 1905	12 October 1908	3 years, 272 days	Venstre Reform	Christensen Cabinet
2		Neergaard, Niels ThomasiusNiels Thomasius Neergaard (1854–1936)	12 October 1908	16 September 1909	339 days	Moderate Venstre	Neergaard I Cabinet
(1)		Christensen, Jens ChristianJens Christian Christensen (1856–1930)	16 September 1909	18 October 1909	32 days	Venstre Reform	Holstein-Ledreborg Cabinet
3		Holstein-Ledreborg, LudvigLudvig Holstein-Ledreborg (1839–1912)	18 October 1909	28 October 1909	10 days	Nonpartisan	Holstein-Ledreborg Cabinet
4		Krabbe, ChristopherChristopher Krabbe (1833–1913)	28 October 1909	5 July 1910	250 days	Social Liberals	Zahle I Cabinet
5		Berntsen, KlausKlaus Berntsen (1844–1927)	5 July 1910	21 June 1913	2 years, 351 days	Moderate Venstre	Berntsen Cabinet
6		Munch, Peter RochegunePeter Rochegune Munch (1870–1948)	21 June 1913	30 March 1920	6 years, 283 days	Social Liberals	Zahle II Cabinet
7		Konow, HenriHenri Konow (1862–1939)	30 March 1920	5 April 1920	6 days	Nonpartisan	Liebe Cabinet
8		Friis, Michael PedersenMichael Pedersen Friis (1857–1944)	5 April 1920	5 May 1920	30 days	Nonpartisan	Friis Cabinet
9		Berntsen, KlausKlaus Berntsen (1844–1927)	5 May 1920	9 October 1922	2 years, 157 days	Venstre	Neergaard II Cabinet
10		Brorsen, SørenSøren Brorsen (1875–1961)	9 October 1922	23 April 1924	1 year, 197 days	Venstre	Neergaard III Cabinet
11		Rasmussen, LaustLaust Rasmussen (1862–1941)	23 April 1924	14 December 1926	2 years, 235 days	Social Democrats	Stauning I Cabinet
(10)		Brorsen, SørenSøren Brorsen (1875–1961)	14 December 1926	30 April 1929	5 years, 7 days	Venstre	Madsen-Mygdal Cabinet
(11)		Rasmussen, LaustLaust Rasmussen (1862–1941)	30 April 1929	24 November 1932	3 years, 208 days	Social Democrats	Stauning II Cabinet
12		Hansen, Hans PeterHans Peter Hansen (Politician) (1872–1953)	24 November 1932	31 May 1933	188 days	Social Democrats	Stauning II Cabinet
13		Stauning, ThorvaldThorvald Stauning (1873–1942)	31 May 1933	4 November 1935	2 years, 157 days	Social Democrats	Stauning II Cabinet
14		Andersen, AlsingAlsing 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)		Brorsen, SørenSøren 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		Kraft, Ole BjørnOle Bjørn Kraft (1893–1980)	4 May 1942	29 August 1943	1 year, 117 days	Conservatives	Buhl II Cabinet
16		Petersen, HaraldHarald Petersen (1893–1970)	4 May 1942	29 August 1943	1 year, 117 days	Venstre	Kristensen Cabinet
17		Hansen, Hans RasmusHans Rasmus Hansen (1896–1971)	13 November 1947	30 October 1950	3 years, 17 days	Social Democrats	Hedtoft I Cabinet
(16)		Petersen, HaraldHarald Petersen (1893–1970)	30 October 1950	30 September 1953	2 years, 335 days	Venstre	Eriksen Cabinet
(17)		Hansen, Hans RasmusHans Rasmus Hansen (1896–1971)	30 September 1953	25 May 1956	2 years, 238 days	Social Democrats	Hedtoft II Cabinet Hansen I Cabinet
18		Hansen, PoulPoul 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		Hansen, PoulVictor Gram (1910–1969)	15 November 1962	2 February 1968	5 years, 79 days	Social Democrats	Krag I Cabinet–II
20		Ninn-Hansen, ErikErik Ninn-Hansen (1922–2014)	2 February 1968	17 March 1971	3 years, 43 days	Conservatives	Baunsgaard Cabinet
21		Ninn-Hansen, ErikKnud Østergaard (1922–1993)	17 March 1971	11 October 1971	208 days	Conservatives	Baunsgaard Cabinet
22		Olesen, KjeldKjeld Olesen (born 1932)	11 October 1971	27 September 1973	1 year, 351 days	Social Democrats	Krag III Cabinet Jørgensen I Cabinet
23		Møller, OrlaOrla Møller (1916–1979)	27 September 1973	19 December 1973	83 days	Social Democrats	Jørgensen I Cabinet
24		Brøndum, ErlingErling Brøndum (1930–2017)	19 December 1973	13 February 1975	1 year, 56 days	Venstre	Hartling Cabinet
(23)		Møller, OrlaOrla Møller (1916–1979)	13 February 1975	1 October 1977	2 years, 230 days	Social Democrats	Jørgensen II Cabinet
25		Søgaard, PoulPoul Søgaard (1923–2016)	1 October 1977	10 September 1982	4 years, 344 days	Social Democrats	Jørgensen II Cabinet–III–IV–V
26		Engell, HansHans Engell (born 1948)	10 September 1982	10 September 1987	5 years, 0 days	Conservatives	Schlüter I Cabinet
27		Collet, Bernt JohanBernt Johan Collet (born 1941)	10 September 1987	3 June 1988	267 days	Conservatives	Schlüter II Cabinet
28		Enggaard, KnudKnud Enggaard (born 1929)	3 June 1988	25 January 1993	4 years, 236 days	Venstre	Schlüter III Cabinet–IV
29		Hækkerup, HansHans Hækkerup (1945–2013)	25 January 1993	21 December 2000	7 years, 331 days	Social Democrats	Poul Nyrup Rasmussen I Cabinet–II–III–IV
30		Trøjborg, JanJan Trøjborg (1955–2012)	21 December 2000	27 November 2001	341 days	Social Democrats	Poul Nyrup Rasmussen IV Cabinet
31		Jensby, Svend AageSvend Aage Jensby (born 1940)	27 November 2001	24 April 2004	2 years, 149 days	Venstre	Anders Fogh Rasmussen I Cabinet
32		Gade, SørenSøren 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		Bech, Gitte LillelundGitte Lillelund Bech (born 1969)	23 February 2010	3 October 2011	1 year, 222 days	Venstre	Lars Løkke Rasmussen I Cabinet
34		Hækkerup, NickNick Hækkerup (born 1968)	3 October 2011	9 August 2013	1 year, 310 days	Social Democrats	Thorning-Schmidt I Cabinet
35		Wammen, NicolaiNicolai Wammen (born 1971)	9 August 2013	28 June 2015	1 year, 323 days	Social Democrats	Thorning-Schmidt I Cabinet–II
36		Holst, CarlCarl Holst (born 1970)	28 June 2015	30 September 2015	94 days	Venstre	Lars Løkke Rasmussen II Cabinet
37		Christensen, PeterPeter Christensen (born 1975)	30 September 2015	28 November 2016	1 year, 59 days	Venstre	Lars Løkke Rasmussen II Cabinet
38		Frederiksen, Claus HjortClaus Hjort Frederiksen (born 1947)	28 November 2016	27 June 2019	2 years, 211 days	Venstre	Lars Løkke Rasmussen III Cabinet
39		Bramsen, TrineTrine 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	2 years, 296 days	Social Democrats	Frederiksen Cabinet