List of ministers of defence of the Netherlands

Minister of Defence of the Netherlands
Minister van Defensie
State Coat of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Flag of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Incumbent Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert since 5 November 2012
Ministry of Defence
Style	Her Excellency
Member of	Council of Ministers
Appointer	Mark Rutte as Prime Minister of the Netherlands
Formation	February 16, 1798 (1798-02-16)
First holder	Gerrit Jan Pijman (as Agent of War)
Salary	€144,000 (including €7,887.24 expenses)
Website	Template:En icon Ministry of Defence

The Minister of Defence (Dutch: Minister van Defensie) is the head of the Ministry of Defence and a member of the Cabinet of the Netherlands. Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert has been the Minister of Defence since 5 November 2012.

List of Ministers of Defence

For full list, see List of Ministers of Defence of the Netherlands. Template:Nl icon

Minister of Defence			Term of office	Party	Prime Minister (Cabinet)
style="background:Template:Catholic People's Party/meta/color;"|		Major Johan Lambooij (1874–1942)	1 September 1928 – 10 August 1929	Roman-Catholic State Party	Dirk Jan de Geer (De Geer I)
style="background:Template:Catholic People's Party/meta/color;"|		Laurentius Nicolaas Deckers (1883–1978)	10 August 1929 – 2 September 1935	Roman-Catholic State Party	Charles Ruijs de Beerenbrouck (De Beerenbrouck III) Hendrikus Colijn (Colijn II • III)
style="background:Template:Anti Revolutionary Party/meta/color;"|		Major Hendrikus Colijn (Ad interim Prime Minister) (1869–1944)	2 September 1935 – 24 June 1937	Anti-Revolutionary Party	Hendrikus Colijn (Colijn III)
style="background:Template:Anti Revolutionary Party/meta/color;"|		Captain Jannes van Dijk (1871–1954)	24 June 1937 – 10 August 1939	Anti-Revolutionary Party	Hendrikus Colijn (Colijn IV • V)
style="background:Template:Independent (politician)/meta/color;"|		Lieutenant general Adriaan Dijxhoorn (1889–1953)	10 August 1939 – 12 June 1941	Independent	Dirk Jan de Geer (De Geer II) Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy (Gerbrandy I)
style="background:Template:Christian Historical Union/meta/color;"|		Hendrik van Boeijen (1889–1947)	12 June 1941 – 27 July 1941	Christian Historical Union	Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy (Gerbrandy I)
		Minister of War	Minister of the Navy	Term of office	Party	Prime Minister (Cabinet)
style="background:Template:Christian Historical Union/meta/color;"|	Van Boeijen Furstner v.L.d. Jeude De Quay	Hendrik van Boeijen (1889–1947)	Lieutenant admiral Johan Furstner (1887–1970)	27 July 1941 – 15 September 1942	Christian Historical Union (v.Boeijen) Independent (Furstner)	Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy (Gerbrandy II)
style="background:Template:People's Party for Freedom and Democracy/meta/color;"|		Otto van Lidth de Jeude (1881–1952)		15 September 1942 – 23 February 1945	Liberal State Party (v.L.d.Jeude) Independent (Furstner)
style="background:Template:Independent (politician)/meta/color;"|		Lieutenant commander Jim de Booy (1885–1969)		23 February 1945 – 4 April 1945	Independent	Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy (Gerbrandy III)
style="background:Template:Catholic People's Party/meta/color;"|		Major Jan de Quay (1901–1985)	Lieutenant commander Jim de Booy (1885–1969)	4 April 1945 – 24 June 1945	Catholic People's Party (De Quay) Independent (De Booy)
style="background:Template:Anti Revolutionary Party/meta/color;"|		Major Jo Meynen (1901–1980)		24 June 1945 – 3 July 1946	Anti-Revolutionary Party (Meynen) Independent (De Booy)	Wim Schermerhorn (Schermerhorn-Drees)
rowspan=3 style="background:Template:Catholic People's Party/meta/color;"|	Fiévez	Colonel Alexander Fiévez (1902–1949)	Colonel Alexander Fiévez (Ad interim) (1902–1949)	3 July 1946 – 7 August 1946	Catholic People's Party (Fiévez) Independent (S.v.Leeuwen)	Louis Beel (Beel I)
Rear admiral Jules Schagen van Leeuwen (1896–1976)			7 August 1946 – 24 November 1947 [Res]
Colonel Alexander Fiévez (Ad interim) (1902–1949)			25 November 1947 – 7 August 1948
Minister of War and the Navy			Term of office	Party	Prime Minister (Cabinet)
style="background:Template:Christian Historical Union/meta/color;"|		Captain Wim Schokking (1900–1960)	7 August 1948 – 15 October 1950 [Res]	Christian Historical Union	Willem Drees (Drees-Van Schaik)
style="background:Template:Christian Historical Union/meta/color;"|		Captain Hans s'Jacob (1906–1967)	16 October 1950 – 15 March 1951	Christian Historical Union
style="background:Template:Christian Historical Union/meta/color;"|		Kees Staf (1905–1973)	15 March 1951 – 13 October 1956	Christian Historical Union	Willem Drees (Drees I • II)
Minister of Defence			Term of office	Party	Prime Minister (Cabinet)
style="background:Template:Christian Historical Union/meta/color;"|		Kees Staf (1905–1973)	13 October 1956 – 19 May 1959	Christian Historical Union	Willem Drees (III) Louis Beel (Beel II)
style="background:Template:People's Party for Freedom and Democracy/meta/color;"|		Major general Sidney J. van den Bergh (1898–1977)	19 May 1959 – 1 August 1959 [Res]	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy	Jan de Quay (De Quay)
style="background:Template:Catholic People's Party/meta/color;"|		Major Jan de Quay (Ad interim Prime Minister) (1901–1985)	1 August 1959 – 4 September 1959	Catholic People's Party
style="background:Template:People's Party for Freedom and Democracy/meta/color;"|		Sergeant Sim Visser (1908–1983)	4 September 1959 – 24 July 1963	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
style="background:Template:Catholic People's Party/meta/color;"|		Captain Piet de Jong (1915–2016)	24 July 1963 – 5 April 1967	Catholic People's Party	Victor Marijnen (Marijnen) Jo Cals (Cals) Jelle Zijlstra (Zijlstra)
style="background:Template:People's Party for Freedom and Democracy/meta/color;"|		Lieutenant general Willem den Toom (1911–1998)	5 April 1967 – 6 July 1971	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy	Piet de Jong (De Jong)
style="background:Template:People's Party for Freedom and Democracy/meta/color;"|		Hans de Koster (1914–1992)	6 July 1971 – 11 May 1973	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy	Barend Biesheuvel (Biesheuvel I • II)
style="background:Template:Labour Party (Netherlands)/meta/color;"|		Henk Vredeling (1924–2007)	11 May 1973 – 1 January 1977 [Appt]	Labour Party	Joop den Uyl (Den Uyl)
style="background:Template:Labour Party (Netherlands)/meta/color;"|		Captain Bram Stemerdink (born 1936)	1 January 1977 – 19 December 1977	Labour Party
style="background:Template:Christian Historical Union/meta/color;"|		Private first class Roelof Kruisinga (1922–2012)	19 December 1977 – 4 March 1978 [Res]	Christian Historical Union	Dries van Agt (Van Agt I)
style="background:Template:Anti Revolutionary Party/meta/color;"|		Lieutenant Jan de Koning (Ad interim Minister for Development Cooperation) (1926–1994)	4 March 1978 – 8 March 1978	Anti-Revolutionary Party
style="background:Template:Christian Historical Union/meta/color;"|		Willem Scholten (1927–2005)	8 March 1978 – 25 August 1980 [Appt]	Christian Historical Union
style="background:Template:Christian Democratic Appeal/meta/color;"|		Captain Pieter de Geus (1929–2004)	25 August 1980 – 11 September 1981	Christian Historical Union Christian Democratic Appeal
style="background:Template:Democrats 66/meta/color;"|		Officer cadet Hans van Mierlo (1931–2010)	11 September 1981 – 4 November 1982	Democrats 66	Dries van Agt (Van Agt II • III)
style="background:Template:Christian Democratic Appeal/meta/color;"|		Job de Ruiter (1930–2015)	4 November 1982 – 14 July 1986	Christian Democratic Appeal	Ruud Lubbers (Lubbers I)
style="background:Template:People's Party for Freedom and Democracy/meta/color;"|		Lieutenant Wim van Eekelen (born 1931)	14 July 1986 – 6 September 1988 [Res]	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy	Ruud Lubbers (Lubbers II)
style="background:Template:Christian Democratic Appeal/meta/color;"|		Lieutenant Piet Bukman (Ad interim Minister for Development Cooperation) (born 1934)	6 September 1988 – 23 September 1988	Christian Democratic Appeal
style="background:Template:People's Party for Freedom and Democracy/meta/color;"|		Frits Bolkestein (born 1933)	24 September 1988 – 7 November 1989	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
style="background:Template:Labour Party (Netherlands)/meta/color;"|		Relus ter Beek (1944–2008)	7 November 1989 – 22 August 1994	Labour Party	Ruud Lubbers (Lubbers III)
style="background:Template:People's Party for Freedom and Democracy/meta/color;"|		Joris Voorhoeve (born 1945)	22 August 1994 – 3 August 1998	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy	Wim Kok (Kok I)
style="background:Template:People's Party for Freedom and Democracy/meta/color;"|		Private first class Frank de Grave (born 1955)	3 August 1998 – 22 July 2002	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy	Wim Kok (Kok II)
style="background:Template:People's Party for Freedom and Democracy/meta/color;"|		Benk Korthals (born 1944)	22 July 2002 – 12 December 2002 [Res]	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy	Jan Peter Balkenende (Balkenende I)
style="background:Template:People's Party for Freedom and Democracy/meta/color;"|		Henk Kamp (born 1952)	12 December 2002 – 22 February 2007	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy	Jan Peter Balkenende (Balkenende I • II • III)
style="background:Template:ChristianUnion/meta/color;"|		Eimert van Middelkoop (born 1949)	22 February 2007 – 14 October 2010	ChristianUnion	Jan Peter Balkenende (Balkenende IV)
style="background:Template:Christian Democratic Appeal/meta/color;"|		Hans Hillen (born 1947)	14 October 2010 – 5 November 2012	Christian Democratic Appeal	Mark Rutte (Rutte I)
style="background:Template:People's Party for Freedom and Democracy/meta/color;"|		Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert (born 1973)	5 November 2012 – Incumbent	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy	Mark Rutte (Rutte II)

^Res. Resigned.

^Appt. Appointment: Henk Vredeling appointed European Commissioner 1977; Willem Scholten appointed Vice President of the Council of State 1980.

Living former Ministers of Defence

Minister of Defence	Term	Age
Bram Stemerdink	1977	(1936-03-06) 6 March 1936
Wim van Eekelen	1986–1988	(1931-02-05) 5 February 1931
Piet Bukman	1988	(1934-02-07) 7 February 1934
Frits Bolkestein	1988–1989	(1933-04-04) 4 April 1933
Joris Voorhoeve	1994–1998	(1945-12-22) 22 December 1945
Frank de Grave	1998–2002	(1955-06-27) 27 June 1955
Benk Korthals	2002	(1944-10-05) 5 October 1944
Henk Kamp	2002–2007	(1952-07-23) 23 July 1952
Eimert van Middelkoop	2007–2010	(1949-02-14) 14 February 1949
Hans Hillen	2010–2012	(1947-06-17) 17 June 1947
Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert	2012–	(1973-04-07) 7 April 1973

See also

• Ministry of Defence